Victoria has a lot of running going on, and it’s gotten harder to keep track of. New clubs have popped up over the last couple of years, some of the older ones have changed, and depending on what you’re looking for you could end up somewhere that isn’t what you wanted at all.
The thing I’d say first is that “run club” covers two pretty different things in this city. There are social clubs, where the point is to run a few kilometres with people and get a coffee afterwards. Then there are training groups, where you show up and do a structured workout that’s designed to make you faster. Both are good. They’re just not the same, and if you turn up to one expecting the other it’s going to feel off.
So here’s the whole landscape as I understand it. I run one of these, which you should factor in, but I’ve tried to be straight about all of it.
Training groups — structured workouts
Island Endurance — Tuesdays at 6pm at Cedar Hill Rec Centre, free, a coached interval session run on a small loop so nobody gets dropped. This is the one I run with Katie and Ruth.
Peak Endurance Workout Wednesdays — Two free sessions every Wednesday, Morning Miles at 5:55am in Saanich on the Lochside and PKOLS trails, and Track Nights at 6:15pm at Parklands Secondary in Sidney.
The Track Club — Mondays at 6pm and Wednesdays at 6:15pm, and this is the most serious outfit in town, coached by former professional athletes including an Olympian, with a $150 team membership or $30 drop-in sessions.
Underdog Speed Project — Wednesdays at 6pm at Oak Bay Track, a newer group with a performance focus.
Speedfarm — Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 6pm around Oak Bay or James Bay, road and 5K oriented at roughly 4:30 to 5:30 per kilometre, with a membership fee.
Prairie Inn Harriers — Tuesdays at 5:15pm and Saturdays at 8am, meeting at Cedar Hill in the winter and Thetis Lake or Mount Doug the rest of the year, the oldest club in town and running since 1978, with a membership fee.
Clinics — seasonal, paid, built around a race
Frontrunners — Beginner clinics and half and full marathon clinics, with Wednesday evening workouts and Saturday morning long runs in led pace groups, out of their various store locations.
Running Room — A free Wednesday 6pm run club out of the Victoria store, plus their own paid seasonal clinics.
Social clubs
Notorious Run Club — Saturdays at 9am by the fountain at the Legislature, a 5K through downtown, and the biggest crew in the city.
Cool Down Run Club — Sundays at 10am at the Mile Zero sign in Beacon Hill Park, 4 to 6.5K with no pace requirements and coffee afterwards.
Fernwood Social Run Club — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 7am from Fernwood Coffee, plus Thursday evenings at 6:30pm from Fernwood Square.
Capital City Run Crew — Thursdays at 6:30pm downtown, usually along Dallas Road.
Victoria Queer Run Club — Mondays and Thursdays at 5:30pm from Mile Zero or the Dallas Road waterfront.
Esquimalt Run Club — Tuesdays at 6:30pm and Sundays at 8am, usually starting from Saxe Point.
Small Gods Run Club — Tuesdays at 6pm out of Small Gods Brewing in Sidney.
GCE South Island Runners — Tuesdays at 6:30pm, with the route announced weekly through their Facebook group.
Victoria Hash House Harriers — Saturdays at 2:30pm at varying locations, and if you know, you know.
parkrun — Saturdays at 9am at Clover Point, a free timed 5K on the same course every week, which makes it a great way to practice racing.
Trail groups
Trail Babes Run Group — Thursdays at 6:30pm at trailheads around Victoria.
Badass Chicks Run Trails — Saturdays at 9am, various trailheads.
Forest Dwellers — Sundays at 8am around Greater Victoria.
Westshore Trail Runners — Sundays at 8:30am out in the Westshore and Colwood, including Thetis Lake.
If you’re new to running, you’ll get faster just by running. That’s the easiest progress you’ll ever make and it’s worth enjoying while it lasts. But eventually it flattens out, and at that point if you want to keep getting faster you have to actually train. Fortunately there are a lot of options here for that. Check them out for yourself and see what fits.
Details change, so confirm with the club before you show up. If I’ve got something wrong or missed your group entirely, let me know and I’ll fix it.
