3635 Franklin Rd. SW
ROANOKE
Free Training Groups & Meet-Ups
Join us for any of the recurring weekly meet-ups! All ages and fitness levels are welcome. Weekday community run/walk distances vary from 2-5 miles and the Saturday endurance meet-up distance varies from walking a few miles to running more than 20 miles! Feel free to email us with questions!
Meet-ups are always subject to last-minute change due to inclement weather/private events, so follow us on social and stay in-the-know for updates!
Spring 2023 Training Groups
Spring 2023 Training Group registration is now closed, however you are invited to pick up printed copies of our mileage plans and relevant info during regular business hours at the shop (Mon-Sat 10a-6p, Sun 12p-5p) for a $5 fee payed at time of pickup.
Weekly Meet-Ups
WEDNESDAYS
Olde Salem Brewing Company
Back Patio* 6:30pm
What to expect:
2-4 miles walking/jogging/running coordinated by a RunAbout staffer (and occasionally a volRUNteer). *We meet in the back patio area of the brewery unless it's raining just before 6:30pm in which case we meet in the back entrance of brewery near the bathrooms. We hold our walk/run unless it storms! Inclement weather cancellations are communicated through our FB/IG pages.
Usually there is a walk or walk/jog group that takes the flat/sidewalk route to the Salem Duck Pond and back (approx 1.6 miles roundtrip). This is the preferred route if you have a stroller in tow or want to stay mostly flat and on sidewalks. The other preferred route is through Roanoke College Campus (3.1 miles), is very hilly, where occasionally you will be on the road with no sidewalk. This is also the way to access Red Lane and other parts of the Salem Half Marathon/8K course. VolRUNteers will occasionally take some of these routes as different views and as time approaches for these events.
OSBC hosts BINGO on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm, this is free and open to all ages (limit one BINGO card per customer). You can arrive early to run/walk and play the whole time or you can jump in with Bingo after you return from your workout. We also hold raffle drawings when RunAbout staffers are able to lead the workouts, so make sure to stop by and grab your ticket when you return from your walk/run for chances to win prizes!
ROUTES:
Duck Pond Route from OSBC (1.6 miles)
Roanoke College Campus Route from OSBC (3.3 miles)
FRIDAYS
"Coffee Club" at Chris's Coffee & Custard, 8:30am
What to expect: 2-3 miles of walking, jogging, or running (some people cover a lot more miles than this but it's on their own and they start early or stay late). Dogs are welcome on the patio at Chris's! This is a VERY stroller-friendly route since it is entirely sidewalks or Roanoke River greenway! Our regular Friday morning attendees usually walk or walk-jog, so there are often plenty of beginner-friendly folks to join you, but those who wish to run a different route, run further or faster, we welcome you too!
Chris's offers a variety of breakfast and lunch options, even a "selfie-ccino" where you can print a photo of yourself or your pup (or whatever) on your vanilla latte! Chris's also offers the very popular "pup cup" treat for our furry fitness friends to enjoy after our workout. You won't find a friendlier coffee shop in Roanoke or likely anywhere in the world. Make a point of visiting this small business with us or in your travels, you won't regret it! Check out shop dog Kida enjoying a pup cup and one of many original artwork items from Garrett or one of the other wonderful staffers at Chris's!
ROUTE:
Roanoke River Greenway (3 miles)
Still have questions or want to find a dedicated group of your own particular pace or fitness need? Maybe you are motivated to START your own group as it's tough to make our meetup schedule? Fill out this form and drop us an email: training@runaboutroanoke.com. We would LOVE to welcome more folks of all fitness levels, training needs, and personal interests. A RunAbout admin will contact you soon to make sure we get you in the loop and welcome you to our family!