What if it's always the same two people who turn up?

First of all: that's a group, not a failure. Small, reliable runs feel more inviting to newcomers than a large one where nobody speaks to them. Use the phase to cement the slot – a group can only grow once there's something dependable to join.

What if the group gets too big?

That's the moment for pace groups, each with someone responsible – so nobody is dropped at the back and nobody is bored at the front. Beyond a certain size you also need shared roles, otherwise everything hangs on you and the session dies the first week you can't make it.

Should I charge a membership fee?

For an open running group: probably not. Free and drop-in is exactly the low barrier that gets new people through the door at all. As soon as money changes hands you inherit questions about accounts, legal form and insurance – worth it only once there are real running costs.

How do I handle people who say they'll come and then don't?

Lightly. In an open group, an RSVP is closer to a statement of intent, and leaning on it too hard drains the fun out of organising. Plan the session so it works with two people – then everyone else is a bonus rather than a precondition.

More Runners for Your Group: How to Grow Your Run Club

Starting a running group is one thing – growing it is another. Seven steps to turn your Lauftreff into a run club people keep coming back to.

Chris Mühlnickel · 18 July 2026 · 4 min read · Updated 28 July 2026

More Runners for Your Group: How to Grow Your Run Club

Most guides online explain how to start a running group. But you already have one – your real challenge is growth: more runners showing up, and more of them staying. There's barely any German-language help for that. This guide closes the gap: how to turn a small Lauftreff (drop-in running meetup) into a run club people keep coming back to – in seven concrete steps.

The tailwind: group running is booming

The good news first: demand has rarely been higher. According to Strava's Year in Sport, run-club participation grew 59 percent worldwide in 2024 (Strava 2024). And the reason isn't the sport alone, it's the social side: 58 percent of active people have made new friends through fitness groups, and social connection is the single biggest motivator to exercise at all (Strava 2024). In Germany, too, the "social run club" is a visible trend – Frankfurt alone saw around 15 new clubs founded in two years (hessenschau). So your job isn't to create demand, it's to capture it.

Reliability beats everything

The biggest reason runners come back is mundane: they can count on you. A fixed weekday, a fixed time, a fixed meeting point – something people can plan their week around. Consistency, communication and community are the three drivers that turn first-timers into regulars (RunGroop). Groups provide structure, accountability and belonging – and that measurably improves the odds of sticking with it (ACE Fitness). The more someone identifies with the group, the more they enjoy it, and the more likely they are to show up next week.

Pace groups: drop no one

Nothing drives newcomers away faster than getting dropped on their first evening. So split into pace groups, so beginners and fast runners both have a home. That very range – "for beginners and pros alike" – is what makes a group appealing to many people (RunnersWorld). The simple rule: no run where the slowest person is left behind alone.

A welcome culture is your growth engine

Growth is a loop: whoever feels seen the first time comes back – and brings friends next time. Make sure someone greets every newcomer, briefs them and takes them to the right pace group. The group photo of a happy first run is, as one operator guide puts it, "marketing gold" (RunGroop). A designated greeter at every run is standard practice among successful Lauftreffs (laufshirt-bedrucken).

Visibility: where new runners find you

Visibility is the top of your funnel. The path into a group today often runs through Instagram: first you see the pictures, then you want to belong (hessenschau). You don't need to be on every channel – pick one or two and post reliably once a week, plus a group photo after each run (RunGroop). On Strava, it's worth creating the route and announcing the run as an event so newcomers know where they're headed. And the most important step last: be findable where local runners are actively searching for a group.

What sets modern run clubs apart from the classic Lauftreff is everything around the run: the coffee after, the hanging out, the meeting people. The run is the vehicle; the community is the product (hessenschau). That's not a nice-to-have – group activities run around 40 percent longer than solo ones, simply because the group carries you (Strava 2024). Distribute the roles – pacer, greeter, someone on photos – and you give more people a reason to feel they belong and to come back.

And then: just start

Growth is rarely one big move; it's the sum of small, reliable habits. Start with one step, keep it up for a few weeks, and build the next on top of it. When you're ready to make your group visible to new runners, put it on We Up – and see how other groups present themselves in the overview.

Fixed time & meeting point Set a fixed weekday, time and meeting point people can plan around. Reliability is the number-one reason runners keep coming back.
Pace groups, no drops Split into pace groups so no one gets left behind and beginners and fast runners both have a home. That range is what makes a group appealing to many people.
A welcome culture for beginners Make sure someone greets every newcomer and briefs them. People who feel welcome the first time come back – and bring friends.
Visibility: Instagram & Strava Pick one or two channels and post reliably once a week, plus a group photo after each run. On Strava, create the route and announce the run as an event. Visibility is the top of your funnel.
Keep the social ritual Plan a coffee or a short hangout after the run. The run is the vehicle, the community is the real product – group runs last around 40 percent longer than solo ones.
Share roles & responsibility Hand out roles – pacer, greeter, someone on photos and social. People with a role identify more with the group and stick around.
List on We Up & connect locally Put your group where local runners search, for example on We Up, and connect with running stores and cafés nearby. That way new members find you, instead of you hunting for them one by one.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What if it's always the same two people who turn up?: First of all: that's a group, not a failure. Small, reliable runs feel more inviting to newcomers than a large one where nobody speaks to them. Use the phase to cement the slot – a group can only grow once there's something dependable to join.
What if the group gets too big?: That's the moment for pace groups, each with someone responsible – so nobody is dropped at the back and nobody is bored at the front. Beyond a certain size you also need shared roles, otherwise everything hangs on you and the session dies the first week you can't make it.
Should I charge a membership fee?: For an open running group: probably not. Free and drop-in is exactly the low barrier that gets new people through the door at all. As soon as money changes hands you inherit questions about accounts, legal form and insurance – worth it only once there are real running costs.
How do I handle people who say they'll come and then don't?: Lightly. In an open group, an RSVP is closer to a statement of intent, and leaning on it too hard drains the fun out of organising. Plan the session so it works with two people – then everyone else is a bonus rather than a precondition.