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While the Boston Athletic Association may be one of the oldest and best known membeship organizations dedicated to promoting running, the American running scene is sustained and strengthened by thousands of local clubs formed during the "running boom" of the 1960s and 1970s.

Local running clubs provide runners with many wonderful benefits. To name just a few of those benefits: membership in a local club gives a runner a whole community of colleagues, a chance to engage in friendly competition through regularly scheduled club races, and the opportunity to give back to the running community and the community at large.

One way running clubs give back to the community is through co-sponsoring fundraising races. In 2006, the Plano Pacers of Plano, Texas raised $10,000 for Kidd's Kids, local disk jockey Kid Kraddick's charity benefitting terminally or chronically ill children.

Another way running clubs give back to the community is by granting scholarships to college-bound students and athletes. Often, the scholarships begin as a way of honoring a key figure in the club's history. For instance, the Merced Running Club, a California running club founded in 1968 at the leading edge of the first "running boom," awards scholarships to local high school track and cross country athletes. According to the club website, the scholarships are awarded to honor "the competitive spirit and the many years of volunteerism, leadership, and support Ken Schwisow gave to the running community" in the Merced area.

According to the USATF website, there are over 2,000 USATF-affiliated running clubs in America. The Road Runners Clubs of America has over 700 member clubs with 180,000 members.

Besides local road running and track clubs, many local "specialty" clubs exist, serving everyone from trail runners to ultra runners to multi-sport competitors. While each club is unique, all of them provide members with the chance to enjoy and share their passion for running with others.