Until recently, the 6 pm time slot was frequented by folks looking to let some steam off. Now days. a lot of people are lacing up running shoes instead, because the weekly run club meeting has one characteristic one thing happy hour at the bar was supposed to do: it's free, it's on the calendar and you keep running into the same faces until they're friends. Swipe ahead to learn more.

Same Time, Different Morning

Happy hour and the run club fight over the same evening time slot in most working adults' schedules, but they result in very different mornings. One sells you an escape from the day's stressors; the other sells a small win that will last for a few hours.

Americans Are Drinking Less

Gallup's 2025 Consumption Habits survey found that just 54% of U.S. adults say they drink — the lowest rate in nearly 90 years of tracking. Adults under 35 fell to 50%, dipping below middle-aged and older drinkers for the first time ever.

The Run Club Boom

Fitness app Strava's 2024 Year in Sport report claimed a 59% jump in running club memberships, making running the platform's fastest-growing activity. By the end of 2025 Strava hosted more than 1 million clubs, and the running club membership[ specifically rose 3.5x.

Free Third Place

The U.S. surgeon general's 2023 advisory documented a loneliness epidemic, with about half of adults reporting loneliness and third places thinning out fast between 2019 and 2021, likely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A run club basically operates as a free, self-organized third place with regular meetings — all the ingredients you'd need to form community.

Sober Mornings, Loud Music

Eventbrite counted a 92% rise in sober-curious events across the country between 2023 and 2024. Activities like morning dance parties and coffee-instead-of-cocktails DJ sets, create a fun and exciting way to party without the bar tab.

Swapping Apps for Sidewalks

Singles are trading dating apps for outdoor meet ups, and outlets like CBS News have covered the shift as dating app technology company Match Group reports a dip in paid users. Among Gen Z users of Strava, nearly one in five went on a date with someone they met through an exercise-centered activity.

Built-In Filter

Bars have gotten even more expensive, while joining a run club costs nothing and charges no cover. It also comes with a built-in attitude filter because everyone there likely cares about showing up for themselves and other members of the group.

Clubs Lead the Charge

November Project started in Boston in 2011 as a free, public workout movement that two crew alumni cooked up just to survive winter, and it's now expanded across four continents. Global running community Midnight Runners keeps things interesting and fun by hosting nighttime 10Ks complete with loud music and bodyweight exercise stops built into the route.

Same Time Next Week

Think of a run club like the Cheers bar without the health risks. They're places where everyone knows your name (and actually remember it).