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As Run Clubs become ever increasingly popular, what is causing this spike in people’s desire to get their exercise and socialising done in one go?
Words by David Pearse.
Interview by Holly Spiers, Founder of Slow Run Club.
Photographs by Slow Run Club.
It’s 6pm. You’ve just got in from work and need to get a workout in but the evenings are still dark and the cold makes the motivation that little bit harder to summon up. Fortunately there is a new trend taking over, helping people get out and run more.
Run Clubs are quickly becoming the latest craze for people to get regular exercise and socialising done in one go.
With an estimated between 30-40 organised running clubs in London (runningclubslondon.co.uk) and currently over 65 in the Manchester area alone (The Yorkshire Post) there seems to be something pushing more people to join in groups.
As a recent new member of a run club myself, I have had the chance to feel the group experience first hand. Taking to your socials you look for a new club in your local area, check out the meeting time and place and then brace for the slight nerves of meeting up with an initial group of strangers, all meeting on the same premise- to stretch the legs but, more importantly, meet new people.
But what is it that is making the experience so appealing to more and more new and experienced runners?
Former run club attendee and now Founder of Manchester based Slow Run Club, Holly Spiers tells us why she feels the clubs have taken off.
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Holly Spiers, Founder Slow Run Club
I started running in September 2023, attending run clubs/events. I absolutely loved the feeling of running in a group of people, and the buzz afterwords, it was so much easier than running by myself, but I was always at the back and completely out of breath.
Around 6 months after I started running, I was made redundant, from a job I didn't really like. I was questioning what I wanted to do, and if the path I was on was right for me. I had landed on Community Management as a way forward, to bring me fulfilment in my career. I had no experience, and at the same time, was still struggling to run alongside the run clubs.
The idea just came to me, I could start my own run club for a pace that I could maintain, and I could gain experience in community management at the same time.
I never considered myself a runner. Since I left school, I have always gone to the gym and moved into a powerlifting style gym routine, but never did any cardio. In 2020, I attempted couch to 5k, however found it boring and struggled to push past week 3. It was only when running began to show up more on my social media that I gave it a go again - in 2023. The idea of a 5km run on a summer morning, followed by a coffee and pastry started to seem more attractive. I did a couple of runs in the July/August of 2030, but it wasn't sticking. It was only when I went to my first run club that I was determind to be able to run.
Holly hosted her first run club in 2024
May 1st 2024 I hosted the first ever Slow Run Club. 5 of my friends joined me, and I honestly thought it would just be them. Id only created an instagram account for the club a couple days before. 6 girls turned up!! I was winging it all from there, hoping they had a nice time. By week 6 we have 36 people running, and at the end of August we hit a huge milestone of 60 runners in Manchester. Didsbury had started a couple weeks into May as it was the area I was living in at the time, and I felt I could offer SRC to my local area too.
Slow Run Club was formatted as a beginner's run club, shaped on how I learned to run. The ethos has always been to show others they can run. 'Nobody gets left behind' seems to be a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in the running communities, but SRC means it. We always have a back pacer and ensure the people at the back are supported.
As the club has grown, the ethos has stayed the same, but the group has shifted. I would consider us more of a social club that runs. Due to the steady nature, lack of competition and ego, our attendees socialise on the run.
“Due to the steady nature, lack of competition and ego, our attendees socialise on the run.”
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Slow Run Club worked with a local printing house to create the designs
From the feedback I have received over the last year and a half, I'm aware that the club has benefitted so many people. Whether that be performance focused - showing the member they can run and providing a space where they feel safe to give it ago, or establishing a place where people have made life long friendships.
Run clubs are becoming very popular. My view on this is that there are two key drivers for this. Clubs that are built because of a love for community and providing people a third space, and clubs that are built as a business opportunity. Anyone that works close to marketing may see that there is a shift happening from influencer marketing to community marketing. Consumers are becoming increasingly more aware of ads online, even from their favourite influencers. However, brands have noticed that these communities popping up have a concentrated, niche audience that they can tap into. To be clear, SRC was built for my love of community and the people will always be put first!
“SRC was built for my love of community and the people will always be put first!”
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I think sport in general is seeing a bigger shift towards women. Women's football is a clear example of this. I think this is emulated across other sports. The want for women only spaces is also growing. More female only spaces are appearing in gyms, encouraging and enabling more women to train in the gym and feel safe doing so.
Female only run clubs are also popping up everywhere, and although we are for everyone, I can understand why women would prefer to run in a club, especially in the dark winter evenings. It feels safer running as a group, rather than solo.
We started releasing merch early on. Started off with a hunt of the perfect cream t-shirt to heat transfer our wavy logo pattern onto, and developed into working with a local printing house to produce more colours, hats and designs.
My partner, Alex, was the designer for the t shirts, I had a vision and he brought it to life. The hats came from my friend Keisha. She gifted me my green hat for my birthday last year, with our t shirt print on the front. It was perfect and drew a lot of excitement in the club, so we made a bunch for people to wear too!
Our latest design is a short run to support our 'Long Run Season' campaign. It’s a completely new design to our range on the back, but features the same SRC short hand logo on the front. We also have some socks in stock, exclusively available to our Loyalty Members!
The Loyalty Membership is a way of members tracking their runs with us and earning rewards for doing so. One of the benefits include free & exclusive merch (like the socks), discounts at cafes & our partners and early access to our events and merch.
“I think sport in general is seeing a bigger shift towards women….The want for women only spaces is also growing.”
If you want to attend a run club, but are nervous, I would do some research into the ones that look the most friendly, or aligned with what you're after. There are so many out there with so many different niches. Have a good read on their Instagram & website to get a feel for what they're about. Female only, performance based, social focused or beginner driven. There are so many! If you go and it's not for you, it might not be that running isn't for you, but just that group. Try a few out and see what you think.
You only need a half decent pair of trainers to start running. Outside of the obvious, shorts/leggings and a comfortable top. Running doesn't have to be a fashion show, and can often appear that way online. However, if you do want to kit yourself out for running, I live in the UK and a lightweight waterproof/wind proof goes a long way, as well as a cap! Keeps you warm and dry in the winter, and a cap or glasses for the summer are perfect for elevating your running outfit. I wear mainly SRC caps, and I own a pair of Represent 247 Arena glasses, but any with decent UV protection are fine!
Check out Slow Run Club on Instagram @slowrunclubmcr
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