Join/Renew

We are currently accepting 2012 RRCA Membership Renewal applications.  Please do not contact Star Insurance about obtaining 2012 insurance certificates.  Certificates will be issued 2-3 weeks after 2012 dues and insurance fees have been paid. 


Instructions for renewing your 2012 RRCA club or event membership

Membership Categories and Dues Rates

Click on the membership categories below to learn more about the requirements for joining the RRCA including the dues and insurance program rates.

Running Club Member

Running Event Member

Individual Member

Corporate Supporters

Running Club Member

Traditionally, RRCA running clubs have been organized as all-volunteer, nonprofit organizations, and this business model continues to represent the majority of the RRCA membership today. However, due to the growing popularity of road races, we have seen an increase in for-profit training programs operated by health clubs, running retail stores, and by individual coaches, most being RRCA Certified Coaches. These types of clubs are generally run as for-profit organizations, and charge a fee for coaching on a per participant basis. Both types of running clubs, nonprofit and for-profit, are welcome in the RRCA membership. There are many ways to organize a profitable running club. Find information about starting and managing a local RRCA running club.  All clubs are required to obtain waivers of liability from their members as part of the RRCA insurance program.

A nonprofit running club must be recognized as a nonprofit through the RRCA nonprofit group exemption with the IRS, or granted exemption directly by the IRS. It must have an independent board of directors with a minimum of 3 board members that are elected at least every two years. Nonprofit clubs generally conduct group training runs, track workouts, social gatherings, and may organize running events. Both nonprofit and for-profit clubs must have at least ten individual members (dues and insurance are assessed at the minimum rate of 35 household members) and provide a roster of members, including board members, to verify insurance coverage and to receive the complimentary membership publication, Club Running.  Nonprofit running clubs can include government run recreation centers, other nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club, and also includes youth only running clubs or cross country programs supported by a school, parent booster club, or local parent teacher association.

Membership in the RRCA is required in order to access the insurance program for running clubs. The dues structure is similar for nonprofit and for-profit running clubs with the only difference being that nonprofit clubs are required to carry Directors & Officers Insurance through the RRCA, or send proof of coverage through another insurance provider. The RRCA requires member running clubs to carry general liability insurance coverage or provide proof of coverage.  If you are an RRCA Certified Coach, we can provide professional liability insurance, as well.  RRCA member running clubs may own and produce events/races.  These activities are covered as part of the membership and insurance fees, and there is no additional cost per event.  However, running clubs providing assistance to other organizations (volunteer recruitment, finish line management, etc.) for the production of non-club managed or owned events MUST NOT list the event as a club owned event. This transfer of insurance coverage is strictly prohibited and is considered FRAUD.  Other organizations working with a club to assist in the production of a non-club owned event should show proof of insurance to the club or join the RRCA as an event member.

RRCA club members are required to submit a roster of household members to the RRCA in order to verify appropriate insurance coverage, provide your members with Club Running magazine, and Keeping Pace emails.  Download the RRCA Roster template, include your roster data in the template, save the file as instructed, and upload your club’s roster through our website.  Member running clubs must also list their events on the RRCA Calendar.  The RRCA Calendar serves as a marketing resource for your club and also as a record for insurance purposes.  Clubs can add additional events throughout the year as they are planned.  There are NO REFUNDS if a member cancels or dissolves an organization or event during the year.  There are NO INSURANCE REFUNDS if any race activities including pre-race planning, pre-race marketing, and registration collection have occurred in the year, even if a race gets cancelled or a club dissolves. 

Membership Dues

• Nonprofit running clubs with 35 or fewer household members pay a flat fee of $76 for dues and for-profit clubs pay a flat fee of $100 for dues.
• All running clubs with 36 or more household members pay $2.27 per the number of household members.

Insurance Rates

• $2.33 per the number of household members for the $1 million general liability insurance policy ($1 million insurance is assessed at a minimum rate of 35 households
• $2.65 per the number of household members for the $2 million general liability insurance policy ($250 mandatory minimum for clubs with 95 or fewer households)
• All nonprofit running clubs are required to purchase Directors & Officers Insurance at a flat rate of $175
• Optional Volunteer Medical Personnel Coverage is $250 for $1million in coverage and $300 for $2million in coverage.

