Looking to grow your running community, connect with others who share your passion, and build a support system for your upcoming race training? Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just starting your running journey, there are many local running clubs around Fishers and the Indy Metro area that welcome all experience levels.
We asked four of our Geist Half Ambassadors from different local running clubs to share why they joined, what makes their club unique, and how you can get involved.
Fishers Running Club
Jon Wade, VP of Engagement
About the Club:
Fishers Running Club is a social running and walking group open to all experience and fitness levels. Our club provides a safe and inclusive experience full of support, accountability, and most importantly, fun!
Based Out Of:
The club is based in Fishers, but you don’t have to live in Fishers to join. I don’t even live in Fishers and they totally let me stay!
Members:
Around 260
Membership Fee:
Membership is $40/year for individuals and $100/year for families (includes 4 memberships). Membership includes things like water-stops/aid stations on long group runs, race discounts to most local races, and access to training plans and training help. Our club also shows up to races with tents, snacks, drinks, and cheers!
How Did You Get Involved?
I joined the club in December 2019. I wanted to connect with other people who shared my love for running and find people to train for races with. I ended up making some of the best friends in the process!
Favorite Part of the Club?
Definitely the social aspect. It is said that if you want to go fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run with friends. In Fishers Running Club, you can do both! And it’s not just about running/walking. It is very much a social club. We end up at restaurants, pubs, cafes, and various other goings on around town. We even take the occasional field trip!
Group Run Schedule:
- Wednesdays at 7 PM: These are our “Pub Runs” so we stay after for food, drinks, and good times! The location changes monthly.
- Saturdays at 8 AM: In the winter, we meet at a café. We’re currently at Niyyah Coffee at Hub & Spoke. In the summer, we meet at different local parks.
- There are also several smaller groups that get together for “unofficial” runs. So, you can find something pretty much every day of the week.
How to Get Involved:
Go to fishersrunningclub.com and join, or reach out to one of us and we will have you join us at a club run to check it out. It can be intimidating to just show up, not knowing anyone. But that’s what I did, and I can say from experience that you will not find a more welcoming group of people around.
Connect with the Club:
Website: www.fishersrunningclub.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FishersRunningClub
Instagram: @fishersrunningclub
Black Girls Run! Indianapolis
Jennifer Wheat Townsend, Run Coordinator
About the Club:
Black Girls Run! Indianapolis (BGR! Indy) encourages all women to get out on the pavement, be there for one another, and be healthy. The national organization’s mission is to encourage African American women to make fitness and healthy living a priority.
Based Out Of:
The majority of the runs take place in Indianapolis, but you do not have to live in Indianapolis to join. You can find the Facebook page and join in. We have members from across the state.
Members:
In order to be a part of BGR! Indy, you can join the Facebook page and be connected. The goal is connectivity on and off the pavement. On the page, we have about 3,900 members. This number continues to grow.
Membership Fee:
BGR! Indianapolis is free to join.
How Did You Get Involved?
I was running on the Monon one day and a friend that I worked with stopped to talk to me. I had shared I had started coming out on my own. She said, you should join BGR! She explained to me how the group got together every week and that they had different runs throughout the week. With the name being Black Girls Run, I did ask if it was okay for me to join. I wanted to respect the group and its purpose. I was told yes, that all women were welcome. I came the next week, met some of the women, and have been running with them ever since then. Now I’m the run coordinator for BGR! Run coordinators host the runs to make sure everyone is welcome. Our saying is, No Woman Left Behind. The run coordinator along with other members stay until the end to support each walker/runner as they finish that day.
Favorite Part of the Club:
The relationships that I have built on and off the pavement. I have met so many remarkable women in this journey that have impacted my life. The support that everyone gives is phenomenal. I can still remember my first full marathon in Indianapolis (Monumental), coming around the corner toward the end and the group there to cheer me and others on. It helped me get through that last stretch. Everyone is there to support you in your journey—whatever that may look like for you.
Group Run Schedule:
In the winter, we mainly meet on Saturday and Sunday mornings. From spring to fall we have runs almost every day of the week.
How to Get Involved:
Just look up Black Girls Run! Indianapolis on Facebook and ask to join the group. You can then connect with others and find out more about our runs.
