We tried to keep up with the Monaco Run Club
An average of 70 runners go on the outings, which are free and open to all © Monaco Tribune
Every Wednesday and Sunday evening, the streets of Monaco play host to a new sporting event that’s already a hit!
Dozens of runners get together for a totally free group running session with a relaxed atmosphere, and anyone can join in. There are regularly more than 70 of them at each outing.
The Monaco Run Club was launched just a few months ago, when four friends came up with the idea of turning their solo runs into time together: “We found ourselves running together by chance and realised that it was much more enjoyable. Time went by more quickly, we chatted and told each other how our weeks had gone,” says Tommaso Breda, one of the founders.
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A logo on Canva, an Instagram page, and they were – ahem – off and running. There were six or seven people on the first outing. Today, the club has 2,700 followers on Instagram, 1,000 members on Strava, and special events have even drawn 130 participants.
A club anyone can join
The secret of their success? The club is genuinely inclusive. The Monaco Run Club has set up five different groups by pace, ranging from walk-runs for beginners to the sustained pace of experienced runners: “We’ve got people who run sub-3-hour marathons, and my mother Alessandra, who’s 68 and never run in her life!” says Tommaso.
The circuits take into account the Principality’s constraints (only two square kilometres), alternating between Larvotto, Fontvieille and the Port, depending on what local events are going on.
But the sporting aspect aside, a community has been created. Wednesday sessions are often followed by a relaxed aperitif, a chance to make contacts in the Principality, where it’s not always easy to meet new people.
Our video report shows the atmosphere of a Wednesday evening session, from the group warm-up to striding out together, with contributions from two runners who have been won over by these weekly get-togethers. And who knows, maybe you’ll want to get your trainers out and join them?