8 Community Running Clubs to Get You Ready for Fit One

Team Run Boise is all about bringing together runners of all levels together to build a stronger running community in the Treasure Valley! Organized, through Fleet Feet Meridian, it offers a team t-shirt, discounts products at Fleet Feet and more. There is a $30 membership fee if you want all the goods but if you’re not ready to commit to paying the fee quite yet you can come meet quite a few Team Run Boise members during Village on the Run on Wednesday nights. It’s a free group run that starts at Fleet Feet on Wednesdays at 7 PM and includes social time at a Village hot spot after the run.

This is Fleet Feet’s training program and I am absolutely in awe of what it’s done for the couch to 5K runners I’ve met. The beginner program targets people who are inactive or brand new to walking/running. It trains them through a run/walk interval program over the course of 10-12 weeks with the goal of finishing a 5K. The faster 5K program helps you take your 5K to the next level by teaching pacing and form. Both programs include coaching, a t-shirt, nutritional plan and group supported runs for a fee.  Many of the people you see in this picture from 2016 went on to complete their first HALF MARATHON by March 2017! The coaching and support you get from Fleet Feet's training programs are like nothing else you'll ever experience!

The thing I love most about the BAR is that they welcome runners and walkers of absolutely every ability. During any given group run, you can find members running 18-20 miles to prepare for a marathon or members just wanting to go for beautiful walk down the Greenbelt. It doesn’t matter how far or fast you ran when you join other members for brunch or dinner and drinks after your workout. The group posts their runs on Meetup.com. You can join them on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday and Sunday mornings.

I love the coaches at Galloway? Why? Louise Seeley and her husband Mike are the reason I lived through my first marathon. The group helps people of all ages and abilities learn former Olympian Jeff Galloway’s run/walk/run method and successfully finish a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon or Marathon.   They provide you with everything you need to be successful from a training schedule with run routes, speed/hill training workouts, aid stations during long runs and discounts at almost all the area running shops. There is a fee for each training program, but it’s worth it. Their target races for the new season are FitOne and the Onward Shay in October.

There’s something that Mike Shuman and his crew at Shu’s offers that you won’t find anywhere else in the Treasure Valley. Dark Chocolate and hugs at every visit to the store on State Street! They host a small run group for runners and walkers of all abilities on Thursday evenings at 5:30. You can choose a 3, 4 or 5 mile loop and join their mileage club to win some cool swag from the store throughout the year. Plus you won’t want to miss their themed runs like the Halloween costume run and tour of Christmas lights in Boise’s north end. It’s absolutely free to run with this Shu’s group!

It’s been around since 2003 and welcomes all ages and abilities. According to their website, the group’s goal is to help you run or walk a 10K, half marathon or marathon while teaching wellness through exercise, nutrition and group support. They break up their training sessions into winter, spring and summer seasons with a different race as a goal each session. The spring session is going on now through the Fit 4 Life races in July and is completely free. They’ll resume a small fee when the summer session kicks off.

Ever see those cool hot pink jerseys on FitOne race day? Those are the Boise Betties, a all female running and racing club. For a fee, you can join them and get one of those pink jerseys, plus access to their weekly club runs, closed Facebook group, discounts from a local running store and select local races. They also have a membership level that includes coaching and support a group of elites.

The Hashers are world renown for being a "drinking club with a running problem."  When they set their mission as "drink, run and then drink some more" and their products as "embarrassment, shame, ridicule and other good old fashioned fun," you know you're going to have a good time with them.  Members go by names like Passhole, Pump N Run, Three's Company and other names that are way more NSFW than I can post here, but it's all in good fun.  They meet Mondays at 6:40 PM in rotating locations.