Somerville Road Runners
Membership FAQ
Q. How can I learn more about SRR before I join the club?
A. The best thing to do is just show up to a run… but we get it, doing a new social thing can be kind of intimidating. You can start by joining our email list and lurking for a bit if you’d like. You can also check us out on Strava, Instagram, or Facebook.
Whenever you are ready, please join us for any of our weekly fun runs to see what we are all about and meet club members. We host five weekly group runs, a coached weekly track workout, and support various long run groups!
Q. Can I run with SRR if I’m not a member?
A. Yep! You can come to any of our free weekly group runs as many times as you’d like, and you’re welcome to try out a coached group track session before you join.
Q. When and where do you meet up and run?
A. See all our weekly runs on our Run With Us page for all the details!
Q. I'm out of shape and haven't run in years, is this club right for me?
A. With more than 500 members at different levels and abilities, you will be sure to find other runners in the same situation. Some people are looking to lose weight and start an exercise program; others have specific goals in mind such as running a marathon or getting a PR on a certain race distance. Our club encompasses every type of runner from recreational to competitive.
The weekly No Expectations run is a great place to start if you are just getting started or coming back to running from injury or time away. The 3 mile Bur-Run on Monday nights in Davis Square is another great introduction to running with SRR, since there’s always a large group with a wide range of paces to choose from.
Q. I am a veteran runner with a few marathons under my belt and now I'm looking to improve my time, is this the right club for me?
A. Absolutely, many of our runners are fine-tuning their racing skills and looking to get faster and stronger. Joining SRR will help you define and meet your goals. Check out our weekly track workouts and long run pace groups to find the group(s) with goals and / or training paces that line up with yours.
Q. What are the benefits of becoming a paid SRR member?
A. If you decide you’d like to become a member, membership is very affordable at only $50 per year per individual or $90 per year per family (with financial aid available, if needed!), and it comes with a lot of benefits:
Attend member-only events, like the Wintah Challenge, the Boo Run and the Holiday Lights run
Experience camaraderie and team competition in our participation with the USATF-NE race series.
Get free entry to 2 USATF races per year
Get access to club transportation to races
Run club-only races, including the Mill Cities Relay and the 26x1 Mile Relay
Join track workouts and get advice from our coach and fellow veteran runners in marathon preparation, nutrition, and injury prevention
Receive discounts on running apparel and gear from the SRR Merch Store and running stores across New England, and be eligible to receive discounts to various races throughout the region
Participate in discussions and volunteer work through our IDEA program
Support the club’s community and charitable work with your membership fee
Volunteer at various running events throughout the year including, but not limited to the SRR Kids program, the Boston Marathon, the Gobble Gobble Gobble, the BAA Half Marathon, and 26x1 Mile Club Relay!
Q. Does SRR have a coach, someone who can help me set goals and design a workout plan to achieve those goals?
A. Yes. Our coach and fellow member, Joe O'Leary, designs our weekly track workouts; he can also help devise a running plan to meet your goals.
Q. How does SRR give back to the community?
A. SRR gives 2/3 of the profits of the large races we organize (Gobble Gobble Gobble and MOM’s run) to support local charities like the Somerville Homeless Coalition, the Dilboy Veteran’s fund, the Somerville High School Track team, and Stride for Stride. We offer three college scholarships to SHS high school students every year. We run a free K-5th grade kids’ program in the spring and fall to help get kids excited about running. And we partner with other local running organizations to volunteer at multiple races.
SRR is an all volunteer-run organization, so if there are other ways you’d like to see the club give back, please come to our monthly board meetings and share your ideas!
Q. How can I get involved in the club?
A. We have many opportunities to get involved. Our monthly meetings are held on the first Monday of every month at 8:00PM online and are open to all members to discuss club issues and events. We encourage members to volunteer for a variety of events, including the club's marquee annual road races. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact our volunteer coordinator (volunteer@srr.org) for more information.
Q: But wait, I have more questions! Who do I ask?
A. Get in touch with our Membership Coordinator, Jurre. (He’s super nice.) You can also check out our Contact Directory to find the right person to answer your question.