For some individuals, the love for running may come naturally. For others, it may feel like a chore and hard to find that motivation, but the rise of run clubs has created a new and exciting place for runners of all skill levels to achieve their goals.

Whether those goals consist of reaching a new personal record, losing weight, preparing for a marathon or meeting new people, run clubs are creating the perfect environment to do just that.

Run clubs have become prevalent here in the valley, providing a space for more than just a workout, but a place where people can connect within the community.

Fresno Run Club

Giordano Primavera, the founder of the Fresno Run Club, has always loved fitness and wanted to find a way to implement that while fostering a sense of community here in the Central Valley. Primavera, a Fresno State graduate and Sigma Chi alumni played soccer his whole life and has always been very active.

After taking a few classes at Stanford through their continuing studies program, Primavera made his way back to Fresno and wanted to create something that he was passionate about.

“I was down in Newport and saw they had the Newport Run Club going and they had 200-300 people, it was like a sea of people,” Primavera said. “When I came back I was thinking alright what can I do here, I had taken these classes and if I don’t implement what I am learning I am going to lose it.”

The first thought was becoming a fitness influencer, but after quickly deciding filming his workout content was not something he was interested in, his idea for the Fresno Run Club came to mind.

The goal for Fresno Run Club was to provide something to do within Fresno for runners of all ages, skill levels and interests within the community.

“Community is the number one thing, community is above all,” Primavera said. “From ages 18-105, if you can get out there and run you should be able to go.”

After a few texts, this idea was set in motion on Aug. 17, 2024 where he started with only a few close friends.

“The first run was just me and my two buddies, so the three of us,” Primavera said. “Around week three or four is when we started getting new people. Social media really started working and I started seeing it about a month in.”

For some people finding the motivation and pushing themselves to start is the hardest part.

“It’s something people want to do, they want to exercise, they want to socialize,” Primavera said. “Sometimes they just don’t have people to do it with. We try to appeal to everyone’s interest. Some people go because they are looking for a relationship, some people go so they can have some beers with their friends after and have a little break during the week. Some people are training.”

Fresno Run Club has hosted a variety of events such as the Pup Run, Cupid’s Dash, Coffee Run or the Happy Hour Run which aim to be inclusive for various members of the community.

Primavera hopes that the Fresno Run Club can bring fun to Fresno.

“Fresno is a great place, the people are great there is just nothing to do,” Primavera said. “We want to be a place for the community to go and we just hope to continue growing. I want to bring a community where people are always networking, talking, and doing social things.”

The Fresno Run Club can be found on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m. at the corner of Fort Washington and Friant in Fresno.

Valley Girls Run Club

Valley Girls Run Club, a group founded by women and created for women, has also become very popular throughout Fresno and Clovis.

Founders Alycia Gonzales and Jessica Vera ran track in high school, and believe the community they experienced within those teams is what piqued their interest in wanting to start a run club.

“We were training for a marathon together and we were reminded of how cool it is to run with a community, we hadn’t experienced that since high school,” Gonzales said. “We saw run clubs in larger cities on social media.”

After talking with one another their idea for Valley Girls came to fruition on July 9, 2023 when they had their first run, starting off with 12 girls.

The idea for Valley Girls Run Club was for women to help empower and support one another.

Gonzales and Vera became friends in their Delta Zeta sorority at Fresno State, which gave them a community that supported women, influencing their decision for the club to solely be for women.

“Jess and I thought it was really impactful being surrounded by women that lift each other up and were always there for us during our time in Delta Zeta,” Gonzales said. “That all girls’ environment was really special.”

Both Gonzales and Vera wanted to create a safe space for women to feel comfortable running.

“Whether it was running on a team or being in a sorority, both of us had a space where we felt supported and we were able to build friendships and we wanted to create that same kind of space for other women,” Vera said. “A place where they can get into running, meet new people and feel like they belong.”

The two wanted to create a space where women felt comfortable showing up even if they’re joining solo.

“Joining a run club can be kind of intimidating especially if you’re alone,” Gonzales said. “We wanted valley girls to be a place where people always felt comfortable coming alone. A lot of women who have joined our club have told us that being in an all women’s club has made them feel more comfortable.”

The sense of community that they felt in their time on high school running teams helped motivate them to bring that feeling to their club, no matter skill level.

“Our club is for anyone who is a beginner, just starting out running, to experienced runners, it’s a place for all women to come together and run with each other,” Gonzales said. “We have both experienced how amazing it is to be able to run with someone else and the difference it can make, it really motivates you and pushes you and can make running so much more enjoyable. We wanted to create that community in Fresno.”

Both founders agree that their experiences on sports teams and within their sorority have aided them in sustaining their love for running. This is the feeling that they want members of the community to have.

“We just hope that our run club continues to grow into something even bigger and more impactful,” Vera said. “We want to be able to reach more women and expand our community, more than anything we hope that anyone who comes to our run club finds that sense of belonging. I feel like running has a way of bringing people together and we want everyone who comes to feel like they’re part of something bigger, especially because running can be so personal but so powerful when shared.”

With Sunday long runs, hot girl walks and other themed runs, there’s always an exciting event to look forward to.

The Valley Girls Run Club meets Saturdays at 8 a.m. and Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m at the Healthy Fix nutrition shop located on Fort Washington and Friant streets in Fresno.

Advertising & public relations junior, Elliana Sandoval, has visited both run clubs and has felt like both communities are very welcoming.

“I have participated in the Fresno Run Club as well as the Valley Girls Run Club,” Sandoval said “Both meet a couple times a week and we walk to Woodward where we run or walk a few miles. I was drawn to each club because of how fun they made fitness look and how positive they were about being healthy.”

Runners of all skill levels, even those who just enjoy walking are encouraged to join. Updated event calendars can be found on said run clubs social media each month.