How to join a Long Island running club

Founding members of the 631 Run Club, from left, Dominick... — Founding members of the 631 Run Club, from left, Dominick DiStasio, Kristyn Behrens, and Steve Kuehne, lead a Sunday morning run around Heritage Park in Mount Sinai. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin

By Miao LiSpecial to NewsdayNovember 8, 2025

When Keisha Els, 31, of Mastic Beach, first laced up her sneakers, running was something she did alone. “None of my close friends really understood it,” said the Suffolk County Department of Social Services caseworker. “I could run a few miles, but I wasn’t consistent.”

That changed when she stumbled across 631 Run Club on Instagram in August. “I filled out the waiver, showed up one Wednesday, and right away I knew this was going to make a difference,” she said. “People slowed down to run with me. No one gets left behind.”

The club, founded by five friends including Kristyn Behrens, of Port Jefferson Station, launched in July while the friends were training at a gym for a HYROX competition — a mix of endurance running and strength workout. But the vision soon grew into something bigger: creating a welcome space for anyone who wanted to move, at any pace.

“There wasn’t really a running club out here that felt truly inclusive,” said Behrens, 31, a human resource professional. “No pressure, no ego. You don’t have to train for a race or hit a certain pace. You just show up.”

Today, 631 Run Club has more than 50 active members, from twenty-somethings to retirees. Some are tackling their first 5k; others are seasoned marathoners. Runs are held every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at rotating Suffolk County parks and Sunday mornings for a track workout at either Mt. Sinai High School or Smithtown High School East.

Some running clubs emphasize community over competition, while others focus on training and improvement.

Groups like the Greater Long Island Running Club, in Plainview, and the Northport Running Club are well-established organizations with hundreds of members, structured training programs and small annual membership fees. Others, like Massapequa Road Runners and North Merrick Runners, combine social runs with charity races and weekend meetups.

For Els, 631’s easygoing spirit is what kept her coming back and eventually pushed her farther. Encouraged by her fellow runners, she completed her first half-marathon on Oct. 19 during the Suffolk County Marathon, and she plans to run a full marathon in 2026.