Are run clubs the best way to meet friends – and even potential dates?

Some say run clubs are the new dating apps. For others they're a way to get fit and connect with like-minded humans over something more wholesome than a beer. Our new fitness writer Nats Levi tracks the rise of the run club.

Fitness is a lot like fashion. Trends appear, disappear and – just like low-rise jeans and double denim – come around again. Which is exactly what’s happening right now with jogging. Yes, look around, people are pounding the pavement. It’s back and it’s big, but this time you don’t have to go it alone. It’s the rise (again) of the run club.

Running and walking spiked in popularity during the Covid 19 lockdowns, as many of us found ourselves with time on our hands and gym workouts, yoga classes and team sports off the menu. When life returned to something resembling normality, we ditched the isolation but not, it seems, the running. Pack runs – or run clubs – have surged in popularity, but not solely for the reasons you’d expect.

Whether it’s TikTok linking run clubs as THE dating app for 2024 or the growing need for exercise that’s cheap (thanks cost-of-living crisis) this old-school form of movement is back with a very 2020s spin.

Before Covid, in the fitness and training world, running had fallen out of favour a little. It was seen as an unnecessary stress on our bodies, and circa mid- to late-2010s the focus in the gym world was very much on strength training. To simplify (extremely), running can cause a rise of cortisol (a stress hormone) which can in turn lead to increased body fat, especially around the midsection. For those looking to acquire a lean, toned physique, running was not on trend. Short sprints were permissible as one part of a larger workout, as HIIT (High Intensity Interval) training became incredibly popular. But jogging, no.

Fast forward to 2024 and the organisers of last week’s Round the Bays run in Auckland saw an unprecedented last-minute surge in sign-ups, particularly for those running rather than walking the event. That’s just one of many signs that in this a post-lockdown era, we’re prioritising this cost-effective, heart-rate boosting exercise, with the added benefits of community spirit and connection. And as for the fears of cortisol spiking? There are ways to counter that without giving up running.

Diego Silveira from Run4Auckland says he wanted to create a club with purpose, and that’s why his run group has the number 4 in its name.

“Like, what are you running for?” he says. “For mental health? For fitness? And running for connection was an important reason.”

Diego says the social isolation of lockdowns was a big driver in people seeking connection when the rules were lifted. Since then he’s seen an average of 100 to 130 run with his club any given Sunday - many of them new to the city or the country.

“Running groups are a great first step to make connections and find people with the same goals. We noticed a lot of people arriving in the country who would come along to meet other people in a safe space.”

Friend groups form naturally, he says. “People are looking for like-minded people. We have one group that go to a café and have coffee after every run. We have a strong Brazilian community, every second Sunday they have lunch at Ponsonby Social club. It’s cool as people start to share different experiences and cultures with each other.”

What about the rumour that run clubs are the new dating app?

Diego laughs. “I met my girlfriend in the running group. This was in February 2022. We live together now. It wasn’t planned. We both went to the run group together every week, and this is how our relationship started. We have also noticed that this is happening a bit in our group.”

Though matchmaking might not have been the original aim of the run group, Diego understands how it happens.

“Dates can be awkward… A running group is not the stereotypical place to get to know someone, so you can talk to people without the barriers.”

It’s a similar story at 445, a run club that takes its name from its meeting time: every Friday at 4.45am. Travis Ovalsen Allida, the group’s Auckland-based leader says this club also started after the first lockdown – and it started small.

“I think there were six people coming to run club in the dark of winter. Now there are 250 to 300 people running every week – we just opened a new space in Auckland as we are getting so big.”

And the club is expanding throughout New Zealand. “We just opened in Wellington last week with 50 people,” says Travis. “This week we are opening in Hamilton. Dunedin and Christchurch are on the cards too.”

He puts the growth of the group down to the vulnerability of the people who turn up – and their willingness to share it. Every run is finished with a “gratitude circle” where participants express what they’re grateful for – and then they go and get a coffee. “The sharing is inspiring and honest, says Travis.

And the brutal start time is part of the appeal. “Part of the group is showing people they can do hard things like get up super early to run at 4.45.”

The power of the run club as a source of happiness is not lost on Travis. “For me, 445 took me out of a dark spot; one of my best mates had passed away due to suicide, my experience was running as a mental thing, not just physical.”

And you don’t have to be a runner – or even have a baseline of fitness – to join. “We have pacers, so no matter where you are in your physical ability, everyone can run – or walk with someone... People feel a high – not just the runner’s high from completing the physical activity – but also from sharing personal feelings, getting up early and achieving something.”

Kate Southern from Palmerston North’s Parkrun started the club in 2017 and says attendance increases nearly every week. “Not just in Palmy but there are parkrun records being broken most places around the country at the moment.”

She’s also the president of the New Zealand branch of 261 Fearless Club, an international women-only group that’s been operating in New Zealand for almost six years.

“261 Fearless is focused on inclusion and participation,” she says. “Our focus is on having a good time...There is no such thing as being too slow.”

The key message from all of the run clubs I spoke to is just show up.

Whatever your motivation, whether it to be physically fitter, mentally healthier or make connections, I guarantee there’s a run club near you that will welcome you and meet you where you are at. Parkrun alone has 43 clubs throughout New Zealand. Or maybe you know enough keen wannabe runners to start a group of your own?

Like a new outfit or fashion trend, try it on and see if you vibe the fit.

Nats Levi is a senior planning producer on TVNZ’s Breakfast and group fitness instructor at Les Mills.