Why Run Clubs Are Having Their Biggest Moment Yet

If your New Year's resolution was to run more in 2026, you picked the perfect year to do it — and the perfect way is with a group.

Run clubs are booming across the country right now in a way that hasn't been seen in over a decade. A 59% rise in club participation was recorded in 2024, with new clubs tripling in number SportCoaching, and the momentum hasn't slowed heading into 2026. What's driving it? A lot of it comes down to who's showing up. Gen Z and millennials are leading the growth — 18 to 29 year olds made up 17.9% of race participants in 2025, the highest percentage since 2017 and exceeding pre-pandemic levels. SportCoaching

For a sport that spent years worrying about an ageing participant base, that is a massive shift. Running has become a social identity as much as a fitness habit, especially for younger runners. Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings have emerged as the peak community run times globally SportCoaching — which, if you've been joining us on Saturday mornings at the Old Greenwich Firehouse, you already know firsthand.

The research backs up what we feel every week at GRR: group running works. Data from 120,000 runners on Strava found that the best predictor of marathon time is how much easy jogging you do each week, not how hard you push The Globe and Mail — and running with others is the single best way to stay consistent with those easy miles.

Whether you're chasing a PR or just getting back into it, there has never been a better time to run with a community. Come find yours — we're out here every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.