Berlin is running. On the Tempelhofer Feld runway, there’s finally traffic in both directions again, and anyone not training for the half-marathon on 29.03.2026 can at least enjoy the beautiful running weather. Finding the right run club, however, is a bit trickier. Because if you want to run with company, you first have to find the right community. In my search for a club where I wouldn’t have to listen to Finance Bros talk about their latest “goalz” and “gainz”, I came across LesBerlin: a run-and-social club for “dykes, QTIPOC (Queer, Trans, Intersex People of Color) & sapphics of all genders” — count me in. The club was founded by Elodie last year when she moved to Berlin and wanted a space to practice sport within her community. Previously, she lived in Australia, where she ran with a lesbian running club, and she decided to start a Berlin chapter. Less than a month after moving, she organized her first run in Berlin — and clearly struck a chord. Elodie sees LesBerlin as a kind of third space for the city’s lesbian and sapphic community. It’s less about pace than presence: runs usually cover around five kilometers at a pace of 6–6:30 minutes per kilometer. How fast the group actually runs depends on the participants. In the summer, longer distances will be added, as Elodie no longer organizes LesBerlin alone. Her co-organizers have been running with the club from the start. In winter 2025, the concept was expanded to include walks, hikes, and other forms of movement. The guiding principle: no one should feel afraid to show up. The bigger the group, the more diverse the offerings can become. Collaborations with local cafés and artists are planned, as well as special summer events. Ultimately, the run club is above all a safe space for movement, connection, and a queer sports culture that is still missing in many traditional fitness contexts.
Text: Inga Krumme / Photos: Elena Navarro
LesBerlin
@lesberlinrunclub
