Recently, it feels like everyone is signing up for a 5k or even a marathon. Running clubs are becoming more popular and Strava screenshots are flooding the Instagram stories. But what is behind the boom in this simple sport?
Running is beginner-friendly and inexpensive to start. All you really need is a pair of runners! However, in recent years it has shifted from just a form of cardio exercise to a social activity.
Rise of run clubs in Galway
Inspired by a running club in London that gave out free beers after a run, Mel Mannion and Joanna Brophy set up the Galway Bay Brewery Run Club (GBBRC) in 2018. What started out as a group of four friends going for a run and then getting a pint together has now evolved into 30 to 40 runners attending every time.
“It’s totally suitable for complete beginners,” Joanna said. The club meets twice a month and does a 5k run, followed by a free pint in the Salt House or the Oslo Bar.
“It’s social running,” Mel explained. “If you can’t talk to the person next to you, you’re running too fast.”
This social aspect of running also resonates with the University of Galway Run Club, which was set up last September. The morning run along the Prom, followed by a sea swim and a coffee, usually attracts 20 to 30 students.
For many, accountability is the key. “I probably wouldn’t run every week if there wasn’t the group there,” Sean, a regular member of the club, explained.
The team spirit also makes bad weather conditions more manageable. “If it’s lashing rain, at least you’re all complaining together,” Mia Mahon, committee member of the university’s run club, said. “It’s that team aspect that keeps you going.”
Mental health benefits of running
Running isn’t just good for the body. A study published by the American College of Cardiology Foundation in 2014 found that running just five to ten minutes every day reduces the risk of death from all causes and cardiovascular diseases.
It also has several mental health benefits, Sports Psychology Consultant, Tim Marron, explained. “If you’re engaged in physical activity regularly, it protects you against anxiety, acute anxiety, and anxiety disorders.
It elevates your mood and you feel better after a run,” he adds.
The “runner’s high” isn’t just a myth. “It’s almost ironic that we expend more energy, yet we perceive that we have more energy afterwards.”
Running as a social media trend
“Everyone started running during COVID,” the founders of the GBBRC explained. “It was one of the few ways you could kind of get out and exercise.”
In recent years, however, it has evolved into a trend. The social media posts are full of running medals and post-run coffees.
“I wouldn’t say that you have to get into running because everybody else is doing it,” Tim Marron explained. “Some sort of physical activity is very important for your physical and mental health and finding one that works for you is most important.”
How to get into running
“You don’t have to be running a 25-minute 5k to call yourself a runner. You could be running a 40-minute 5k, and you’re still as much of a runner as the person running next to you,” Mia explained.
If you are thinking about getting into running, it is important to get into it gradually. “Set realistic goals that hit a sweet spot between being too easy and too challenging,” Tim Marron recommended. Find out more about the Galway Bay Brewery Run Club here, and the University of Galway Run Club here.
