Youth Running Clubs

On a quiet Sunday morning in west Memorial, neighborhood kids and their parents gather near a driveway and lace up their shoes. 

There are no timers. No finish lines. Just kids, ranging from age 6-13, ready to run, and parents ready to encourage them along their route. A typical morning has anywhere from 8 to 15 kids join.

They are the Thornwood Running Club, which started as something small in fall 2024. Mom-of-two and runner Augie Rayner and her husband Josh wanted to help their daughters, Amelia, 11, and Lucía, 8, train for the We are Houston 5K in January 2025 for the Chevron Houston Marathon weekend. 

Their neighbors Kim and Kevin Lane, who have kids the same age, decided to join the family running club. What began as a family initiative soon expanded to include friends and eventually most of the neighborhood kids. 

“We started running on Sunday mornings from our driveway,” Augie said. “It was about 1.5 to 1.75 miles at first. Then we added cul-de-sacs.” They worked on growing their goals, hitting one to four miles, depending on the kid’s age, while having fun along the way. The kids now conquer anywhere from one to four miles, depending on their age. 

The young runners talk on their route, running without headphones, encouraging one another. “They evolve into their groups as they continue to develop their endurance,” said Augie. “Sometimes they are just running with friends, and sometimes they push each other to be more competitive.” 

The idea behind TRC is simple: Keep kids moving, teach them how to set and complete small goals, and demonstrate consistency. “Our run club is really fun,” said 11-year-old Amelia Rayner. “I like how everyone does what is good for them. We go at a great pace for endurance and at the end, you can choose to stop or keep going with the faster part of the group.” 

Josh often bikes ahead to lead the route and make sure everyone is staying safe. Other parents space out along the way to guide and motivate. “I love our run club because it is fun to run with other people and it makes everybody a little stronger every time,” said 8-year-old Lucía.

Sometimes the kids are eager, other times less so. “We try to get them to commit to the number of cul-de-sacs before we start,” Augie said. “Usually, they surprise themselves by doing more.”  

The group has participated in Houston running events such as the West U Halloween Dash and Kids Fun Run and the We Are Houston 5K. They trained through the school year, raced trails at Stephen F. Austin State Park, and even organized a holiday lights run, celebrating with treats afterward.

The Thornwood Running Club, which meets for runs ranging from one to four miles. Pictured (back from, from left) are members and neighbors Taylor Nguyen, Ela Qureshi, Fiona Nickel, Ashley Nguyen, Everley Austin; (front row, from left) Riley Lane, Lee McClung, Hayden Dickinson, Ava Stanley, Lulu Austin, Lucía Rayner, and Blythe Wibel.

Another running group, The Houston Harriers, which was created in 1975 and restructured in 2017 by Doug Storey, focuses on competitive training but also keeps the club’s legacy in place by supporting athletes of all levels. Though the Harriers have long had a focus on adult athletes, the group is laying the groundwork for kids’ programs to introduce kids to track and cross country. It is taking off and growing in numbers. 

Their event, Night of PRs, held annually in November, welcomes all ages to Rice University’s track. It is a chance for runners to push themselves and experience a real race environment. (See houstonharriers.com.)

Evie Faykus, an 8th grader at Pin Oak Middle School, participated in the event in 2024. It was her first time running a mile in a competition setting. She crossed the finish line, breathless. “I shouted to my mom who cheered from the sidelines, ‘that was terrible and so hard!’” said Evie.  

After cooling down, she began to smile. Her mom asked her if she would do it again. “Definitely,” she responded. The Harriers plan to hold the next Night of PRs in mid-November (see HoustonHarriers.com). 

Mandarin Immersion Magnet School is introducing running to kids. Their running club was founded in 2019 by parents Flora Lai and Christy Bonahan. It has grown from 25 to over 100 student participants. “I loved running and wanted to share it with my energetic kids,” Flora said. 

The format is low-key but structured. Students meet once a week and track their laps for over 12 weeks with a goal of reaching the marathon distance, 26.2 miles, by the end of the season. “We try to mimic the race experience,” Flora said. “We hold a 5K at the end of the program with medals for the finishers.” The group’s coaches are Flora Lai, Sarah Kegel, and Carrie Andrade.

For many of these kids, running is not about winning or being the fastest kid. It is about testing themselves and showing up. 

For the parents, helping children set – and complete – running goals helps them learn the importance of moving their bodies. Along the way, these kids are learning that running does not just move bodies. It builds confidence, and it brings people together. 

Editor’s note: This year, the West U Halloween Dash and Kids Fun Run takes place Sat., Oct. 25, 2025. See westutx.gov. The We Are Houston 5K takes place Sat., Jan. 10, 2026, and Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Half Marathon take place Sun., Jan. 11, 2026. See www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com.