Frequently Asked Questions
Am I fast enough to run with Front Runners?
Yes! We have runners and walkers of all paces. The best time to come is Saturday mornings when the largest number of Front Runners gather to run or walk in Central Park.
Do I need to do the Beginners’ Clinic to run with Front Runners?
No. FRNY offers a beginners’ clinic each spring to introduce the sport to non-runners and help them prepare to run the 5-mile Pride Run. You are welcome to join the Beginners’ Clinic, but it is not required. Just come run with us!
What are the requirements for joining?
Just fill out our membership form and pay the annual dues of $30 ($21 hardship rate, membership is pro-rated every four months). There is no requirement regarding pace, attendance, or racing, and we welcome everyone over the age of 18 to join. If you’re not sure, just come run with us for a few times before you decide.
What is the format of your Saturday morning fun runs? Should I present myself to anyone in particular? Will it be obvious where Front Runners are?
Come to Rutgers Church on Saturday around 9:30 or 9:45 AM. We leave our bags at the church, in the basement. We will jog together to the park at about 9:55 and meet near the Daniel Webster statue at the 72nd Street transverse. You can meet us at Rutgers or in the park. After we run in the park (anywhere from 1.7 to 6 miles, and people go all different paces), we reconvene at the church for breakfast, which will be free for your first visit! There will always be several board members and other club leaders there, and Front Runners is a very friendly group, so ask any person who’s at Rutgers that morning if you need any guidance.
What is the format of the Wednesday night fun runs?
We meet at Rutgers Church to drop our bags and change at 6:30 or 6:45 PM, then run to the park together at about 6:55. We gather in the park at the 72nd Street entrance. You can meet us at Rutgers or in the park. After we run (people go all different paces and different distances), we meet back up at the church to get dressed, get our bags and head out to dinner or some people just go home–no pressure!
What is the format of the Tuesday night fun run in Brooklyn?
Arrive at the Prospect Park West and S3rd Street entrance to Prospect Park at around 7:00 PM. At 7:15 PM, we begin the 3.3-mile run of the perimeter loop of the park. There are runners in the group at all paces. We reconvene after the run and some members of the group go out to dinner in Park Slope.
Do you run even even in the snow/rain/dark/heat/humidity?
There may be a smaller group if the weather is just horrendous–anywhere between 75 and 150 runners usually show up on Saturdays. There’s always someone crazy dedicated enough to run in any weather.
NYRR asks me for my member number when I register for races. What is my FRNY member number?
New York Road Runners (NYRR) is a local organization that puts on races in which individuals and local clubs, such as FRNY, compete. Joining FRNY is not the same as joining NYRR. NYRR offers a discount to its members on all races, so if you race more than three or four times a year, it is worth it to join NYRR as well as FRNY. FRNY does not issue membership numbers. You may compete as a Front Runner simply by choosing FRNY from the drop-down menu on the NYRR race application page.
Can Front Runners get me into the NYC marathon?
Front Runners New York is a local running club affiliated with NYRR. We are a large club with workouts, fun runs, and social events happening almost every day of the week. We do not, however, have any special strings to pull to get you into the NYC marathon. Each year about 100 of our members run it, but they qualify to do so through the NYRR’s rules, which include running nine NYRR qualifying races and volunteering for one in the previous calendar year, or by time-qualifying. People can also qualify to run the NYC marathon by raising money for charity. More information is all on the ING NYC Marathon’s web site.
How do I get an FRNY singlet?
Ask any board member at a Wednesday or Saturday fun run, and they will help you purchase a singlet. We have men’s and women’s sizes, and all singlets are $25. Bring cash or check made out to Front Runners NY. We also have men’s and women’s shorts, unisex technical t-shirts, unisex long-sleeve technical shirts, and men’s and women’s triathlon tops.
How do I access the membership directory?
The username and password is published in every Front Runner Gram, which all members receive on Thursday mornings.
What is the correct spelling– Front Runners or FrontRunners or Frontrunners?
It is “Front Runners New York” — four separate words. There are hundreds of Front Runner clubs around the world and all these clubs started from the same club in San Francisco: Lavender U. jogging club, named after a lesbian and gay free newspaper that circulated in the 1970s. When the Lavender U. paper dissolved, the jogging club continued, choosing the name “Front Runners” from the title of Patricia Nell Warren’s novel, The Front Runner. The New York chapter of Front Runners was the second one, coming into existence around 1979.
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