Networking Events: Join a Running Club

Join a Running Club

Joining a running club can be a great way to meet people. A running club can be a different and positive way to meet new people. Joining a running club can help you fulfill not just your meeting new people goal but health and well-being goals that you might have (and even specific running goals you might have if you already a runner). It will mean that you can run in a group safely, improve your health, as well as enjoy a bit of socialising.

However, in addition to all of these positive benefits of joining a running club can be a networking opportunity. It can help boost your business network of contacts (internally or externally).

Find a Running Club

Once you have decided that you might like to join a running club the next task is to find one. You don’t need to be of a particular level to join a running club.  Most groups cater for all levels of experience.

We all run for different reasons, whether it’s to lose weight, keep fit, meet new people, or, sometimes, to enter and maybe even win races. You should look to find a club that suits your personal goals.

You might find that you already have a company running club. This can be great for internal networking, helping you be active (particularly if you have an office job) and generally boosting team morale.

If you don’t have a company running club (or you want to expand your network a bit further than the office) then there are other opportunities available:

• Traditional Running Clubs – with these types of clubs, there’s a membership fee and they meet several times a week. So check it’s within your budget, close to your local area and suits your timetable before you sign up.
• Running Shops – You may find that your local running shops/stores have their own running clubs which you can join.
• Women Only Running Clubs – some running clubs are women-only and if you haven’t come across it already there is also This Mum Runs specifically for mums.
• Networking and Social Club Running Clubs – you might find that a networking group that you are already a part of has a running club.
• Business / Membership Clubs Running Clubs – some co-working spaces and other business / multi-business communities have their own running clubs.
• Online / Meetups – You can also find social running clubs online using Facebook, meetup or even Reddit. Whatever social networks you use there is probably a running group.

If you are already a runner and can’t find a suitable club – why not start your own with a few like-minded people. You do not have to be a fast runner to start a club, you just need to be enthusiastic and have the commitment to support and encourage others. Start by simply chatting with others that want to get out more and do more running but don’t have the motivation to do so (or can’t find a suitable club). Then arrange to meet on a regular basis.