Whether I’m traveling specifically for a race or running as a means to see the place we’ve travelled to, running is usually a significant part of my travels. During a road trip, it’s a way to stretch our legs, and when we’ve got more time at a destination, it’s an efficient way to see the sights, get the lay of the land, and connect with locals.
From lessons learned as both a runner and a tour guide, I’ve gathered unique opportunities to run while traveling, starting with the lowest barriers to entry to scheduled, paid experiences.
Maybe you’re a family of runners. Maybe you’re running curious and willing to try anything once. Regardless, all the options below offer warm, welcoming environments for runners of all ages and abilities.
Run Clubs
District Running Collective in Washington, D.C. organizes their runs by pace groups
A few years ago, I took the train from Chicago to St. Louis on a solo trip. Before I left, I found a local run club on Strava hosting a casual group run my first evening there. Rather than planning a route in a city I’d never visited — wondering if I would be safe or if there’d be interesting things to see — I just got to show up at the designated meeting spot, follow the group’s predetermined route, enjoy safety in numbers, and chat with the locals through a park I might have otherwise missed.
Run clubs are booming. I live in the Washington, D.C., area, and there are nearly 30 run clubs — that I know of. These run clubs may be geared toward women, speed workouts on the track, or hosted by a local running store, but they are all (based on my experience) wonderfully welcoming to visitors and locals alike. Google “run clubs in [city]” and you’ll find several options for morning or evening runs any day of the week.
Many run clubs get together afterward at a local café (morning runs) or bar (evening runs). And they’re free! Just be sure to check their webpage, Strava group, or social media, as some do ask for an RSVP or, on rare occasions, are membership based.
Let the locals take the lead, so you can focus on enjoying your run, taking in your new surroundings and making new local friends who can make great recommendations.
parkruns
parkruns began in the U.K. and have since spread all over the world, including more than 78 events in the United States. These are free, Saturday morning 5ks welcoming all ages and abilities — including walking!
Unlike a run club, which typically runs on the city streets, parkruns get you into the nearest natural areas. Every parkrun is unique and sure to provide beautiful scenery, but I wrote a story for Runner’s World where I highlight several particularly gorgeous runs throughout the country.
You will need to register with parkruns ahead of time, but the process is super easy. And once you’ve registered, you’ll be set to sign up for any future parkruns, anywhere in the world, with your new account.
These are incredibly welcoming events; they even recognize and cheer for first timers at the start. parkruns are also timed, so if your family is looking to run a casual 5k without the fuss of packet pickup, registration fees, and a competitive atmosphere, these are a great option.
Guided Running Tours
City Fit Tours guide Mary takes a group around the Washington Monument
If you’re looking to combine your run with more formal sightseeing or want someone to knowledgeably tell you about the monuments you run past, consider a guided running tour.
Given my love of running and traveling, it’s no surprise I’ve found myself a running tour guide for not one but two different organizations: City Fit Tours and Read & Run Tours. And with all the moving around I’ve done, I’ve been a running tour guide in Chicago, San Diego, and now Washington, D.C. With all this experience leading running tours, I can tell you these are truly unique and rewarding ways to explore a destination.
City Fit Tours
City Fit Tours combines sightseeing with running, offering the ultimate fitness experience in the U.S. cities we serve. These routes are thoughtfully crafted and led by locals who love their city. The routes are typically 5k distance and meet in locations convenient to public transportation. The routes cover each city’s greatest hits, while revealing hidden gems the locals know best.
On a personalized tour in San Diego, I’ve taken a client out for their 19-mile marathon-training run through San Diego’s Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, and downtown neighborhoods. In Washington, D.C., I’m partial to our 5k Tidal Basin tour, which takes runners to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, a stone of hope out of a mountain of despair; the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, four open-air rooms exploring highlights from his four terms as president; and the George Mason Memorial, a monument to a forgotten founding father tucked into a quiet trellised garden.
City Fit Tours guide Ellen shares stories about the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C.
What I love most about being a guide are the runners I meet from all over the country — and world. I’ve kept in touch with a few over the years, and we meet up for runs when we’re in each other’s cities. I can’t guarantee you’ll make a friend for life, but I can guarantee you’ll run with an awesome guide.
You can join a regularly scheduled group tour of the city’s highlights any day of the week ($49). Or you can book a private tour, so you can decide how many miles you want to run and what part of the city your guide will take you through ($150 for up to four participants and $35 for each additional participant in larger groups).
Though I’m partial to City Fit Tours, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our colleagues at Go! Running Tours (for which I was also a guide in Chicago). They offer a similar experience but are in cities throughout the world and all their tours are private (which means the price points are higher, starting at $107.80 for one person to $60.50 for four or more in most cities).
Runners on a tour at the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial
Read & Run Tours
Have you ever read a novel that made you immediately want to visit the character’s local haunts? Ever read a hyper-specific nonfiction book, like maybe a book about the fountains in Chicago that made you want to immediately run out and see all those fountains?
Then you’re going to love Read & Run Tours. Read & Run’s mission is to use movement and stories to explore locations to better understand each other, ourselves, and our built environments.
I got my start with Read & Run in Chicago, leading more than a dozen tours based on fiction and nonfiction books set in the city. I’ve led runs based on a novel about the ephemeral World War II Japanese American community in Chicago; Ellen Browning Scripps, the namesake of so many roads and monuments in San Diego; and Washington, D.C.’s local eateries.
The routes are typically between a 5k and 10k with stops to discuss the real-life places in the book. Read & Run offers book club runs, for which it’s best to have read the book ahead of time, but they also offer running tours and fun runs, which — while inspired by a book — require no pre-reading. While these events are geared toward locals interested in learning about and connecting to their cities, visitors are absolutely welcome.
Since its founding in 2021, Read & Run has expanded to include pop-up events that anyone can apply to lead (including yours truly). But as it continues to grow, your best bets right now are Chicago and Washington, D.C., for regularly scheduled events.
Follow them on Instagram @readandruntours and @readandrunontheroad to learn of tours popping up in other cities. Read & Run offers numerous free events, but standard tickets for tours are between $20 and $40.
Chelsey Stone hosting a Read & Run event in Chicago
Running and Traveling: Add More to Your Travel
Running while traveling is about adding another, unique layer of exploration to your trip.
Running with a local run club or parkrun lets you meet and chat with locals while you enjoy a preplanned route. A running tour is a great way to learn about the history or monuments in a city with a knowledgeable local. And all these options are accessible for runners of any age or ability — so get running!
Photos by Chelsey Stone
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About the Author: Chelsey Stone is a freelance travel and health & fitness writer who’s written for National Geographic, Runner’s World, and Bicycling. She lives in the D.C. area and loves to use books and running as a means to explore the city and anywhere she travels to.
You can find her at chelseygrassfield.com or on Instagram @chelseygrassfield.
