Run Clubs Were Fun. Now What?
The new wave of in-person community is here. And it's not just about pounding pavements.
This article is a follow on from a conversation I had with Tim Richardson over on The Factory Podcast, you can listen to that here:
Run clubs are the new branded tote bag
Everyone’s got one. A run club, that is. Whether it’s hosted by a supplement brand, a skincare brand, or your mate’s mate who once ran a 10K and now has a logo and Instagram for it. The brand run club has become a shorthand for community, wellness, and cultural capital. And it worked, until it didn’t.
We’re not here to declare the death of the run club. But let’s be honest: we’ve reached peak jog. It’s not a failure; it’s a sign of saturation. And when everyone is doing the same thing to signal belonging, it stops meaning anything.
Which begs the question: what’s next?
The Rise (and Plateau) of the Run Club
The run club boom made sense. It ticked every brand box:
Low cost, high engagement
Social media-ready
Tied to health, wellness, and routine
Founder-led, story-first, ripe for merch
But like every good trend, ubiquity breeds indifference. When your product's unique IRL expression becomes everyone else's too, you lose your edge. Especially when it’s harder to tell if people are there for the brand, the 5K, or just the flat whites after.
The format itself isn’t broken. But it's no longer a differentiator.
Why Brands Are Still Betting on IRL
If the run club isn’t the answer anymore, the question still stands: why are brands so keen to get people offline?
A few reasons:
Digital fatigue. Our feeds are full. Every push notification feels like a chore. IRL is the new luxury.
Rising CAC. Community is cheaper than Meta ads, if you do it right.
Post-COVID social recalibration. We still crave connection, but we’re pickier about where we spend our time.
Shift in founder playbooks. Personal brands and physical presence are currency. Community is infrastructure.
Put simply, brands want loyalty, and algorithms are no longer a reliable path to get there.
What Comes Next (and What Already Works)
As the run club slows to a jog, new formats are picking up pace:
Swim clubs. Cold water, hot community vibes. Already big in London, and spreading.
Games & puzzle clubs. Nerd culture goes mainstream. Socialising with rules.
Book clubs (with wine). Intimacy, ritual, conversation, and content.
Listening bars. Not a pub, not a gig. High-end sound systems, curated records, and real attention spans.
Tea clubs. Not coffee. Think slow, ceremonial, mindful.
LARPing. Hear us out. There’s something happening in the medieval-core space. Cloaks, community, and commitment.
Novelty gets people in the door. But what keeps them coming back?
How to Build Community That Actually Sticks
The most successful brand communities have three things:
Consistency. Regular events, rhythms, and rituals. People need to know what they’re showing up for.
Intimacy. Smaller groups, deeper connection. Less performance, more participation.
Purpose. A shared reason to gather beyond "vibes." What does this group care about? What do they do together?
It’s not just about showing up. It’s about belonging. That requires intention, stewardship, and a long view. Not just a founder in a hoodie handing out drinks after a jog.
IRL Belonging > IRL Branding
Run clubs aren’t dead. But you need more than a start time and some merch to make a community that matters. As consumers crave meaning and connection, brands have an opportunity to build something real.
Not a marketing stunt. Not a TikTok moment.
Community as infrastructure. That’s where the real brand value lives.