by Meredith Wilshere
It seems like everyone is running these days. People in major cities are finding it harder and harder to avoid run clubs, whether spreading out on the sidewalk or moving together in a determined and fast-paced fashion in the local park. While they’ve been an excellent way for many to find community and stick to a training program, some have found a bonus: run clubs are chock-full of single people looking to date. Run club dating is on the rise as an alternative to dating apps, and few are even finding long-term love in their long-distance runs.
According to 2022 data from Strava, an internet service for tracking physical exercise, runners in “grouped activities” logged 78% more active time than those who ran solo. If it feels like there are more runners around, that’s true too — the share of Strava athletes uploading their runs increased by 4%. More people are eager to run and are looking for people to run with. Many have taken to running clubs to find community, so naturally, people are taking it a step further — looking for eligible singles within the club to go on dates with or joining singles run clubs.
Run clubs are an excellent way to meet active and fitness-minded people who enjoy group activities and being outdoors and sometimes wake up before 6 am to run. First-time and seasoned runners join running clubs to meet people naturally since many members share similar qualities and interests. Some communities are now dedicated to this exact mission.
Lunge Run Club in New York City is a prime example, as they host a weekly singles running night. Thanks to TikTok and word of mouth, the Lunge Run Club has grown in popularity, and with more people coming to singles nights, the dating pool widens. Members find that even if they don’t walk away from the run with a date, they’re grateful for the people they’ve met during and after the run. Many have expressed their growing disinterest and dissatisfaction with dating apps, and run clubs have been a good alternative— combining community, activity and availability all in one.
Laura Linback, a social worker in Cumberland, Rhode Island, is a running club dating success story. She initially joined a run club because she had a crush on one of its members, and he kept inviting her to join the runs. While that relationship didn’t work out, she met her now fiancé, Greg, through a mutual friend in the running community she now found herself a part of. She joined the November Project in Rhode Island and found that the group perfectly fit her.
“I had no idea that Greg was the furthest thing from a morning person, but he started coming to the November Project because he wanted to see me at 5 in the morning,” said Linback. Once they started dating, they were mindful of what other members might feel and wanted to ensure no one felt uncomfortable.
One deterrent for people when thinking about dating inside the run club is the possibility of awkwardness if the dates are bad or the relationship ends. It can be hard to find and click with the right community, Linback noted, and one might not want to sacrifice that if the relationship doesn’t work out.
“Sometimes relationships don’t work, and that’s okay, but the community is more important,” said Linback. “This might even stop people from dating inside the run club; they’re too worried about starting over and finding a new club. Who would get custody?”
Running club dating might pose a few challenges, but it’s worth the risk for people like Linback. If you’re looking for community, love, miles from the same place, going to singles-run clubs may be the answer. Who knows? You might just find the right person to go the extra mile with you… pun intended.
