Stop number three in our run-every-run-club-in-Chicago series, and this one’s got a different energy than Rogers Park or the Swifters. Lakeview Running Club is fast, it’s social, and it is absolutely not shy about it.
They meet Tuesdays at 6:30pm and head south on the Lakeshore Path for about four miles total before regrouping at Roscoe’s Tavern afterward, because obviously a run that ends at a bar named Roscoe’s is going to have a good crowd. And it does. We’re talking about 100 runners on a normal Tuesday, which is a real scene by Chicago run club standards.
The group skews 20s and 30s, and the pace reflects it. A “party pace” here is a 12 minute mile, which tells you everything you need to know about where the floor is. This is a club built for people who want to move.
Lakeview Running Club Details
The vibe: Big, fast, social, lakefront views, beers after. If you’re newer to the city or just love being around a crowd of people your age who take their training (and their post-run drinks) seriously, this is a great Tuesday.
Worth knowing: With a group this size and this pace-forward, it can feel like a lot if you’re brand new to running or showing up without knowing anyone already in the group. It’s not unfriendly, it’s just fast-moving and big, and it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle on your first night.
Who it’s great for: Runners looking to get faster. If you can find someone close to your pace and tuck in behind them, this group will absolutely help you improve. Pacing off 100 people gives you a lot of options to find your speed.
Who might want to ease in: Brand new runners, or anyone who’d feel more comfortable showing up with a friend the first time rather than walking in cold.
Bottom line: Lakeview Running Club isn’t trying to be everyone’s easiest on-ramp into running, and that’s fine, because it doesn’t need to be. It’s a fast, fun, lakefront crew that knows exactly what it is. Bring your A-pace and your bar tab.
CUSS Running is on a mission to run with every run club in Chicago. Got a club we should visit next? Tell us on social.
