Friends, community and wholesome vibes: Why we’re running more

Trainers on. Playlist set. Health mode activated.

Do you feel like you’ve been seeing more and more people braving the wet weather to get a run in recently?

Maybe #RunTok has crept into your algorithm, or you’ve got that one friend who keeps posting their latest stats to Insta Stories?

You might be on to something.

Parkrun, which recently celebrated its 20th birthday, says its biggest recent growth has come from people aged 20 to 29.

And the organisers of the Great North Run, the largest half marathon in the UK, say 13.3% of runners this year were under 25, up from 10.9% the year before.

So why are more people taking part in running and run clubs?

“It’s really difficult making friends in your twenties,” says Megan Titterington, who runs an all-female running group in Oxfordshire.

“I feel like going to a run club kills two birds with one stone,” she tells BBC Newsbeat.

“It’s a social outlet and you get to meet new people, but also you’re able to just fit in and work out, which is so important.”

Megan, 24, set up the club after a chat with her co-founder over TikTok.

“In February and we had maybe like 20-30 sign-ups for a first run, and now it’s 75,” she says.

“I think it’s just the fact that so many people really want to [socialise],”

Megan thinks social run clubs like hers help people to feel safer.

According to run-tracking app Strava, those aged 18-29 are the most likely to be running, and in 2023 women were more likely to upload runs than men.

As winter approaches, concerns around running alone in the dark resurface, especially among women.

“I’d rather not run for three months, than attempt to run in the dark,” Megan says.

“Even when going on a run as a female during the day, things can still happen as they can happen to anyone.

“But being part of a running group, knowing that you’re all going to stick together and you won’t be left alone at any point on that run is really nice,” she says.

That’s something 22-year-old Jade Driscoll thinks about.

Jade, from south Wales, started running in April and tells Newsbeat it can get “a bit lonely when you’re out there on your own”.

She’s also set up her own run club.

“It does build up community where you feel safe,” she says.

“Especially coming into the winter months.

“We are going to need it because we’re not going to be going out in the dark by ourselves, because we know as women [how] bad it is.”

The opportunity to feel like you’re improving your lifestyle also appeals to Jade.

“I want to be that girl who is going for a run and then getting her morning matcha,” she says.

“That is idealistic.”

She says social media influencers have provided an aspirational image.

“I saw a lot of girls going out then they have coffee dates after it. And I was like: ‘that sounds great’.

“Especially once you leave uni and are in your mid- to late twenties, you do think you’re [over] that drinking culture,” she says.

“People are leaning more towards going out running, going for a swim or walks.”

She adds those are cheaper options in the long run, compared to nights out and gym memberships, after the initial cost of trainers and kit.

“Running is a free activity.”

Running does come with risks – the NHS warns that injuries to the knees, shins and muscles can affect people of all experience levels.

It recommends warming up before starting, not pushing yourself too hard at first, and ensuring you’ve got suitable footwear.

But many, like Laura Woodiwiss, say running has had a positive impact on their lives.

Laura, 26, says bonding with her mates usually meant “bottomless brunches and drink”.

“And it was getting earlier and earlier every time we met up,” she says.

“But now it’s like we’re factoring in a parkrun in the morning.

“We’re not actually drinking that much and I do think the lifestyle change… makes me feel I have achieved more.”

And there is nothing quite like the post-run feeling of the “runner’s high”, she says.

“You’re doing something more enjoyable and then coming out of it feeling really good.”

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here.