About
Run Club Menlo Park offers running, cross-country, and track practices that include running games such as Clue Relay, Sharks & Minnows, and Chaos Tag. The program includes participation in 5K races, a 3K trail race, USATF cross-country and track competitions for advanced runners, and a Sunday Hill Clinic at Bedwell Bayfront Park.
• Ages: 7–14 years old
• Schedule: Fall Season starts at the end of August and Spring Season starts in mid-March; Spring Season runs for 8 weeks with practices twice a week and includes 16 practices plus 1 Hill Clinic
• Price: Cost: $660 (Run Club Menlo Park is described as the least expensive MPCSD after-school program)
Run Club Menlo Park is an official USA Track & Field youth running club and a running club registered with USA Track & Field. The program is described as a serious running program for all girls and boys, with runners ranging from first-time beginners to advanced level runners, and racing is 100% optional. The program teaches pace, form, endurance, and speed, and uses high-intensity interval training rather than very high mileage. Running games are woven into workouts, and many practices include a social-emotional theme such as Compromise, Cooperation, Gratitude, or Burden vs. Opportunity. The program has three rules: The First Rule of Run Club is “Have Fun”; the Second Rule is “More Running/Less Walking over the course of a season”; and the Third Rule is “When Someone Else is Talking, Everybody Else is Listening.” On average over the past three seasons, 89% of runners have returned to run the next season.
Spring Season trains for 8 weeks, twice a week, and completes two 5K races and one 3K trail race, including events such as the My Heart Counts 5K at Stanford and the Season End 5K (Schoolhouse Rocks) in Menlo Park. There are opportunities to race in multiple locations including Hayward, Pleasanton, Rancho Cordova, Cottonwood, Fresno, Indiana, Stanford, Brisbane, Stockton, Modesto, Oakland, and Menlo Park, and advanced runners may have USATF track racing opportunities. Racing is 100% optional, and there are opportunities for advanced runners to attend a third day of training. Coach Scott focuses on high-intensity interval training to avoid unnecessary injuries, and the program combines games and social-emotional activities with running assignments to keep running fun.
Head Coach Scott Paterson is the Founder and Head Coach of Run Club Menlo Park, a Menlo Park resident since 1996, and a parent of a 17-year-old girl at Menlo-Atherton High School. Coach Scott was the New York State High School Cross-Country Champion in 1984, set numerous cross-country high school course records across New England including the Boston Franklin Park Course record in 1985, and was recruited by Vin Lananna to run for Dartmouth College (NCAA Division I), where he ran varsity cross-country and track from 1986–1990 with best times of 4:14 for the mile and 52:19 for 10 miles. He is a United States Track & Field certified Cross-Country Specialist running coach and is Safe-Sport certified by the US Center for SafeSport. Scott is also the Founder and CEO of Poverty2Prosperity.org, a non-profit that has funded over 65,000 zero-percent interest loans to the working poor around the world since 2008 with a 99% repayment rate. Assistant Coach Kristi Berg has been the assistant coach since 2022, has run 57 marathons (including 6 Boston Marathons) and over 100 half-marathons, and has coached runners for over 12 years with Road Runners Club of America, Siena Youth Center for Boys & Girls, and USA Track & Field. Coach Kristi is also a certified Cross-Country Specialist running coach and is Safe-Sport certified.
Run Club Menlo Park is described as a non-competitive program with runners of all levels, and the First Rule of Run Club is “Have Fun.” The program includes a social-emotional lesson or theme at many practices and has had 7-year-olds and several younger runners participate with success. Coach Scott has coached runners with autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy, and some of these runners have completed multiple 5K runs with the team. The program’s mission is described as giving kids a positive experience with running so that they are either inclined to continue doing it or at least have a positive association with running for the rest of their lives. Run Club Menlo Park received a Proclamation from the City of Menlo Park in May 2025 and was one of only two clubs in the US (out of 344 attending) that qualified teams in all four of the younger racing groups at Junior Olympic Nationals in Indiana.
All brand new runners receive a Run Club stainless steel water bottle, and occasional practice goodies such as lap counters, bracelets, and stickers are provided. A snack and drink are provided at the end of each practice, and an end-of-season T-shirt is included. Coaching hours at races are included, race fees for the Season End 5K (Schoolhouse Rocks) in Menlo Park are included, and families register separately for the My Heart Counts 5K at Stanford. USATF Youth Membership (about $40) is not included and may not be needed. Thanks to Fleet Feet Menlo Park, runners receive running shoe discounts and a welcome kit.
Run Club Menlo Park is in its 18th season in the Fall, with the Fall Season starting on August 31 and the Spring Season starting in mid-March. The Spring Season runs for 8 weeks with 16 practices plus one Hill Clinic, and practices are held twice a week, with some advanced runners attending three practices a week. Runners coming from schools other than Encinal may arrive at 3:30 and not miss any running. The program is described as the least expensive MPCSD after-school program.
Parent testimonials describe runners learning about pacing, stretching, training, form, breathing, and teamwork over multiple seasons, and describe the environment as low-key and non-competitive where participants improve together and make new friends. Parents describe Coach Scott as having a gift for getting girls excited about running, making practices challenging and fun, and making each girl feel important and valued. One parent highlights the “Be a Good Friend” practice theme and notes that the family initially joined for the social-emotional component and health benefits of running and stayed for the coaching. Another parent recommends Run Club Menlo Park for girls who think they do not like running, and one parent notes that the program has ignited a child’s interest and joy in running.
