OC run clubs build fitness and community

Orange County run clubs are drawing more residents to group runs that blend fitness, themed events and social connection, Voice of OC reported.

The growth reflects a broader rise in run-club participation, which increased 59% in 2024, according to Strava’s annual Year in Sport: Trend Report cited by Voice of OC.

Orange Runner Club in the city of Orange typically draws 50 to more than 100 people to its runs, according to Voice of OC. The club has used themed events to make running a social activity as well as a fitness routine.

"We started from the simple idea of creating a community of like-minded people and doing that by promoting health and wellness," Anthoni Avila, founder and owner of Orange Runner Club, told Voice of OC.

Avila said one recent event showed the club’s local reach. "One of our favorite memories has to be from our most recent themed run for Valentine’s Day — ‘Lover’s Run’ — seeing 100-plus people running the streets of Orange sharing one common goal," Avila said.

A Snail’s Pace Running Shop has operated a run club in Orange County since 1979, Voice of OC reported. Its annual membership costs $120 and includes benefits such as free coaching and discounted race entry fees.

"Our run club became a Mecca for runners looking for community," Lien Chen, developer of run club events for the shop, told Voice of OC.

RunOC has welcomed participants of all levels to weekly four-mile runs since 2014 across Irvine, Newport Beach and Santa Ana, according to Voice of OC. "We’re a non-competitive social club. We welcome runners, walkers, pets and anyone who wants to share four miles of wellness with us," Gloria Shen, one of the six organizers of RunOC, said.

Jim Herkimer, a doctor of physical therapy and professor at Chapman University, told Voice of OC that running can support heart function, glucose control and mental health.