Run Clubs — Gen Z’s Social Rebellion
Gen Z is growing tired of the loss of third places. A term coined by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg, a “third place” is defined by an informal stomping ground outside of work or home where communities come together to socialize, relax, and find that human connection we are all seeking. These spaces are specifically characterized by their lack of associated costs with simply existing inside them. Several decades ago, these spaces were commonplace; but the rise of metropolitanism, digital isolation, and the ever-present “hustle culture,” Gen Z is searching to find ways to connect with like minded peers without having to buy their entry.
Bars aren’t holding the same appeal they used to, as many Gen Zs are ditching the booze. Coffee shops are closing earlier and earlier to stave off loiterers. Churches are experiencing their lowest attendance rates ever, with less than 50% of Americans seeking organized religion. Libraries, rec centers, and other municipal buildings are actively losing their funding. Everywhere you look, you’ll find places that attempt to meet Gen Z’s sociological needs and simply fall short. But in their stead, young leaders are establishing the new wave of community-building: run clubs.
Since the pandemic, Gen Z is seeking embodied connection. We’ve felt the loss of in-person community; and while digital substitutes like social media, video calls, and group chats are peaking in accessibility, they can’t fully replace the feeling of being surrounded by kinship. The decline in traditional third spaces has real-life ramifications in a person’s mental health, social cohesion, and even identity formation. Many people are pigeon-holed into their ideologies. Online, if a person sees a viewpoint or opinion they disagree with, a click of a button can change their settings to never see these ideas again. This stunts their understanding of the world by creating an echo-chamber where everyone they are surrounded with thinks just like them. Third places encourage differences, discussions around identities, and personal development.
Gen Z is also sick of hustle culture and the endless ambition to chain profession to personhood. They are craving accessibility, inclusivity, and low-barrier to entry opportunities where everyone has a place. Modern run clubs hit these marks, often being free or donation-based, and scaled for all abilities. They offer repeated, informal interactions that are geographically rooted and socially welcoming. Run clubs offer a way for people to take back their health, a priority every person is striving towards, especially post-pandemic and with the rise of GLP-1s. Seasoned runners and novices do the same warm-ups, taking the hierarchy out that often deters beginner exercisers – and at the end, they meet at the same park, brewery, or cafe to continue the social hang. Run clubs fulfill the need for collective activity that isn’t commercially driven, but rather focuses on personal development and joy. People are taking back their health: physical, mental, and social.
The rise of run clubs are evidence that Gen Z feel the loss of third places and are seeking new “hybrid” spaces where they can find wellness with camaraderie. They challenge the binary of profitable versus recreational time, and they propose a resolution to the loneliness epidemic and over-scheduled culture. Most importantly, they show that a community doesn’t need infrastructure, only consistency and invitation. In a world of cybernated isolation and social fragmentation, they offer a powerful reminder that human connection is still thriving one step at a time.
