Shortly after 6 p.m., the group sets off on a roughly 3-mile long route through Downtown San José and nearby neighborhoods. This is the Goodtime Bar Run Club, a weekly tradition that recently celebrated its third anniversary. 

Nearly 200 people joined their 3-year anniversary run on Monday, July 20, 2026, according to Goodtime Bar co-owner Steven Huynh, a major leap from the club’s first run in July 2023, when just six people showed up. 

“It stayed pretty small for the first several months,” Huynh said. “Then, over time, it really started to build.” 

A Community Idea from the Start 

The Run Club was always part of Huynh and his wife and co-owner Ann Le’s vision for Goodtime Bar. Both were born and raised in San José, and they wanted the natural wine bar to serve as more than a place to grab a drink.

Goodtime Bar opened in Fountain Alley in April 2023, and the Run Club followed three months later. The group gradually grew from six runners to 10, then 20, with local runner Anson Lam helping expand its connection to the broader running community. 

Today, the club has about 1,300 members on Strava and averages roughly 100 runners each Monday. 

A Run Club for Every Pace 

The Run Club is free and open to all ages and abilities. “If you don’t run or haven’t run before, there is no shying away from showing up,” Huynh said. 

The group is also remarkably consistent. In more than three years, Huynh said it has canceled only once, when Christmas fell on a Monday. 

Rain or shine, runners can count on finding the group in Fountain Alley. 

Running Through San José 

The club rotates routes through San José State University, Naglee Park, Japantown, The Alameda and areas near SAP Center. During the holidays, runners loop around Christmas in the Park. 

For its anniversary, the group debuted a route along the Guadalupe River Trail. Huynh said the club had previously been hesitant to use the area but felt encouraged by recent cleanup and safety efforts. 

In late 2025, city staff reported that trail use rose 110% between Woz Way and Julian Street and 36% North of Julian to Coleman Avenue. 

Huynh hopes the river route becomes a regular option. For him, exploring the city on foot is part of what makes the club distinctly San José. 

More Than a Monday Run 

After each run, participants gather at Goodtime Bar, not only for the discounted glass of wine, but for the sense of community the club has built. Runners start together and finish together. Still, Huynh said the club was never created to drive sales. The club remains free because its purpose is simple: to give people a dependable place to move, meet others and begin the week together. 

Come next Monday, the Goodtime Bar Run Club will do what they always do: meet at 6 p.m. and run again. At its heart, the run club is about building community. So lace up, come as you are, and join Goodtime Bar on the next run.

In Community,
Michael Lomio