Fall marathons are really a celebration of a summer spent training. Right, marathoners? We kicked off our training with Puma Running this year, taking on a 5k training plan as a community. Some of the runners just kept on going until they reached the marathon.

This year, after the conclusion of the major fall marathons, we asked the marathon runners in the aSweatLife community to reflect on their training and raceday. A major theme we heard from these runners (hopped up on endorphins, presumably) was their love and appreciation for their running crew.

I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge that sometime between 2019 and now, we’ve stopped calling them “run clubs” and we’ve started calling them “crews.” In case you’re keeping track.

And in case all of this love of running and friendship gets your heartrate up, you may be inspired to link up with a run crew for next running season. In Chicago, an excellent resource lives on @ChicagoRunningPassport on Instagram.

Let’s hear some of the reasons these runners loved running with a group.

It gives your training consistency

And consistency may not feel like the most important thing to prepare you for a physical challenge, but according to Runner’s World, it’s at the top of the list. “For most runners, getting out the door and running at an easy and steady effort, with a good frequency and consistency, is what will get you ready.”

Kristin Gonzales runs with (and helps to organize) Tortugas Run Club and for her, the consistent meeting time gave her stability and a sense of security. “We would meet up every Saturday at 31st beach. What I loved most was we were all different paces, but the crew would always hang around to make sure everyone made it back safely.”

Colleen Smith who trained with 7 on Sundays for her first marathon this year is a big believer in the power of consistency for the long distance runner. “Everyone always says they could never do it, but everyone can run a marathon if they want to. It’s a big time commitment for training though, and you want to be sure you’re trained for it!”

Your new running friends will help you along the way

Running is a sport that comes with some hard-earned lessons. Which socks cause chaffing, which bathrooms are locked for morning runs, or what will cause tummy troubles on race day. Run crews are packed with people who have already learned things the hard way and are willing to share that knowledge.

Great guidance could come from the run club that meets at a running store like Fleet Feet, where aSweatLife Ambassador Justin Samaniego trained for the Chicago Marathon this year. The experts there can guide you through things like when you need to replace your shoes instead of waiting until you’re experiencing the aches and pains of doing it too late. 

And besides all of that knowledge, running is another thing that’s better with friends.

“I met such great people through CARA and it made the training a lot easier.” Maria Fernanda Wetzel said after running her first marathon this year.

Hilary Kniss ran The Chicago Marathon in ‘13, ‘14 and ‘15 but she wasn’t happy with how she trained. This year, she wanted to do it differently – she ran with Tortugas Run Club. “There was a group from Tortugas that were all doing the marathon so it became a TEAM effort and support. It seemed like the right time to return.”

You can unite around goals (and maybe even push yourself to do things you thought were impossible).

Sharing your goals with other people is extremely important for achieving your them. In fact, research shows it’s the most important thing.

“Researchers say that sharing your goal … does more than keep you accountable, it also makes you more motivated, simply because you care what this person thinks of you.”

And those friends just might be the people who not only encourage you to show up, but also convince you that you can do something even bigger than you ever imagined.

 Alexa Calingo didn’t think she could run a marathon before training with her crew, Family Style.

“I realized with the help of my fitness friends that with proper training and basic encouragement, I could do this hard thing!”

Or like Sarah Hawley, who ran the 2023 Chicago Marathon and trained with Run for Change with Denise. “It changed my life. It made me realize I can do hard things in life with hard work, determination and setting a goal.”

Or Ana Navarete, who ran her first marathon with Tortugas Run Club and her run coach Marina Holter. “I wanted to show myself that I can do hard things and accomplish anything I set out to do.”

Cheers to all of the runners out there. We’re so proud of you.