Connect with the Club:
Website: blackgirlsrun.com
Facebook: Black Girls Run! Indianapolis
Black Men Run – Indianapolis Chapter
Evan Taylor, Club Member
About the Club:
Black Men Run is an organization and brotherhood focusing on increasing the physical and mental health of Black Men through engaging in a physically active lifestyle. In Indianapolis, this mission and brotherhood is carried out by the Indianapolis chapter of the larger organization that started in Atlanta with the founders Jason L Russell and Edward Walton.
Based Out Of:
Our chapter of Black Men Run is rooted here in Indianapolis. Most members of the club either reside in Indianapolis or began their journey in the brotherhood in Indianapolis. Members of Black Men Run can travel to various cities throughout the country and find local chapters to run with while in town.
Members:
There are approximately 20-25 members in our club that come out regularly to run and fellowship.
Membership Fee:
There is no fee to join.
How Did You Get Involved?
I joined the club because I was looking for a way to get out of the house and maintain a healthy lifestyle and develop a brotherhood and bond here in the city. Due to the racialized experiences and history of our city and country, I would have been less likely to even join a running club or organization had it not been for this organization that provides a space that centers the multiplicity of experiences of Black masculinity.
Favorite Part of the Club?
My favorite part of the club is the brotherhood and our commitment to the mantra of “No Man Left Behind”. On group runs our captain (Chris Herbert) will always make sure to finish with those who may be coming across the finish line last because of pacing or because of recovery from previous injuries. The same spirit is embodied amongst all the runners in the club who are more than willing to run alongside a newcomer or even longtime member and to encourage them to stay the course. In times when we are together running events we always make sure to have a deep fellowship and bond with each other and to encourage other Black men, whether they join our club or not, to keep up with running and staying active. We live the words of the Chicago poet Gweyndolyn Brooks who wrote that “we are each other’s magnitude, bond and harvest”.
Group Run Schedule:
Saturdays at 8 AM at the Fort Benjamin Harrison YMCA
How to Get Involved:
Come out and run with us, start connecting with us via our social media pages, or come up and talk with us when you see us at races wearing our BMY Indy gear.
Connect with the Club:
Website: blackmenrun.com
Facebook: Black Men Run INDIANAPOLIS
Instagram: @blackmenrunindy
Athletic Annex Thursday Night Run
Max Glenn, Ambassador
About the Club:
The Athletic Annex Thursday Night run is a real relaxed run/walk group based out of the Athletic Annex in Fishers where we gather, move, demo new shoes, and enjoy beverages after.
Based Out Of:
This one is based out of Fishers, but there are other Athletic Annex running groups in Washington Township and Carmel as well!
Members:
Our numbers always vary but I would say we are a faithful 8 of us but we sometimes have up to 20.
Membership Fee:
It doesn’t cost a cent! It only costs a bit of your time to show up.
How Did You Get Involved?
It really worked for my schedule to go on a short run on Thursday evenings, and I really just loved the vibe. It is incredibly low stakes and accessible. There are folks who run elite marathons but there are also just lots of folks walking their dog and just savoring the time together. Plus, the free beverage at the end (nonalcoholic and alcoholic options) is just a nice way to bond and talk about running.
Favorite Part of the Club?
Besides the people, easily the shoe demos! Getting the chance to meet reps and try out all sorts of shoes is really neat because it’s opened my eyes beyond what I normally like to move in.
Group Run Schedule:
Thursdays at 6 PM. Around springtime it will be 6:30 PM.
How to Get Involved:
Come join for a walk or run, it is literally that easy!
Connect with the Club:
Facebook: Athletic Annex Fishers
Instagram: @athleticannex
Stephanie Perry is the Assistant Director of Public Relations of the City of Fishers. Born and raised in Fishers, Stephanie graduated from HSE in 2006 and is now raising her kids in her childhood home in West Fishers, which she purchased from her parents when they moved. She loves supporting the local small business community, running on Fishers’ trails, and spending time at Conner Prairie with her family (Headless Horsemen and A Merry Prairie Holiday are family favorites!). Stephanie and her husband enjoy getting outdoors and spending time camping, hiking, and boating. Stephanie has enjoyed watching her city grow over the past few decades and loves the assets and amenities that the community provides, from the parks and special events to the array of restaurants and shops.