Join/Renew as a Running Club Member

Running Event Member

A running event is a race, whether timed or untimed, that takes place on roads, trails, or a track (running events only on track) and held on a specific course on a given date. An event may be organized as a nonprofit or a for-profit entity. Nonprofit events are events that are not managed or owned by a nonprofit running club or race directing company and do not conduct regular training runs or group runs throughout the year. Nonprofit events must have an independent board of directors (non-related parties) with a minimum of 3 board members that are elected at least every two years. They must be recognized as a nonprofit through the RRCA nonprofit group exemption with the IRS or granted exemption directly by the IRS. Nonprofit event members can be independent running events, or they may be events managed by a nonprofit organization for the purpose of raising funds for the host nonprofit organization.

RRCA membership and insurance is taken out in the name of the event.  Race directing companies who OWN more than one event annually should join the RRCA for their first race in the calendar year to initiate their membership. Race directing companies adding additional races that they own during the calendar year must contact the RRCA National Office at 703.525.3890 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to obtain an invoice to insure additional events throughout the year.  Race directing companies assisting other organizations for the purposes of putting on a race should contact the RRCA first to determine insure coverage. IMPORTANT: If a race directing company does not own the event and it is simply providing a service to a client, such as assisting a charity with finish line management for an event, the event cannot be insured under the race directing company’s membership with the RRCA.  This “transfer” of insurance is strictly prohibited by the RRCA.  Under no circumstance can a race directing company charge a third party for RRCA insurance and claim the event as a company owned event.

Insurance coverage for an event will cover a race expo, the event, and the post race activities, but not training programs for the event. If your race also conducts a training program, then you will need to become a running club member in order to insure the training group.  For more information review the Insurance page on our website. All event members must list their events on the RRCA calendar.  The RRCA Event Calendar serves as a marketing resource for your club and also as a record for insurance purposes.  There are NO REFUNDS if a member cancels or dissolves an organization or event during the year.  There are NO INSURANCE REFUNDS if any race activities including pre-race planning, pre-race marketing, and registration collection have occurred in the year, even if the race gets cancelled.

Membership Dues

• Nonprofit events pay a flat fee of $76 plus $0.05 per race participant, event volunteers and race committee members.
• For profit events or events owned by race directing companies pay a flat fee of $100 plus $0.05 per race participant, event volunteers and race committee members.

Insurance Rates

All event members pay General Liability Insurance rates on a scale based on the number of participants, volunteers and race committee members involved with the event.
$1 million policy:

• 539 or fewer participants is a flat fee of $139
• 540– 999 pay $0.44 per total participants
• 1000–1999 pay $0.38 per total participants
• 2000–3000 pay $0.31 per total participants
• 3001–12,499 pay $0.28 per total participants
• 12,500+ pay $0.21 per total participants
• Optional: Volunteer Medical Coverage $250

$2 million policy:

• 539 or fewer participants is a flat fee of $275
• 540– 999 pay $0.51 per total participants
• 1000–1999 pay $0.44 per total participants
• 2000–3000 pay $0.36 per total participants
• 3001–12,499 pay $0.33 per total participants
• 12,500+ pay $0.25 per total participants
• Option: Volunteer Medical Coverage $300

All nonprofit event members are required to purchase Directors & Officers Insurance at a flat fee of $175.

Join/Renew as a Running Event Member

Individual Member

Individuals are encouraged to join a local running club to take advantage of local events, and to volunteer for club activities. Individual members of RRCA member running clubs automatically become individual members of the national Road Runners Club of America organization. To become a member of a local club, you must join that club. Find a club today.

If there is no local running club in your area consider starting one, click here to start a club, or you may join the national RRCA organization directly. By joining the RRCA as an individual member you are supporting our programs and services that benefit the running community.

Membership Dues

$25 per year. Individual members dues not include any insurance coverage for events or general running activities.

Join/Renew as a Individual Member

Corporate Supporters

Corporate membership in the RRCA is a great way to show our members that you support the running community. There are several levels of Corporate Membership to meet your company’s needs and interests. In addition to these levels, other sponsorship opportunities exist from convention sponsors to preferred sponsors to official sponsors. Contact the RRCA today at 703.525.3890 or at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to learn about the benefits of joining and being a corporate member of the RRCA. Learn more about the RRC Corporate Supporters.