Upper West Side Run Club
Manhattan · Upper West Side, Riverside Park, Central Park
The vibe
Upper West Side Run Club was founded in February 2023 by Maddy Nguyen, a then-25-year-old tech recruiter who couldn't find the right community to train for marathons — so she started one via Instagram and a Facebook group. Three runs a week (Sunday mornings at the Eleanor Roosevelt Monument, Tuesday mornings in Central Park, Thursday evenings at the Natural History Museum) at 8-11 min/mile conversational pace, with coffee after morning runs and drinks after evening ones. The vibe is warm, younger-skewing, and genuinely social — the club has been featured in the New York Times for how much people lean on these communities for connection. Free, no sign-up required.
About
Upper West Side Run Club meets Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at Tuesday 6:45am, Thursday 6:30pm, Sunday 9:30am at Daniel Webster Monument (Tue), AMNH steps (Thu), Eleanor Roosevelt Monument (Sun) in Upper West Side and Riverside Park, Manhattan. Free to join, drop-in friendly, open to all paces. The club typically draws 50–100 runners per outing. After most runs, the group gathers at Local cafe (mornings) / local bar (evenings).
Website recently updated · seen online (Mar 2026)
Post-run hangout
Local cafe (mornings) / local bar (evenings)
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