ARC Run Club L.A.

Back in 2012 when I first started running I had no idea what I was doing. I thought,“You put on some sneakers and you run!” Well that worked for a while, but when I started putting on the miles I got my first injury; Plantar Fascitis. It was awful! The pain was excruciating, I was scared to get out of bed in the morning because the minute i put weight in my foot I knew I would be hurting. I researched online to find out what was going on. I was convinced that i just wasn’t meant to be a runner and that I would have to find another form of exercise that made me happy the way running did. Luckily a friend of mine who is a seasoned runner told me about A RUNNER’S CIRCLE. She told me that I was probably using the wrong shoes (yes! there is such a thing!) and that I should head over to ARC to get properly fitted for shoes and see if that helps.
So I went. The minute I walked in (I’m sure I looked like a lost puppy) I was greeted by the most welcoming employees I have ever encountered. (I work for Trader Joe’s, we have a reputation for our friendly customer service, so that’s saying something!) Immediately they realized something was wrong with me– I was limping– so they sat me down and asked just a few questions and knew I had Plantars in no time.
They asked about the amount of running I was doing and how much I wanted to run, they checked out my regular walking shoes I walked in with, I stood on a machine that showed where most of my weight was distributed on my feet, and finally they asked me to steed outside and the watched me run back and forth. When we walked back inside the girl helping me went to the back and came back with 3 different types shoes and a pair of insoles. Oh yeah, I was also told that I was NOT in fact, a size 6 but a size 8! So I bought my first pair of running shoes (Brooks Adrenaline) and a pa

I LOVE ARC!
I lived in Glendale and never missed a Thursday fun run until I moved to the west side and couldn’t make the drive. Now I’m back in Glendale and hope to start running with them again.
For runners of all ages and fitness levels. I started in their run/​walk group and worked my way up to the 9 min mile group.
Some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I have made life long friends at ARC.

Fun event put on A Runner’s Circle on Thursdays. Get your 3 mile or 5 mile run out the way and go home with your slight endorphin boost.
Or go to a bar and get shit face wrecked (there’s lots of them there). I would recommend just going home though and maybe washing and ironing clothes. It’s more productive.

The best run club in the world. LOVE the store. LOVE the spirit. LOVE everything about this place!!!

If you are looking to get some exercise and make some new friends you should try coming out to one of the ARC Run Club’s Thursday Fun Runs. It’s a great way to meet people and stay in shape. They offer hydration and orange slices after each run! You can run one of two distances: 3 or 5 miles. There is also a wide range of pace groups to join, so don’t feel intimidated. They have everything from a nice stroll (the sexy pace group) to a full on run. Everyone is super friendly and will make you feel welcome!
Runs start at 6PM every Thursday. After completing the run you even get a raffle ticket. At the end of the month they raffle off a bunch of cool stuff. You may even get a chance to win some free shoes!
I have made it out to a few runs already. I wish it were closer to work so that I can make it a weekly thing!

3 years ago what started out as hanging out with my friends has become a weekly ritual for me. And one day we decided to run this particular day. I am not much of a runner, I’m more of a team sports kinda guy. The only running exercise im apt to do would be some wind sprints or some sort of running in place just to warm up at the gym. I never really cared for running that much. I found it repetitive and unrewarding.(Spoiler Alert!!) It is far from it! Yes it is obviously monotonous, come on, left foot, right foot. Repeat. and you do that for who knows how long. But what I came to realize was the scenery changes with you. This Run Club runs alongside a hidden gem in the Los Angeles Area. The Los Angeles River. Yes we have a river. but to be more exact we call this the Glendale Narrows. Lots of Oxygen to be inhaled here. Lots of Trees. Now I run with this club a lot. Their best event would have to be the A Runner’s Circle Thursday Fun Runs. It is a running meet up of sorts. It starts at 6pm every Thursday of the Month, Rain or Shine, Light or Dark (some runners bring headlamps).And every last thursday they bring in Shoe Vendors to trial their shoes for the full duration of the fun run. How cool is that? you dont just jump in place and walk a few steps like other sports stores. you can actually run in them for 3 miles or 5 miles. Very organized and most importantly very friendly. Come one of these thursdays, and find out for yourself why people love this gathering.

I’m a firm believer of the oncoming zombie apocalypse, and as with anything that relates to zombies being prepared for them is the key. Sure stockpiling weapons, ammo and food are important, I’m not saying it isn’t, but so is you’re health. Having good cardio helps, and if nothing else you can outrun the slowest person near you, if you’re lucky enough to still have people around you.
There are many reasons why ARC’s Thursday Fun Runs are ideal for zombie training. You get both pavement and a bit of trail running, which will be most likely the case. You run in specific pace groups! So from the walker group too the insane 28 days later zombies that just sprint for your tasty flesh group. You can gradually work/​run your way up and out of the zombie food chain! Of course no guarantee.
The trail also tends to get dark in the Fall and when that happens ARC even provides torches (flashlights) on those nights. When in the dark and it looks like you’re filming a low budget horror film with the only light up factor is your torch and the distant glow from a light post, you can feel the need to want to get to the next lamppost as quickly as possible. As well, to train your attention on the road ahead as there are uneven portions of pavement and on the trail you’ve got horse landmines. You don’t want to trip due to lack of situational awareness when running away from zombies, not only will you get hurt now, but you’ll just be a road bump for them as I zoom on by!
If you need the security and safety of the group, no worries, cause even if you do fall behind there’s bound to be another pace group coming for you. Whether you treat them like zombies and you try your best to outrun them, or you treat them like your rescue party, they’ll have pacers encouraging you to push through. You’re going to wish you had that sort of support when the zombies come. But I guess the fear for your life adrenaline will be somewhat the same thing.
So aside from being a good training ground for the ensuing zombie apocalypse there are just good times to be had by all when you run this course, and especially with ARC. At the end of the run, they usually have fruits, water and electrolytes to replenish what you’ve lost from those runs. As well, ARC will give updates on upcoming races and a raffle ticket. If you go all Thursdays of the month you get one a week and then on the last Thursday of the month a raffle is held for ARC shwag and one lucky winner gets a free pair of shoes!
So if you’re lucky and get a new pair of shoes ARC fits you with the right pair of shoes for your feet, and you’ll be running away from zombies not only in style but in comfort!