Last updated July 26, 2026.
• Ages: 7–14 years old
• Schedule: Fall Season starts at the end of August and Spring Season starts in mid-March; Spring Season runs for 8 weeks with practices twice a week and includes 16 practices plus 1 Hill Clinic
• Price: Cost: $660 (Run Club Menlo Park is described as the least expensive MPCSD after-school program)
Run Club Menlo Park is an official USA Track & Field youth running club and a running club registered with USA Track & Field. The program is described as a serious running program for all girls and boys, with runners ranging from first-time beginners to advanced level runners, and racing is 100% optional. The program teaches pace, form, endurance, and speed, and uses high-intensity interval training rather than very high mileage. Running games are woven into workouts, and many practices include a social-emotional theme such as Compromise, Cooperation, Gratitude, or Burden vs. Opportunity. The program has three rules: The First Rule of Run Club is “Have Fun”; the Second Rule is “More Running/Less Walking over the course of a season”; and the Third Rule is “When Someone Else is Talking, Everybody Else is Listening.” On average over the past three seasons, 89% of runners have returned to run the next season.
Spring Season trains for 8 weeks, twice a week, and completes two 5K races and one 3K trail race, including events such as the My Heart Counts 5K at Stanford and the Season End 5K (Schoolhouse Rocks) in Menlo Park. There are opportunities to race in multiple locations including Hayward, Pleasanton, Rancho Cordova, Cottonwood, Fresno, Indiana, Stanford, Brisbane, Stockton, Modesto, Oakland, and Menlo Park, and advanced runners may have USATF track racing opportunities. Racing is 100% optional, and there are opportunities for advanced runners to attend a third day of training. Coach Scott focuses on high-intensity interval training to avoid unnecessary injuries, and the program combines games and social-emotional activities with running assignments to keep running fun.
Head Coach Scott Paterson is the Founder and Head Coach of Run Club Menlo Park, a Menlo Park resident since 1996, and a parent of a 17-year-old girl at Menlo-Atherton High School. Coach Scott was the New York State High School Cross-Country Champion in 1984, set numerous cross-country high school course records across New England including the Boston Franklin Park Course record in 1985, and was recruited by Vin Lananna to run for Dartmouth College (NCAA Division I), where he ran varsity cross-country and track from 1986–1990 with best times of 4:14 for the mile and 52:19 for 10 miles. He is a United States Track & Field certified Cross-Country Specialist running coach and is Safe-Sport certified by the US Center for SafeSport. Scott is also the Founder and CEO of Poverty2Prosperity.org, a non-profit that has funded over 65,000 zero-percent interest loans to the working poor around the world since 2008 with a 99% repayment rate. Assistant Coach Kristi Berg has been the assistant coach since 2022, has run 57 marathons (including 6 Boston Marathons) and over 100 half-marathons, and has coached runners for over 12 years with Road Runners Club of America, Siena Youth Center for Boys & Girls, and USA Track & Field. Coach Kristi is also a certified Cross-Country Specialist running coach and is Safe-Sport certified.
Run Club Menlo Park is described as a non-competitive program with runners of all levels, and the First Rule of Run Club is “Have Fun.” The program includes a social-emotional lesson or theme at many practices and has had 7-year-olds and several younger runners participate with success. Coach Scott has coached runners with autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy, and some of these runners have completed multiple 5K runs with the team. The program’s mission is described as giving kids a positive experience with running so that they are either inclined to continue doing it or at least have a positive association with running for the rest of their lives. Run Club Menlo Park received a Proclamation from the City of Menlo Park in May 2025 and was one of only two clubs in the US (out of 344 attending) that qualified teams in all four of the younger racing groups at Junior Olympic Nationals in Indiana.
All brand new runners receive a Run Club stainless steel water bottle, and occasional practice goodies such as lap counters, bracelets, and stickers are provided. A snack and drink are provided at the end of each practice, and an end-of-season T-shirt is included. Coaching hours at races are included, race fees for the Season End 5K (Schoolhouse Rocks) in Menlo Park are included, and families register separately for the My Heart Counts 5K at Stanford. USATF Youth Membership (about $40) is not included and may not be needed. Thanks to Fleet Feet Menlo Park, runners receive running shoe discounts and a welcome kit.
Run Club Menlo Park is in its 18th season in the Fall, with the Fall Season starting on August 31 and the Spring Season starting in mid-March. The Spring Season runs for 8 weeks with 16 practices plus one Hill Clinic, and practices are held twice a week, with some advanced runners attending three practices a week. Runners coming from schools other than Encinal may arrive at 3:30 and not miss any running. The program is described as the least expensive MPCSD after-school program.
Parent testimonials describe runners learning about pacing, stretching, training, form, breathing, and teamwork over multiple seasons, and describe the environment as low-key and non-competitive where participants improve together and make new friends. Parents describe Coach Scott as having a gift for getting girls excited about running, making practices challenging and fun, and making each girl feel important and valued. One parent highlights the “Be a Good Friend” practice theme and notes that the family initially joined for the social-emotional component and health benefits of running and stayed for the coaching. Another parent recommends Run Club Menlo Park for girls who think they do not like running, and one parent notes that the program has ignited a child’s interest and joy in running.
Last updated July 26, 2026.
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