About The Running Directory
The Running Directory is the independent guide to Canadian running - a searchable home for races and run clubs that thousands of runners use to plan what to run next, and where the organizers doing the work finally get found.
My story
I started running in 2023 when I signed up for the Ottawa Race Weekend Half Marathon with zero idea what I was doing. Since then I've run everything from a 5k community fun run in Vanier to a marathon on the Vancouver seawall - and the hardest part was never the training. It was finding the races in the first place.
Canadian races are scattered across dozens of websites, Facebook groups, and word-of-mouth recommendations. Run clubs are even harder to find. I built The Running Directory because I wanted one place where a first-timer could find a local 5k and an ultra runner could plan their next mountain race - and where the organizers and club leaders putting in the work actually get seen.
What began as my own list of races is now something tens of thousands of runners use every month to plan their next start line. It's still independent and runner-built, and listing a race or club is always free. If you organize a race and want to reach more of those runners, there's an optional way to do that too.
I also want to be straight about how it stays online. I'm not interested in plastering the site with ad banners or burying races under sponsored clutter - it should stay fast, clean, and genuinely useful. Every Canadian race belongs here, from a small charity 5k to a massive race weekend, and listing is always free. The site pays for itself through optional Featured upgrades for organizers who want a little more visibility. That's the whole model.
A few races and groups that shaped how I think about running in Canada. They're local, welcoming, sometimes scrappy, and a lot easier to love once you know they exist.
A small personal hall of fame while the directory keeps filling in.
My Go-To Club
My Recovery Run Crew
My Training Group
If you know about a race or run club that should be here, send it in. Every submission makes the directory a little more useful for the next runner.
Know about a race that should be here? Send it in and help another runner find their next start line.
Running a club or casual group? Share the basics so more people can find a welcoming crew nearby.
Organizing a race? List it for free, or feature it to reach more of the runners planning their next event.
Questions, corrections, ideas, or just want to say hi. Send us a message and we'll get back to you.