Community

More than a run club: Community, consistency, and coffee

What makes a running club truly welcoming? So many promise "easy pace, all levels welcome", but in practice, things often look quite different.

The running scene is booming, and new running clubs are appearing everywhere. There’s a wide choice.

Many clubs claim to run at a slow and easy pace, but a slow pace means something different to every runner. For a beginner, an easy pace might be around 7:30 min/km, whereas for an experienced marathon runner it might be 5:00 min/km or faster. That’s a huge difference.

This can be frustrating for runners who are slower or those who have only just started their running journey. Slow runners may fall behind, risk injury by running too fast, or the rest of the club may not want to wait for them.

I’m a competitive runner and have been doing this for many years. But when I was looking for a running club, I didn’t want it to feel like another training session. For me, it was about community, enjoying an easy run and spending time with people I like.

That’s exactly what I found at Kalakohvijooks, a Tallinn running club that combines a relaxed 5K run with coffee, pastries, and great company.

So this is how my journey with Kalakohvijooks started.

Kalakohvijooks was initially founded by Hannah in 2024 to help new runners build endurance in a welcoming environment. Today, Heidi, Yarik, and I co-organise it.

I've run with several running clubs in Estonia, Germany, and the UK, but I haven’t yet found a club that compares to Kalakohvijooks.

Kalakohvijooks embodies all the values that matter to me as a coach: inclusiveness, the joy of movement and a strong sense of community that extends beyond running.

I would even say that it’s probably one of the most inclusive running clubs in Tallinn.

Kalakohvijooks is a community where you can enjoy an easy run without any pressure. With just good vibes and great company. It’s a club that’s welcoming, open and friendly to everyone who shows up.

Our club is very diverse. We have locals and foreigners, slow runners and seasoned marathon runners. We also have some kids join us from time to time, either in strollers or on bikes.

So, if you’re looking for a running community that values connection and friendship, Kalakohvijooks is definitely worth checking out. The people are great, and you're guaranteed to have fun.

The club meets every Saturday morning at 9:30 at Telliskivi tram station for an easy 5 km run. The faster group usually runs at a pace of around 6:30–6:50 min/km, while the other groups go at the pace of the slowest runner. In the end, it’s all about consistency and showing up again and again. Pace will follow. And we're here to support each other.

All of our runs end at a café, where we enjoy the ritual of coffee and pastries. Over the past few months, our home has been Rocket Bean café in Kalamaja.

The team are wonderful hosts who look after us so well and contribute much to the local community. They truly understand what good hospitality is all about. And what’s more, the coffee and pastries are brilliant. The type of coffee varies each time we visit, so we can always try something different.