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Tips to find your run community

Tips to find your run community

August 13th, 2024

Tips to find your run community

Run communities make runs more enjoyable, provide meaningful connections and offer motivation when you don’t feel like showing up.

In today’s newsletter, we highlight the benefits of a run community and share tips to help you find your run community.

4 benefits of a run community

Social Connection: Running helps to build genuine friendships. For many runners, their best best friends are those who they run with. A run community can be like family.

Motivation: Running with others provides motivation. New studies show that family connections provides a huge boost to motivation. In addition to the motivating benefits that running provides like offering a sense of accomplishment and an escape from stressors, running with a group that feels like family offers motivation since you know that others are benefiting when you show up and do your best.

Fitness Increases Happiness: The link between fitness and good mood is well-established. Going for a run provides a chance to unplug and escape the everyday grind. A recent study shows that 89 percent of respondents report that running regularly makes them happier. They also shared that running improves their mental health and body image.

A Sense of Purpose: The Japanese concept ikigai means the thing that makes life worth living. It is described as the challenging pursuit of worthy goals that lends a sense of purpose to life. Being part of a run community can provide a new sense of purpose to life since it makes one feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.

5 ways to find your run community

Register for an event: Discover a race, register, show up and run! During the race, keep an eye out for groups in similar color shirts - these are likely to be run groups. Stay after the run for post-race festivities and socialize while everyone is in a good mood. If you don’t want to run, consider volunteering for a local race.
Local Running Stores: Many run specialty stores have lists of local run groups. In Philadelphia, we’re lucky to have Philadelphia Runner with 5 stores as well as an online calendar of events. If you’re not in Philadelphia, here is a tool to discover a nearby run store courtesy of Brooks.
Social Media: Search on social media for run groups. Many run groups coordinate through Instagram profiles and regularly post photos of their runs.
Word of mouth: Ask around. Many of your coworkers and friends run and even if the don’t personally run, they are likely to know others who do that they would gladly connect you with.
Go Run: Be like Nike and Just Do It. You never know who you will bump into while running!