Any women have a bad experience in a run club?

You got this!

I know this is a spam bot - but wtf?

I wouldn't join a run club unless I felt comfortable with my ability to turn interested men away, or unless I wanted to improve that skill.

People often join clubs to meet people who share their interests, so some amount of flirtation is likely, as are occasional advances from guys you find unpleasant.

On the other hand, there was a lot less of this than I would have expected in my running club experiences.

Every casual run club in my area has weekly runs that start/end at a brewery. They’re for social 25-30min 5k runners to jog some miles and then have a couple drinks. Nothing wrong with that, if that’s what you’re after.

We have two competitive racing clubs in town. Even one of those does a weekly all comers brewery thing, but there are several 15-20 min runners… a bit more serious than the really casual clubs. The other club has performance standards and wouldn’t be caught dead at a brewery.

There's plenty wrong with that. Running should not be an excuse to fuel your alcohol/eating addiction.

Classic Letsrun post. "If you drink one beer you are an addict!".

If someone judges for you for not drinking after your run club then thats what makes it a sh1tty run club, not the fact that there is an option to drink afterwards.

The issue I had with my former run club is how elitist and downright nasty people were about their politics, and what hypocrites they were. One pompous fool complained about running past people "not wearing masks on the street, I would have worn mine if I would have known they'd be out here" yet he raced every other weekend in a pack of elite runners, and had no issue using a freakin porto potty. Another told me, a woman, that I have "cognitive dissonance" because I stated that men cannot be women and should not be participating in the women's division.

Yeah I see that a lot in my online run club. People nastily inserting their politics into discussions that had nothing to do with politics.

Maybe for some, but definitely not all. I know a few fast runners that are horribly lonely and introverted. The chance to make some friends and have a beer after a run is probably a healthier activity for them than the run itself.

"Run club" culture can definitely be toxic. Many run clubs I've encountered in my area are so "inclusive" that it becomes a walk club. Or, to your point, something to do before getting drunk. Or, like most things in life nowadays, an excuse to take a group picture to post on social media.

Are there female-only run clubs in your area? If not, consider starting one. Same with booze-free running groups. I know they exist, although some of the recovery focused groups have their own problems.

Running with others is great, but it can take some time to find your group. In my experience, the best groups are the ones that don't have an Instagram presence and just meet casually in the morning, where the focus is on getting in a good run with others.

Just imagine how trans women feel

Kind of like this whole LRC "virtual running club" which is essentially an online running club.

womp womp

Idk if it's really possible for a running club to be inclusive of all pace levels. It would have to be massive with a ton of sub groups for that to be the case, so maybe having a bunch of different ones for different paces is the best way to do it.

No

Biggest problem I've found is long runs that are too fast with nobody wanting to do an easy 9-10 minute pace and females ending up all alone on a long run, which is not what they joined a club for.

Same. Insecure, unfulfilled narcissists made it their petty fiefdom. It's just running and none of us make a buck off of it, nor should we expect or want to.

Are you a woman? if not, I think it's you who has 'nothing to do with the discussion'.

HAVE FOUND THE LOCAL RUN CLUBS ARE FULL OF ANTI SOCIAL WANKERS WHO NEVER PARTIED IT UP BACK IN THE DAY.

THEY USUALLY MEET A LIFEWISE SOCIALLY AWKWARD HOBBY JOGGER AND STAY WITH EACH OTHER MUCH LONGER THAN THEY SHOULD AS THEY HAVE NO OTHER OPTIONS (AWKWARD).

IF YOURE A TRUE ALPHA BANGER MALE OR FEMALE- YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO SOME WILD ONE LIKE YOU WILL EVER SHOW UP, MORE OPTIONS FOR WOMEN.

NORMALLLY I USE THE SOCIAL RUN FOR SAFETY NET WHILE HITTING ON THE HOTTIES THAT ACTUALLY COME INTO THE BAR AND ARE CURIOUS. .02