By Emma Griffiths, Second Year, English Literature
Nowadays, it seems that everyone and their aunt has joined a run club. The lure of coffee, pastries and the ability to meet new people is a very potent one indeed, especially in a generation which is shown to be increasingly less interested in the traditionally hard-core drinking culture of university.
Run clubs - and the rise of running in general - is something that has significantly changed the social scene post-lockdown. Catering to any requirements that you could possibly think of, from the London based Scrambled Legs bashing out 30kms on a Saturday to the more social groups like Runners and Stunners aimed at inclusivity regardless of body type or speed, there is always an opportunity for people to find new friends with the same love of getting out and about - or let’s be honest, just a particular penchant for baked groups.
One of these groups that has overrun (excuse the pun) Bristol is Bristol Run Club, formed by Lucia Shiner in September 2023. Having recently reached 10k followers on Instagram, the group is increasingly popular, luring people out every Thursday and Sunday with the promise of good company, inclusive paced groups and (obviously) a sweet treat. However, its popularity was never something that Lucia banked on. Run clubs are often sponsored by sports brands like Runna or Strava, or led and backed by ‘runfluencers,’ but Bristol Run Club was simply born because 'I just wanted to make friends in Bristol.'
'I made a TikTok [about wanting a group to run for coffee with] and it blew up a bit, and then we met up at 10am and I didn’t think that anyone was going to show up, and then sixty people came along.'
This number has only continued to grow. Bristol Run Club has increased from one group to three differently paced groups, with varying distances. The response has been sensational, with people joining in not just for the actual running, but for the general positive atmosphere and community that BRC so carefully fosters. The importance of this low-pressure, supportive environment is obvious, as Lucia spoke of 'a girl [on the first ever run] who came up to me afterwards and said “I could only run 1km but I wanted to meet you guys for coffee so I walked the rest,”' something that prompted Lucia to include a designated beginner’s group because 'whether you can run 5km or 30km or 1km, creating somewhere where everyone feels that they can join in regardless of their running ability is so important.'
The vast array of runners within Bristol Run Club’s flanks, from beginners to those who took part in the annual Bristol 10km and Half Marathon, is also an interesting comment on the place that running occupies in people’s lives nowadays. A recent survey found that 58% of runners had improving mental health as their primary running goal in 2025, a number which jumps to a massive 65% amongst young people. As Lucia said, 'A lot of people that I’ve spoken to - especially students because moving to a new city and uni can be quite lonely [joined the run club].' In addition, as well as acting as a fast track to meeting new people and improving mental health, run clubs also hold an important place in reducing the safety risks and fear surrounding running, especially for women during the darker winter months.
'At the start, it was very much me thinking how do I feel unsafe when I run alone and how can I try to change that for other people… the amount of women who have approached me saying “I have never ran at night on my own” and were almost thanking me - it’s just so nice that you can have a group that wants to do it with you.'
92% of female runners report feeling unsafe whilst running, and the uptake on BRC’s Thursday evening run is testament to how these groups are key tools in breaking down the accessibility barriers in this sport.
And it’s not just within the community of Bristol members that Bristol Run Club is gaining recognition. BRC has partnered with a whole host of high flying brands and companies, including the beer brand Jubel who sponsors their Thursday evening run, Asics, and even a interview session with Runna coach Anya Culling.
'When I started, I never had an email or anything and just never thought brands would want to work with us, and then we started growing … One thing that always stands out is that they always say “We love the vibe of BRC. We love how happy people are, how supportive people are”'. For a club that started without expectations as a simple TikTok, brand deals and collaborations can be difficult to navigate, but Lucia highlighted that
'It’s not like a company where you don’t know the face behind it … it’s so personal and every person who comes to run club knows me, and they know that if we’re doing something with a brand, it’s always what the runners get out of it - like what’s the point in just me benefitting from it?'
One croissant and Strava post at a time, run clubs are changing the face of running from something intimidating unattainable to something with a place for everyone. Bristol Run Club (@bristolrunclub on Instagram) holds runs every Thursday evening and Sunday morning and held a cheering station at the annual Bristol 10k and Half Marathon.
Featured image: Bristol Run Club via Instagram
