In this edition of Get to Know Your Running Clubs we chatted with Iram J. Leon, the President of the Austin Runners Club. Want to learn more about them? Read on!

Tell us a bit about the club history, how did the Austin Runners Club get started?

We've been around for over 40 years and host the longest running 5k in Austin, the Daisy 5k. Our mission statement does a pretty good job of describing who we are: The Austin Runners Club is a non-profit, volunteer organization with members of all ages and running and walking abilities. We promote and encourage competitive and non-competitive running, walking, and related activities in order to educate the public to their benefits, for our membership and for the general public.

What area(s) of the city does your group usually run in/around?

We run all over Austin but try to meet in fairly central locations.

Nice! Tell us a bit about your members 

We cater to runners of all levels and abilities.

Where/when do you usually meet and run?

We meet up at local tracks and running stores, offering regular weekly workouts and social runs for all levels and abilities.

Any cool routes/ favourite areas to run in your city that you would like to recommend to other runners? 

Lady Bird Lake Trail (formerly known as Town Lake) is a favorite in this town, offering a nice isolated run away from traffic with plenty of water and rest stops and a great view of the city.

Do you have any favourite races? Outside of anything that you’re affiliated with

Run for the Water 10-miler is a favorite of mine. The distance causes you to change up your strategy from the standard 10k or half marathon. I also like trail races just to change up the muscle and mental game.

Anything else we should know?

I've invited people to our group for years and I've always told them they'll never be the fastest out there nor the slowest and they've never proven me wrong. We are very inclusive and have a range of levels that participate in our social runs and events.

Want to learn more?

Want to connect with the Austin Runners Club, or just learn a bit more about them? Check out their information below:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Find more runs around Austin

Looking for runs in and around Austin? The RunGuides Austin race calendar can help you find upcoming runs and running races in the area - www.runguides.com/austin/runs