It is now clear for everyone: running is becoming a true global phenomenon. From being a sport practiced only by those who wanted to stay in shape or focused on athletic performance, running has become a true cult. A huge change of identity that has taken place within just a few years, transforming a solitary activity into a collective and enjoyable experience.
This impression is not just visual. According to Strava’s Year in Sport 2024 report, participation in running clubs increased by 59% globally in 2024. The same report highlights how 58% of respondents said they had made new friends through fitness groups, while almost one Gen Z member out of five went on a date with someone they met through physical activity. It is no coincidence that Strava summed up the phenomenon with an effective phrase: “Run club is the new nightclub.” The so-called Run Clubs have gained such popularity that, for many people, they have replaced meeting places such as clubs and bars. Running, like the fitness world in general, has experienced impressive growth, to the point of becoming a real opportunity to develop new connections. A healthy, accessible and innovative way to expand one’s horizons, both physically and socially.
But what was the turning point?
Why do streets and parks now seem to be filled with people running?
What has pushed so many people to leave their homes to practice an activity that has always been considered tiring, repetitive and mentally demanding?
The process was gradual, but the first point of this growth can be identified between the years 2020 and 2021: those of the Covid-19 pandemic. Before then, running was practiced mainly by enthusiasts, athletes or people desperately trying to burn calories. The pandemic drastically accelerated this process: closed gyms, suspended team sports and restrictions on social life pushed many people toward a simple, individual activity that could be practiced almost anywhere. During lockdown, running became for many one of the few permitted ways to go outside, breathe and stay active. No special equipment, memberships or facilities were needed: just a pair of shoes and an open road. In a period dominated by uncertainty, running offered something simple but extremely powerful: a way to escape from everyday life.
The data themselves confirm this theory. In 2021, research carried out by World Athleticsand Nielsen showed that, across ten countries analyzed, four out of ten people considered themselves runners and 30% ran at least once a week. The same research highlighted how more and more people had started running during the pandemic and intended to keep this habit even after the end of restrictions. For many that first approach was not linked to performance. People, in fact, were not running to prepare for a race or chase a specific athletic goal: they ran to feel better, to clear their minds and to break up days that were all the same. Running became a parenthesis of freedom within a context in which freedom seemed to be extremely limited.
According to a RunRepeat survey, 28.76% of the runners interviewed had started running precisely during the pandemic. The figure is significant because it shows how Covid did not only interrupt existing sporting habits, but also created new ones, pushing many people to discover running for the first time. This is exactly where running began to change its face. Once the pandemic phase was over, however, the phenomenon did not die out at all. Many of those who had started running almost out of necessity continued to do so even after gyms, venues and social spaces reopened. Running, from a habit born in a difficult moment, became an integral part of the lifestyle of millions of people.
Digital technology also contributed significantly to this transformation. Applications such as Strava, Garmin Connect, Nike Run Club and many others have made running measurable and shareable. Every workout can become a piece of data, a statistic and, above all, a story to publish. Weekly mileage, average pace, elevation gain and personal progress have become elements through which it is possible to build a narrative of oneself. In this sense, running is no longer just a physical gesture, but also an identity gesture. Showing a run on social media means communicating discipline, consistency, self-care and mental strength. Little by little, running has become a way of saying: “I am working on myself”.
Traditionally, running has always been perceived as an individual, almost introspective, sport. Today, however, a growing part of the phenomenon revolves around the collective dimension. Run clubs have transformed training into a social appointment. People no longer meet only to have a drink, go out for dinner or spend the evening out: they also meet to run five, ten or fifteen kilometers together. For many people, especially young people, the run club represents a healthier, cheaper and more informal alternative to traditional meeting places. It is a space where people can meet others without the artificiality of a dating app or the noise of a nightclub. According to the analyses reported by The Running Channel on Strava’s 2024 report, 66% of young people say they have made friends through fitness, and about half of people indicate social connection as one of the main reasons for joining a sports group.
Around this new running culture, an increasingly large economy has also developed. Running, at least apparently, is one of the most accessible sports in the world. However, once it becomes a passion, or even a lifestyle, it opens a huge market: technical shoes, specific clothing, GPS watches, supplements, energy gels, training programs, physiotherapy, races, sports travel, online coaching. Everything that begins as an essential activity can quickly turn into a complex and profitable commercial ecosystem.
According to RunSignup’s 2024 RaceTrends Report, races grew by an average of 8.2% in 2024. Running USA, referring to the same report, also emphasizes that RunSignup’s data include over 85,000 events and 10.8 million registrations, with estimated coverage of around 45-50% of the U.S. endurance market. These numbers help us understand how running is no longer just a personal practice, but a real industry made up of events, registrations, services, sponsors and sports tourism.
Marathons are perhaps the clearest and most famous example of this transformation. Once considered extreme challenges, reserved for a minority of highly trained enthusiasts, today they have become mass aspirational goals. The case of the London Marathon is emblematic: for the 2027 edition, the race received 1,338,544 ballot applications, surpassing the previous record of 1,133,813, registered for this year’s edition. Signing up for a race often means entering a journey: the preparation, the training sessions, the sacrifices, race day, the final medal. Every race becomes a story: it is no longer just sport, but a personal narrative and a piece of content to share.
This explains why running is so effective from an economic point of view as well. It does not only sell products, but emotional milestones: the first serious pair of shoes, the first GPS watch, the first 10K, the first half marathon, the first marathon. Every step opens the door to new forms of consumption, but also to new forms of personal involvement. The more a person identifies as a runner, the more they will be willing to invest time, money and energy in that world. Shoes are probably the most obvious symbol of this evolution. In recent years, the running market has been revolutionized by new technologies: the running shoe is no longer just a technical tool, but also an object of desire to compare, collect and show off.
In this scenario, brands quickly understood that running was no longer just a sports category, but a cultural language. Nike, Adidas, Asics, New Balance, Hoka, On, Brooks and Saucony no longer simply sell shoes or shirts: they sell performance and aesthetics. This transformation does not concern only professionals. Even the amateur runner today wants high-performance products, lightweight shoes, reactive materials, precise watches and personalized programs. Technology once reserved for elite runners has entered the mass market.
The question then becomes inevitable: do people still run for themselves, or only to be seen running?
Despite these contradictions, the success of running tells us something deep about our time. In an increasingly digital, sedentary and fragmented world, the running trend represents a return to the body, to physical space, to real fatigue. The growth of running therefore cannot be explained by a single factor. The pandemic certainly gave the initial push, but running has become popular because it offers an immediate response to many contemporary anxieties. You do not need to win a race to feel part of the phenomenon. You simply need to go outside and start running in order to recognize yourself in an increasingly broad community.
The challenge now will be to understand whether this popularity will be able to keep alive the most authentic essence of running. Because beyond brands, data, apps and trends, the gesture remains the same: a body moving forward, step by step. And perhaps, deep down, it is precisely this simplicity that explains why so many people have started running again.
By Tommaso Cagno
