The group running scene in Philadelphia plays an integral role in defining the beautiful culture that is our running community. Each team, crew, and club is incredibly unique, which adds an assortment of rich layers to our city’s ever–growing active lifestyle. Our area is home to an active running community with over 100 running crews/clubs/teams. Whether you are new to running or have been logging miles for years, the Philly running scene has something for you.
We're starting a new feature at Philadelphia Runner – Run Club Of The Month. We'll start with our in–house club, Team Philly Race Training, and roll out one (1) new club each month.
What You Do:
1. be a running group in the Philadelphia area
2. read each month's "Club Of The Month" post
3. be the first club to email brodie@philadelphiarunner.com after reading the post. The first club will be the next Run Club Of The Month (note: you can only win once)
Sound good? And without further ado.....Team Philly.
Let’s start with an easy warm–up, tell us the name of your club you’re representing:
How and when did the club start?
Team Philly began in 2010 as a joint venture between Philadelphia Runner, Excel Physical Therapy and Unite (then Fusion) Fitness as a way to help engage and train new and beginner runners for the Broad Street Run.
When and where does the club meet?
We meet for group runs on Wednesday nights at Philadelphia Runner in University City and on Saturday mornings at Lloyd Hall.
Give us a quick rundown of the club.
We are an inclusive running group that trains runners of all abilities to accomplish their running goals. Our training program focuses on the Broad Street Run and Philadelphia Marathon Weekend. It also includes The Philly 10K, Philadelphia Distance Run, and Philly Run Fest.
What can someone expect if they come out to run with the group?
When someone joins us, they can expect to have an organized pre–run group stretch and then we break up into pace groups for the run, with pacing mentors to help guide runners. Along with running we strive to create a sense of community with our runners. We have found that by having mentors and building that community atmosphere it helps keep people invested and coming back instead of possibly getting discouraged after a bad run – because we all know everyone has bad runs!
Is there a membership or fee involved with joining the club for runs?
There is. We offer a per training season (Spring/Fall) or an annual membership. Membership includes a training schedule, weekly e–mails, discounts, a Team Philly singlet, clinics/info sessions and more.
Do members get together to run at other times or gather for non–running activities?
We host regular non–running activities. We usually have an end of the year party, tailgates after the big races, outings to the Phillies, axe throwing, and more, as well as happy hours after our runs. With our partnership with The Rothman Institute, we are also able to host informative workshops as well.
Final question, tell us why someone should run with your club:
Because it’s fun! We welcome runners of all abilities and paces. Our pace groups go from a run/walk group to those who run sub–8–minute miles and we all encourage each other and are supportive of each other.
Thanks for taking the time to share more about Team Philly Race Training! If you’re interested in signing up for Team Philly, click here to learn more about membership options or drop by a run to meet members and mentors. Find more about the club by following them on Instagram: @teamphillyruns and Facebook: facebook.com/teamphillyruns
