Big props to Dave L for setting this thing up…read more It's nice to have something FOR FREE! Not many things in life are actually FREE. They claim LOVE is FREE but that doesn't account for all the gifts, meals, trips that come along the way. With the BON Running club, just sign up, run/walk around rice and BAM!!! FREE FOOD! FREE BEER! and after your 10th Run FREE SHIRT!!! You really can't beat that. Plus there is always free Red Bull, and many other times random sponsors will show up with various other items. Great way to get people active!

Oh my neck! Oh, my back! Oh my neck AND my back!…read more This was a great run! I normally do my jog at Rice solo, but with a group of 80 or so runners helping set the pace (different paces: sprinters, joggers, walkers), I was highly motivated to move faster, do less stops and refrain from any detours at the Farmer's Market for some yummy goods. Dave does a wonderful job making the sign in table a breeze. It's FREE, so all you need to do is show up (first timers sign a onetime waiver; repeats have to check in each time) and you're good to go. Make sure you're there on time, because the run starts at 6pm sharp. (You might catch a few late comers sprinting across the parking lot to catch up.) Awaiting you at Brian O'Neill's after the run is a FREE energy filled buffet of pasta and salad, along with water. There's also FREE Red Bull Energy bevs before your run, and Skinny Dip beer. After your 10th run, you get an awesome Brian O'Neill's Social Running Club tee which guarantees you 10% discounts at Fleet Feet! This is such a creative way to get fit, meet a lot of cool locals, and score free grub, beer and fun schwag. Dave L rocks for organizing this! Spread the word, yelpers!

It's like the Brian O'neill's running club but different. Different in that it's on the west side…read moreof Houston, not on a fixed running trail and they serve different kind of food. Over here you start sign in at Ruggle's Green. You run almost 3.5 miles throughout the nearby neighborhood with directions that is provided to you at the start. It's better to wait for others so you can run as a group. The streets can be pretty busy so you have to be on the lookout for traffic. Here are a few basic safety guidelines to running that are applicable here since I see lots of people out there putting themselves at risk for harm: Don't wear headphones. Run against traffic so you can observe approaching automobiles. Look both ways before crossing. Carry identification or write your name, phone number, and blood type on the inside sole of your running shoe. Always stay alert and aware of what's going on around you. It seems that they offer other activities on certain weeks of the month. I think on the first of the month they have yoga afterwards and on the third week of the month they offer a crossfit program. They start having food around 7 in the form of pizza and thin slices of baguette with hummus dip but it gets eaten by everyone pretty quick.

So yes, my craze for free running clubs is noticeable since I joined ANOTHER one :)…read more This one meets at the City Center right by Ruggles Green on Monday nights at 630PM. So far, it's been decent. I think I am not in love with it yet because I am not familiar with the route (this route goes through neighborhoods). Also, it's paper sign-in as oppose to the computer check-in system at BON and Kung Fu. It also seems like they do not update the number of runs as quickly as they should because a friend of mine has ran there 7 times, but it still shows "1". I learned last week that CrossFit meets there every 3rd Monday (and it's free!) so it's something I might be interested in later. My favorite part of this running club is after the run. Since it's football season, Yardhouse have some specials going on and our group heads over for some MNF, food, and drinks :)

What better way to build up an appetite for thanksgiving day feast? This is a great fun and…read moreexciting run. I am shocked at how crowded this thing gets! But people wake up early, dress up and run a 5K. The sponsors usually come packed and it makes it a sight to see thousands of runners with turkey heads in the streets near the galleria.

2014 was my first year running in the Turkey Trot near the Galleria, and it was quite an…read moreexperience! They offer both a 5k and 10k race option, so depending on your level of experience you can race whatever works best. There are also wheelchair and kids specific races happening, so bring out the whole family! The course wound through the Galleria area, and the weather was perfect for running. As a first timer, I thought the instructions were a bit vague and I wish there had been a little more structure to the begining/pre-race activities. There were lots of people running in a group dressed in costumes, so if you have a couple of crazy friends grab them, get creative with the costumes, and have some fun running before stuffing yourself full of turkey later that day. Post-race activities include a few snacks for runners, photo opportunities, games and inflatable slides/obsticle courses, and a lot of great vendors to visit and get free swag. Yelp was one of hte race sponsors, and they had a booth where you could get yelp branded merch as well. Fun!

This is ONE, really FUN RUN that is second to NONE…read more So perhaps there are places you wouldn't drive 5 miles to, hence the quite interesting combination of two cool places: Discovery Green and Hermann Park. Its not just about point A to B, but the journey of five miles with some truly cool Houstonians. As this is the 6th Annual Park to Park Run that benefits the Hermann Park Conservancy, it stands to reason that they have got there act together. This was a well organized event with a great deal of support from enthusiastic volunteers, police, race officials, and even medical support teams. My day started with a primo parking spot at the Toyota Center Garage (free). Rolled into check-in and had no trouble getting my racing chip. Had I needed too, I could have had a bag of spare clothes taking to the Finish Line at Hermann Park by race personnel. Because the start is at the Green, racers had unlimited access to the nice bathroom facilities (no Portacans, yeah). Race started with a very classy prayer and a beautiful acapella rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. The route was well coned and staffed by volunteers and police pointing in the right direction (believe me, I have seen this go horrible wrong at other events). Everyone got a great tour of downtown, midtown and the museum district (had Reggae Hut been open, I would have been jonzing for a beef patty). Volunteers at every mile marker yelling out race time and pace. Little dry on the water stops at the midpoint (but no biggie). The Finish was located between the Reflection Pool and the Boat Lake. Race officials quickly snipped off my chip and someone handed me a welcome bottle of water with a smile. Plenty of bagels, donuts, kolaches, fruit, water, and juice to be found. Farrah was proudly passing out great Yelp schwag. And even better: liquid adult carbs were available from Budweiser (run & drink before 9am -- stay classy Houston). No problem getting back to your car at the race start because they had a free Metro pass back to the Green. Not that I'm an expert racer or anything, but this was truly a great event that I will attend every year from here on out (until my knee gives in). It's only the last five miles that's hard. Make sure you try it!

