Every running club needs somewhere to talk. Where is Saturday’s long run starting? Is anyone doing hills on Tuesday? Who left a jacket at the café? Most clubs end up with a group chat that only the founding members can find, full of phone numbers that everyone can see. This guide shows you how to set up a group chat for your running club that new runners can find, join in seconds and use without handing over their number.
What your running club’s group chat needs
- Easy to find. Runners who move to the area, or visit for a week, should be able to discover it without knowing someone in the club.
- Easy to join. One link or one scan, not a chain of “can someone add me?” messages.
- Private by default. Nobody should have to share their phone number with forty strangers to find out where the run starts.
- Runs as events. Each session with a time, a place and a reminder.
A Brane Crowd does all four. A Crowd is a group chat with a place on the map and topics, so people nearby who are into running find it on their own. It is free, there are no ads, and members can join from the app or straight from their browser.
How to make a group chat for your running club
1. Create your Crowd
Download Brane or open brane.chat in any browser and sign in with your email and the six digit code we send you. Go to the Crowds tab and tap the add button. Give your Crowd your club’s name, a photo (a group shot from a recent run works well) and a short description, like “Social 5km every Saturday at 7am, all paces welcome.”
2. Drop a pin where you run
Put the pin at your usual meeting point: the park gates, the café, the boathouse. The pin is what puts your club on the Brane map, so runners nearby, including people who have just moved to the area or are visiting for the week, can find you.
3. Tag it with running topics
Add up to three topics, like running, trail running or parkrun. Topics are how people searching for running near them find your Crowd, so pick the words a new runner would actually search for.
4. Share your link and QR code
Every Crowd gets its own simple link at brane.im/c/your-club-name, and the app generates a QR code for it too. Use Share Crowd in the chat menu to copy the link into your club’s Instagram bio, Strava club page, newsletter or Facebook page. Print the QR code and stick it on your club noticeboard, flyers or the back of your running shirts, so anyone can scan it at the start line.
5. Let people join without the app
This is the part that makes a real difference for a club. When someone opens your link or scans your QR code, they can join from their phone’s browser straight away. They sign in with their email and a six digit code, pick a username and they are in the chat. No app to install, no phone number, and nobody else in the club sees their contact details. If they want notifications for every message, they can download the app later.
6. Turn your runs into events
Create a Crowd for a session and turn on “Is this an event?”, then set the start and end times. Your run shows up in Events Near You for people within 100km, with a live countdown, and members can add it to their calendar in one tap. After the run, the chat stays open for photos, splits and coffee orders.
7. Keep it friendly
As the Crowd owner you can delete any message, remove a member, and ban someone from rejoining if they cross the line. If you want a members-only chat for paid members or a race team, create a second Crowd and add a Join Code, and keep your main one public for new runners.
Why not just use a messaging app group?
Messaging app groups work for a handful of friends, but they get awkward for a club. Most of them are tied to phone numbers, so every member’s number is visible to everyone else. Nobody new can find the group unless someone already in it adds them. And once it gets big, the admin spends more time adding people than organising runs. A Crowd keeps numbers private, can be found by anyone nearby who runs, and lets people join themselves from one link.
Tips for a lively club chat
- Post the plan the night before. Route, distance and pace groups, so new runners know they will fit in.
- Welcome every new member by name. It is the fastest way to get someone to turn up for their first run.
- Share the QR code at every run. A printed card at the start line brings in the people who stop to ask what the group is.
- Keep the chat going after the run. Photos, results and “same time next week?” keep people coming back.
Common questions
Is it free to make a group chat for my running club?
Yes. Creating a Crowd, sharing it, running events and every message are free, with no member limit and no ads.
Do members need to give their phone number?
No. People sign in with their email and a six digit code, and other members only see their username.
Do members need to install the app?
No. They can join and chat from any browser through your link or QR code. The app adds notifications, so it is worth it for regulars.
How do new runners find our club?
Through the pin on the Brane map, searching for running topics, Groups Near You on the Crowds tab, and your link or QR code wherever you share it.
Can we put the chat on our club website?
Yes. Your Crowd can be embedded on any page of your website with one line of code, as long as it has no Join Code. See how to put a chat on your page.
Ready to set up your club’s chat? Get Brane free on iPhone, Android or the web, and create your Crowd in a couple of minutes.