What We Do

Lez Run welcomes all skill levels from beginner to pro. We meet every Saturday morning at 8 AM at Lloyd Hall by Boathouse Row in Philadelphia for a casual group run, rain or shine, but within reason :) No membership is required and the run is free for all who join us! We also schedule weekend long runs, social events, and post fun races, so do check back for more information.

LGBTQ+ RUNNING CLUB PHILADELPHIA, PA Lez Run was created for all members of the LGBTQ+ community, with an emphasis on women and nonbinary folks, to provide a safe and supportive space for newbies and vets to explore and enjoy the sport of running. So grab your running sneaks and join us because running just got queerer!

Our Racing

We run local, out-of-state, and out-of-the-country races to represent our community, have fun, and show off our skills with a preference for inclusive races. We train together for upcoming races and help each other reach personal goals.

Lez Run was founded in 2013 by LGBTQ+ activist, distance runner, RRCA-certified coach, and Athlete Ally Ambassador, C.C. Tellez. After having no luck finding an inclusive running group in Philadelphia that she could call home, C.C. decided to create one of her own. During the past 10 years, thanks in large part to C.C.’s efforts, Lez Run has welcomed more than a hundred LGBTQ+ runners, launched the annual Philly Pride Run, and has successfully advocated for the inclusion of nonbinary runners and prizes in races across the country. In Philadelphia, they include the Philadelphia Distance Run, the Broad Street Run, and the Philadelphia Marathon. Globally, all of the 7 world major marathons . C.C. was awarded the 2023 Non-profit Hero Award by the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund for her activism through Lez Run, Athlete Ally, and her work at Students Run Philly Style.

Our Board of Directors

L:ez Run is led by an active team of contributors who work hard to give Lez Run a presence at events around Philadelphia. These friendly people lead our group runs, our race cheer zones, and run our booth at running event expos. Look for these friendly faces when you run with un on Saturdays!

Partners

We are proud to collaborate with clubs and businesses that support running and LGBT initatives

Affiliations

Lez Run is expanding! Contact us if you’re interested to setup a Lez Run chapter in your area!

Community

Lez Run is not just about running. We understand the importance of building connections and fostering a sense of community. That's why we organize post-run brunches, happy hours, and pasta dinners to socialize and strengthen our community bonds.

Pride Run

Lez Run, in collaboration with the William Way LGBT Community Center, Hosts a 5K run & 1 mile Run/Walk for the Phiadelphia LGBT community and allies

Our Standing Group Run

When: Gathering every Saturday at 8am Where: Outside, near the front doors of Lloyd Hall by Boathouse Row in Philadelphia, PA Who hosts the event: A club officer or run leader is present for all runs Who attends: Typical attendance is 5-15 club members with a full range of paces from walking to fast pace running Who else can come: All are welcome! Cost: FREE for all! Schedule: The Lezrun group gathers from 7:55 to 8:05 am Introductions and announcements from 8:05-8:15 am The group runs an out-and-back course of 3 to 4 miles (Don’t worry, no one is left behind!) 8:15 - 9:00 am The meetup concludes with optional coffee, breakfast, and good company at the Cosmic Cafe and Ciderhouse. The group generally disperses about 9:30 am

Our Mission

C.C. Tellez

Exectuive Director CC@Lezrun.org C.C. Tellez (she/her) was born in Bolivia and runs major races across the country and around the world on her birth country’s behalf. When C.C. is not running or fighting for more inclusive races, she’s biking and exploring abandoned highways with her wife, eating Bolivian food, traveling, and working out.

Deb Choi

Associate Executive Director Deb@Lezrun.org Deborah Choi (she/her) is a second- generation Korean American runner from Lansdale, PA. Running has been her passion since 2015 when she first joined Lez Run. Since then, Deb has trained for four marathons and nine half-marathons with the group and just ran her first Boston Marathon. When Deb is not running or doing community events with Lez Run, she's rock climbing, watching sports, and traveling with her wife and their dog Walnut. .

Celina De León

Director of Community Affairs Celina@Lezrun.org Celina De León (she/her) is a first- generation U.S. mainlander. Originally from Hartford, CT, Celina’s family hails from Peru and Puerto Rico. Celina got into running when she first moved to Philadelphia with her wife in 2012. Since then she’s run seven Broad Streets and the NYC Half. When Celina is not running or doing community outreach for Lez Run, she’s biking, reading, writing haikus, and hanging out with her wife, daughter, and two cats.

Claire Baker

FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE Claire@Lezrun.org

Contact Us If you're ready to take a run with us, feel welcome to reach out to one of our board members or meet us for our weekly all-paces group run at 8 am on Saturdays Email: CC@Lezrun.org Meet Up Address: 1 Boathouse Row Philadelphia, PA 19130 United States

Run with Us!

Welcome to Lez Run Running Club, the premier advocacy group for inclusion and diversity in the running community. As co-race directors of the Philly Pride Run, we are proud to have pioneered groundbreaking initiatives that have transformed the landscape of road racing. Through our tireless efforts, we introduced the world's first non-binary division in road racing at the Philly Pride Run in 2017. Our efforts influenced major and local races to be more inclusive by adding the non-binary division to their events- including the Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon, and the World Major Marathons, New York, Chicago, Boston, Berlin, London, Tokyo, and Sydney. At Lez Run, we are dedicated to creating a welcoming space for all members of the LGBTQ+ community, their friends, and family. With a particular focus on women, lesbian, intersex, transgender, non-binary, and a-gender individuals. We embrace runners of all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned pros. Every Saturday, rain or shine, we come together for a casual group run and hang out after while we grab breakfast. In addition to our weekly group runs, we organize weekend long runs, social events, and participate in races as a team to showcase our community's talent. We believe in training together, supporting one another, and helping each member reach their personal running goals.

What We Do

Our Racing

Our Board of Directors

Partners

We are proud to collaborate with clubs and businesses that support running and LGBT initatives

Affiliations

Lez Run is expanding! Contact us if you’re interested to setup a Lez Run chapter in your area!

Community

Pride Run

Lez Run, in collaboration with the William Way LGBT Community Center, Hosts a 5K run & 1 mile Run/Walk for the Phiadelphia LGBT community and allies

Our Standing Group Run

Our Mission

C.C. Tellez

Deb Choi

Associate Executive Director Deb@Lezrun.org Deborah Choi (she/her) is a second-generation Korean American runner from Lansdale, PA. Running has been her passion since 2015 when she first joined Lez Run. Since then, Deb has trained for four marathons and nine half-marathons with the group and just ran her first Boston Marathon. When Deb is not running or doing community events with Lez Run, she's rock climbing, watching sports, and traveling with her wife and their dog Walnut. .

Celina De León

Director of Community Affairs Celina@Lezrun.org Celina De León (she/her) is a first-generation U.S. mainlander. Originally from Hartford, CT, Celina’s family hails from Peru and Puerto Rico. Celina got into running when she first moved to Philadelphia with her wife in 2012. Since then she’s run seven Broad Streets and the NYC Half. When Celina is not running or doing community outreach for Lez Run, she’s biking, reading, writing haikus, and hanging out with her wife, daughter, and two cats.

Claire Baker

FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE Claire@Lezrun.org

Run with Us!

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