Amazing run.... Thanks to all of the police directing traffic, to all of the people handing out…read morewater and to all of the incredible people that put this together and worked the concesions after the race....

The Rice U running trail is a great option to incorporate into a running path rotation. Forming a…read moreloop around the Rice campus, adjacent to the medical center, rice village, and the surrounding neighborhoods, it's well used by students, medical professionals and community members. The sand path is wide, well maintained, and mostly shaded by beautiful live oak trees, though after a heavy rain there can be quite a few puddles. The route is just under 3 miles, about 2.9 to be exact (which drives the perfectionist in me crazy). This is the perfect distance in my opinion as 3 miles is easily manageable by most, but it also allows more ambitious runners to go for 6 or even 9 miles with double and triple loops, respectively. This path is great, however free parking doesn't exist on campus so either pay the hourly rate or try your luck in the nearby neighborhoods or in rice village. As always, keep an eye out for parking signs and be respectful of the neighborhood.

lots of trees and shade. lots of driveways passing thru the trail too. the path is not very wide.read more

This place is not your typical gym. Freestyle Conditioning helped me loose and maintain over an…read more80lbs weightloss and completely changed my life. Nestor is dedicated to helping you towards living an overall healthier life and achieving your fitness goals. He won't sell you on fad diets or supplements, just simple hard work. definitely recommended wherever I go!

Ready, set.....WORK! Nestor, the owner of Freestyle Conditioning, is an exceptional instructor who…read moreoffers a personalized workout for both group classes and individual clients. I have only had first-hand experience in his group classes, but seeing his personal clients in passing before class, I can tell whatever he's doing for them works too! I look and feel stronger and healthier than ever, and I can see a noticeable difference in the rest of the group. My boyfriend and I were planning to hike the Pacific Crest Trail March 21st, a 2,600 mile hike from Mexico to Canada. We needed to be in our best shape to endure thousand foot climbs, difficult terrain and extreme weather. Without a question, our hard work with Nestor paid-off and we were able to complete this very hard hike without any injuries. We can't thank him enough for kicking our butts at the gym so we could enjoy an adventure of a lifetime. You don't have to be in shape to start at Freestyle Conditioning, you just have to show up on time and give your best effort. Trust in the process, and you will see results.

Nice gym for UT Health members. It's pretty packed on work days around 5-7 but there's still some…read morespace. If you work close to there I would recommend it.

I come here so much that it's time this gym gets an updated review! The UTHealth gym They recently…read moreupdated with new cardio machines as well as new weight machines. The workers are always friendly, and the gym has a lot of options to be active: basketball courts, tennis courts, swimming pool, cardio area (stationary bikes, row machines, stair masters, treadmills, elliptical, etc), weight machines, free weights, stretching mat as well as rack, and a group fitness studio that doubles as an area for stretching and floor exercises. There's a locker room with showers too. The hours are still okay-- open early on the weekdays at 5:30 AM and 8 AM on Saturdays but not until 10 AM on Sundays. They close at 10 PM on weekdays and 8 PM (the bummer!) on weekends. A few things to note: - open to anyone who works (or trains/studies) in the med center, just bring your badge - the pool is heated (great for winter, but you don't have that ice cold refreshing pool to jump into in the summer!). No lifeguard, but there's a super shallow end and the majority of the lanes are 4' 7" or so deep. - bring your own lock for the lockers (they have free daily use or you can rent for longer term with a fee) - they close for holidays during the year and for a week or so in November and in December the winter holidays This place is still my respite and place to go to blow off some steam or stay fit-- I like how I can swim, run, and do weights conveniently in one visit if I wanted to. Will continue going here to workout!

This is not my favorite bike and run trail in Houston. It is a great connection between East…read moreDowntown and the medical center area, however as many other reviewers mentioned, there are many car road interactions decreasing the efficiency of the ride and increasing the risk of being hit. I've been on this path several times alone on my bike and also running, and quite honestly don't feel very safe on the portion of the path that crosses under interstate 45 into third ward. There's often homeless people on this portion of the path and well it's probably fine, just doesn't give me a good feeling. The path itself is wide, flat and has several trash cans and benches in the East Downtown portion. Also, new to me as of today, there's a new public outdoor gym space close to Shell Energy Stadium with body weight gym equipment. Neat.

This 4 mile stretch is what I take when biking from EaDo over to Bray's Bayou's Hike & Bike Trail…read more This route starts/ends in EaDo and goes through parts of the Third Ward and TCU campus (cool, historical mural along the way). Along the trail there's a mix of families getting their daily dose of outdoor fun and exercise, students and commuters, fitness addicts, and even a few pockets of harmless homeless people. The only concern for me is the traffic blazing through the pedestrian crossroads, especially the feeder under 45. DO pay attention to traffic for your own safety.