Welcome to Ancient City Road Runners!

Promoting Running in St. Augustine & St. Johns County since 1982

  • Mission

    We promote running and/or walking as part of a healthy lifestyle.

  • Vision

    We aspire to be a running club that provides inclusive group runs for people of all abilities, including walkers, and provides education and opportunity for runners to train for all races of all distances.

  • Core Values

    1. Provide group runs for our members.

    2. Support SJC youth running programs.

    3. Provide opportunities to educate members and help them improve as competitive and non-competitive athletes.

    4. Create programs that focus on SJC youth to promote running, educate and provide mentorship.

Our History

Our History

Ancient City Road Runners

We were established in 1982 by a group of people who wanted to grow the sport of running in St. Augustine. They believed that establishing a running club would encourage a wide range of people to start running as a way to develop or extend healthy habits. Many great friendships were (and are) developed on Group Runs. Club meetings and other events became a source of education, where new runners would share what they have been learning, and veterans would share stories and knowledge to help others improve. It became clear that, while our roots are in running, walkers are an important part of our community. These components are enshrined in our Club Constitution:

The prime objective of this association shall be the promotion and encouragement of running and the education of the public to its benefits.

Supporting SJC Youth

It is vital to our mission to support St. Johns County youth running programs. Each year, 100% of race profits from the Matanzas 5000 are donated to cross country running programs at SJC high schools and middle schools, as well as the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. This provides funding for uniforms, timing equipment, travel expenses, awards, course maintenance, and even running shoes.

We also host an annual youth running camp where we teach the fundamentals of running, teamwork, sportsmanship, and how running gives a lifetime of health and social benefits.

Weekly Group Runs

If you're curious whether ACRR is for you, this is a great place to start! Join us for one of our weekly runs as a group, where all ages and walking and running paces are welcome!

After putting in your hard-fought miles, we usually gather for optional socializing and recovery at a coffee shop or bar!

Local & Destination Races

ACRR members organize, participate in, volunteer for, and cheer on fellow runners in races around the world — starting with our very own Matanzas 5K - the fastest 5K in Florida.

Each year, the club also organizes a "destination race" trip for members and family. We’ve had excursions to places like Chicago, San Antonio, Key West, and Tybee Island! These trips are a great way to encourage each other in our running.

Club Social Events

Expect birthday socials, Christmas caroling outings, and participation in community events with the coolest club around.

Each year, ACRR also organizes two or three Hash Runs — where costumes and frivolity are mandatory!