It’s finally (finally!) starting to feel like spring outside, and if the sunshine doesn’t make you want to burn calories running around outdoors, then I don’t know what will. The good news is, there’s plenty of places for you to stretch your legs and enjoy this fabulous warm weather, all in the form of free, outdoor workouts. Pick your poison from the list below, and happy sweating.
TriFit at Farragut
Starting May 2, the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District is offering three different workout classes, three nights a week. The free classes will all take place from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, with yoga at Farragut Park on Tuesdays, barre at the Plaza at 2100 M Street on Wednesdays, and Pilates at Farragut Park on Thursdays. The classes will run every week may through September.
Nike Run Club
The Georgetown Nike store’s fun runs take place around the city, and range in distance and pace so you can feel free to go at your own speed. Keep an eye on the online calendar to register for runs as they become available.
Toned Up Tuesdays
Hosted by CorePower Yoga at The Park at CityCenterDC, these free yoga sessions start at 6 PM every Tuesday evening through the end of May. Just make sure to bring your own mat, and RSVP here.
REI Run Club
Great for beginners, the REI Run Club keeps to a ten to 11-minute-per-mile pace for three miles, starting at REI’s new NoMa flagship store. The runs begin at 6:30 PM on Tuesdays; check out the upcoming events here.
November Project
Though the November Project runs year-round, there’s no time like springtime to join. With workouts at 6:30 AM on Mondays at either Meridian Hill Park or Capital Hill, 5:25 and 6:20 AM on Wednesdays at the Lincoln Memorial steps, and random locations at 6:30 AM on Fridays, there’s lots of free, endorphin-fueled workouts to choose from. Find out more details about upcoming sweat sessions on the November Project website.
The North Face Mountain Athletics
While the popular outdoor and fitness brand, The North Face, also partners with the November Project on their morning workouts, the Mountain Athletics club hosts some exercise classes of their own. The workouts take place on Tuesdays at 6:30 PM at Stanton Park and Thursdays at 6:30 PM at Franklin Square Park, and all are focused on “preparing for and achieving any outdoor goal.” To register for a workout, visit The North Face website.
Lululemon Run Club
Starting at the athletic wear brand’s Clarendon store, this run club allows you to stash your stuff indoors before heading out for the four to six mile run around the neighborhood. The third week of each month, the program focuses on speed work, then rewards participants by finishing at South Block Juice Co. for a free juice. The runs take place on Monday evenings at 6:30 PM. Check out the online schedule for an upcoming event.
Georgetown Sunset Fitness
Every Wednesday night in June through August, head to the Georgetown Waterfront Park for a free workout. The classes take place between 6 and 7 PM; check the Georgetown Business Improvement District website for more details as they become available.
Find Your Happy Pace Run Club
The new Capitol Hill athletic wear boutique, Summit to Soul, hosts a range of events—from pop-ups to book clubs—and on Wednesdays, they run from the store to the Capitol for a hill workout.  The distance totals around two to four miles, and stroller-pushers, dogs, and beginners are all welcome. Check out details about upcoming events on the store’s website.
Sunday Runday
The athleisure boutique located outside of Union Market, S3 Active, has partnered with local health influencer Mona Lavinia to lead Sunday fun runs, followed by 30 minutes of Pilates. The run starts at 10 AM at the S3 Active storefront. To register, visit Union Market’s website.
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