If you enjoy meeting new running friends, come to the weekly ARC Thursday Night Fun Runs. I’ve been to a few over the years and although I’m not a huge fan of the route, I always enjoy the company. The ARC pacers are all really friendly and NOT intimidating at all even though a few of them can run as fast as Superman himself!
The parking situation is a bit of a turn-​off and I’ve seen people getting ticketed on Los Feliz so if it’s your first time with ARC, give yourself ample time to park in the neighboring streets and walk to the red ARC tent next to the store. Once there, you sign in on a sheet (you get to choose the pace and distance) and when you return from your run, you sign out. This is to ensure that everyone who ran is accounted for.
The route is along the LA River and into parts of Griffith Park. If you’re not a fan of dust or horse crap, don’t come here. There is a portion of the run that involves you running in a dark, dark, dark tunnel which definitely has horse crap.
If you bring keys, there is a place for you to store them, but it’s just a basket, nothing fancy.
At the end of the run, you get 1 raffle ticket. At the last Thursday run of each month, ARC has a raffle for a variety of goodies. It varies from month to month, depending on whether there are sponsors (e.g., New Balance, Newton, Asics) who bring goodies to raffle off. There are shoes, gym bags, tshirts, socks, ARC gear, towels, and even entries into local races. Of course, these runs are the most popular and can get crowded. I’ve seen some kids win the raffles even though they didn’t win… not sure how I feel about that, but the people who run this show seem to be OK with it.

Wow. I am surprised with all the review of races and runs on Unilocal that this one hasn’t been reviewed yet.
Well let me start off by telling you the story on how I got so involved in running, here it goes:
Well, I had been running on and off for a couple years to lose weight. When I graduated from college I weighed in at a whopping 265lbs and on a one way street to an early death. Plus being in a family with a history of heart disease and all the bad stuff, I knew I was in the red. So I picked up running and shed a ton of weight but kept getting blisters on my feet then I found cycling which I fell head over heels for because I didn’t have to worry about blisters and I could double or triple the mileage on my bike compared to the amount I could running on my feet.
One day while watching the Ironman in Kona I was inspired by the «about me» biopics of the participants and decided that by the time I die I wanted to compete in an Ironman. One athlete said eat right, swim right, and bike right. During his explanation he mentioned that not only getting the right fit for your bike but the proper shoes to run in were essential. So I decided I was going to get proper running shoes and heard about A Runner Circle being one of the stores to check out. When I finally checked the place out with my friend, we ran into Dino who properly fitted me for shoes for FREE then asked me if I were training for anything. I told him of my lofty goal of doing a Ironman but first doing a half marathon. He mentioned that the store was hosting their Thursday Fun Run the following day and there would be a costume competition. Intrigued, I told my friend «Let’s do it!» In less then 24hrs, I found a costume and running shoes. I had my doubts about people dressing up and running but those were swept away when I saw this girl dressed in a NAKED suit (oxymoron). She literally looked naked from a distance and she really did run in it. I came as Conan O’brien with a red wig and in a 3 piece suit which I ran in. At the end of the end of the I was handed a red ticket and told to sign it then drop it into a box.
Red ticket was for the monthly Last Thursday raffle night when ARC raffles off shirts, accessories, shoes, etc. The way it works is every Thursday you show up you are handed a red ticket that you have to sign then drop in a box inside the store. If you show up all 4 Thursdays of the month then you increase your chances of winning on the last Thursday of the month.
Once they told everyone to gather around to start the raffle, my blood pumping in anticipation as each name started to be called out. I crossed my fingers hoping my name be called. First a ARC bandana then a red ARC shirt were raffled off. I told myself «it’s cool, I can do without a bandana and shirt but those shoes would be sweet!» Finally, they announced it was time to raffle off the shoes. I whispered to myself «C’mon say James! Say James!» I’m sure if I had my Garmin on it would show my heart rate was off the charts. I could still vividly see them slowly open their mouth towards the mic then read out the winner of the shoes and I couldn’t tell if I was sweating because I wore a red wig or it was from nerves.
Damn, the anxiety was killing me!
After the final drumroll, the mc said“And the winner of tonight’s shoe raffle is… J_____(not James!)“
Aw Crap!
I admit, I felt a bit defeated but the group of runners who dressed up as The Village People then performed, lightened my mood. Even though I loss, I had a lot of fun. So I decided to come the following Thursday and ever since then I have been coming to the weekly Thursday Night Runs. This October it will be my one year anniversary since I had my inaugural run with ARC.
This run has made me appreciate running to the point that I am currently on a hiatus from my passion of cycling as I have a full race schedule for this year. I have put more miles on my legs this year then all of my life 27 years combined on this planet.
Every single week, I get my workout, meet new and old friends, and learn something new every time I attend. I was taught how to properly train, eat, and the people from the fun runs have not only grown more than just acquaintances but friends I hang out with outside of Thursday nights.
Would I be back?
You can find me here almost every Thursday.
Competing in an Ironman is still on my bucketlist but I have to get swimming down.
Surprise this club has a tri-​club too!