Long Island running clubs build connection and motivation

Mail carrier John Marino already gets his steps in on the job, but for almost two years he’s been happily adding a few more each week with his pals at the Long Beach Run Club.

“I joined in January 2024,” Marino, 45, says. “I live in Rockville Centre, but most of my social activities are in Long Beach.”

He credits the club, which meets Wednesdays at Bright Eye Beer Co., with helping him stay motivated to keep fit — and with expanding his inner circle. Beyond the weekly runs, he joins members to log extra miles and adventures.

“I’ve met a nice group of friends I hang out with regularly,” he says. “We’ve gone camping. We’ve gone on a ski trip.”

Come for the run, stay for the s’mores, slopes and laughs.

Around Long Island, year-round running clubs are keeping people exercising — and connected. It’s the social network you don’t log onto, you lace up for.

THE SOCIAL MARATHON 

Club profiles, well, run the gamut. While some require formal memberships, others are free and operate on a drop-in basis. Some meet weekly, while others gather more often.

The Greater Long Island Road Runners Club has fostered a vibrant running community through training sessions, races and other events across Nassau and Suffolk counties since 1978. Its 1,300 members vary in terms of ability and goals.

Over the years, GLIRC president Alan Baisch, 64, has seen the fellowship factor stepping up among members, especially runners who may not be chasing medals but seeking like-minded linkups.

Running is now seen as a social event. People really enjoy getting out in the morning, running recreationally with friends, doing races or training for a marathon or even a 5K.

- Alan Baisch, president of Greater Long Island Road Runners Club

“The social element is a big part of the sport,” he says. “Running is now seen as a social event. People really enjoy getting out in the morning, running recreationally with friends, doing races or training for a marathon or even a 5K.”

Running, like life itself, comes with hills and rough patches. Tackling challenges with others helps get them through, Baisch says. “It makes it all more enjoyable.”

Emily Heller, who works at CBS News and is the brains behind the sports-themed YouTube vlog “Run Like Hell(er),” concurs.

Running experiences help create strong and unique bonds — whether they come from a glorious day or a tough test of endurance. “Running isn’t always easy,” says Heller, who lives in Commack. “It can feel hard at the moment, but you never regret doing a run.

“When you do it with someone together,” she says, “whether it’s 5 miles in a race or a run, you are bonded and connected in a way that you don’t get when you’re just going out for coffee or lunch with someone.”

At Massapequa Road Runners, which turns 50 in 2026, connections extend beyond the miles logged during weekend runs in the local preserve. Several of the club’s 125 members are also connecting courtside.

“Everyone’s got pickleball fever,” says JoAnne Todtfeld, now in her third year as president. The group also initiated an annual hike, and to Todtfeld, post-running rapport is a logical next step.

“You lace up every week and you run, and you have this shared sense of belonging and community,” she says. “It’s nice to be around other people who feel the same way. It’s a lifestyle.”

Northport Running Club, established in 1977, has “runs every day of the week except Friday,” says its head, John DeSpagna,  of Huntington, who teaches business and sports management at Nassau Community College.

A competitive runner in high school and college, DeSpagna’s been a member since 1999. As his goals have changed, the club has matched him at every step. “Now, for me, it’s recreational running to stay in shape, to meet people and to enjoy the social component of it,” he says. “The club is a great source.”

FIND YOUR PACE, FIND YOUR PEOPLE

Founded in 2022, Sand City South Run Club in Lindenhurst has made camaraderie a top priority at Tuesday night runs from Sand City Brewing Co. Everyone from “walkers to ultramarathoners and everyone in between” is welcome. Kids and dogs too.

“It’s super-laid-back and inclusive,” says coordinator Anthony Ricci, 41, of Copiague, who works for Elitefeats, a race management service. “My thing from the beginning was just to try to make it a social gathering. Runners get together and hang out.”

Among them is Andrew Belding, 41, a landscape architect from Lindenhurst who wrestled in school and ran as a way to maintain his weight. He’s been “running for pleasure since COVID” and is an avid participant. He credits the group for helping him drop from 265 to 160 pounds.

“I’m what they call the ‘Sand City OG,’ ” he says. “I was there from the very first day, and I've been going ever since. My wife comes with me, my son comes with me,” Belding says. “I ran the New York City Marathon in 2023 through a really good friend that I met through there.” A year later, he ticked the Chicago Marathon off his bucket list.

While racking up miles, he’s gained insights. “Everyone’s at a different pace, so it’s very humbling,” he says. “You’re always going to be faster than someone and you’re going to be slower than someone. It levels the playing field.”

Togetherness is in the air during Sunday morning outings with the OG Run Club, forged in 2022 at the OG Training Academy in Lindenhurst. Before weekly runs, a gym co-owner reminds participants of the club’s inspiring goal: Nobody runs alone.

Kristin Lave, 32, of Farmingdale, a physician assistant, likes hearing that. She has been running for the past eight months with the club. While chugging along at a “conversational pace,” she’s made friends. “We stop and we get coffee after run club to continue our talks.”

She’s gotten a physical and emotional boost.

“Everyone wants that sense of belonging,” she says, “of being a part of something that’s bigger than yourself.”