What's the Deal With All These Run Clubs In NYC?
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Over the past decade, one fitness trend has become increasingly popular in the city: running. On any given day, you can walk outside and see runners and casual joggers alike. Marked by their heavily cushioned running shoes and colorful athletic attire, runners are a part of the NYC landscape. Running has become more than a health trend or a sport; it is a lifestyle and a daily ritual for many New Yorkers. The running community in NYC is uniquely strong, connected through city-based races, run clubs, and independent running stores.
Running and casual jogging experienced a boom in the US and across the world during the late 60s and 70s. People began to run for recreation, health, and stress relief. With this increase in runners came a cultural shift that brought running shoe innovation, annual road races, and a general fitness culture. In NYC, running quickly evolved from a niche hobby to a mainstream activity. The city’s many running routes allowed for the community to grow here in a way few other cities could replicate: specifically, Central and Prospect Park, the East River Promenade, the Hudson River Greenway, Van Cortlandt Park, and the many bridges in the city, to name a few.
In addition, it's impossible to discuss NYC’s running scene without mentioning the many running influencers who call the city home, such as Kat Mackz (@katemackz), Mallory Kilmer (@runswithmal), and Becs Gentry (@becsgentry), among many others. Trends in social media and the sports online presence have influenced running culture, marathoning, and road running as a whole. Plenty of joggers can trace the inspiration for their hobby back to seeing posts about it online. Running's online presence has directly fueled the growth of the sport.
The city’s running scene was also shaped in large part by the fact that one of the world's largest marathons is hosted here, the famous New York City Marathon. This annual event takes over the city on the first Sunday of each November. On marathon day, runners and non-runners alike take to the streets to watch over 50,000 runners race across the five boroughs. This iconic race contributes significantly to the city’s running scene. New York Road Runners, the organization that runs the NYC Marathon as well as many other races, is vital to the NYC running scene. NYRR hosts over sixty annual races in the city. This organization helps sustain the city’s running ecosystem with its year-round running infrastructure.
Running has also taken on a unique social dimension in NYC. The city’s hundreds of running clubs create ‘third spaces,’ social groups outside school and work, where people can meet others and create a sense of community. Some popular clubs are Brooklyn Track Club (@brooklyntrackclub), Midnight Runners New York (@midnightrunnersnewyork), Orchard Street Runners (@orchardstreetrunners), and Harlem Run (@harlemrun).
In a bustling, hectic city such as New York, running provides routine and a sense of calm in the chaos. The stress of fast-paced city life requires New Yorkers to find some outlet, and for many, that is running. The simple act of running provides clarity in a place that is otherwise overstimulating. The scene is undeniably driven by the hobby's physical, mental, and lifestyle benefits. The benefits of running are extensive, from cardiovascular fitness to bone and joint function. Running proves to be an effective and simple change one can make to greatly impact their overall health for the better.