About Our Club
Founded over 40 years ago, the Prospect Park Track Club (PPTC) is Brooklyn's largest and most active running club, with a membership that extends well beyond the neighborhoods surrounding Prospect Park.
We have a lot to offer runners of every age and ability, including monthly meetings with guest speakers, a subscription to our club newsletter, Around the Park, swim clinics, group runs, speed workouts , a great club picnic and relay in the summer, and an awards party in the winter.
Mission
The Prospect Park Track Club was formed to encourage and support individuals engaged in the sport of running.
PPTC's mission is threefold:
- to promote the sport of running, primarily in the borough of Brooklyn
- to enhance the running experience of its members regardless of ability
- to offer a varied program that benefits its members emphasizing but not restricted to running-related activities
In support of its mission, PPTC will use its resources:
- to purchase equipment and supplies
- to facilitate organized races and group runs
- to create a member-friendly environment around the sport of running
- to support other Brooklyn running organizations through its Grants Program
PPTC's Races
The Cherry Tree 10M and the 5M Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day are our two premier races for local runners. In the summer, we also host our classic six-race speed series on Wednesday nights. And rain or shine, on New Year's Day you'll see us in the park for "Harry's Handicap," our famous 3.35-mile race with a staggered start - so anybody can win. Many of the recurring Brooklyn races owe their start to the mentoring and assistance they received from PPTC.
Marathon Support
If you're a marathoner, PPTC provides great support before and after your race, including group training runs through the summer and fall as you build your mileage, an organized running tour of the "last 10 miles" of the NYC Marathon course, a bus to the NYC Marathon start from Brooklyn and, after your triumphant race, an indoor meeting area and party near the finish line at Central Park.
Volunteer Opportunities
Although running is our main endeavor, PPTC also contributes to many organizations throughout the course of the year, including The Prospect Park Alliance, Bishop Ford High School track teams, the Red Cross and the Prospect Park YMCA .
And for the Hooligans...
Runners are generally a wacky group and our other organized social events also live up to this billing, park runs followed by brunch to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and Chinese New Year/Martin Luther King Day. We also organize some non-running social activities and are open to all suggestions. In the past we've gone bowling, taken fall foliage tours up the Hudson, ice skating and outings to see the Brooklyn Cyclones play ball.
Join Us
Most of all, PPTC offers the support and camaraderie of some of the greatest people you'll ever want to spend a few sweaty miles with. No matter what your age or ability, whether you are a beginner, a triathlete, a veteran marathoner, or even ultra-marathoner, there's a place for you in the Prospect Park Track Club!
Membership Application
We have a lot to offer runners of every age and ability, including monthly meetings with guest speakers, a subscription to our club newsletter, Around the Park, group runs, speed workouts, a great club picnic and relay in the summer and an awards party in the winter, plus social events to appeal to the hooligan in all of us.
To join online, please click here to become a member or renew your membership with the Prospect Park Track Club. If you have any questions, please e-mail membership@pptc.org.