How Vancouverites are finding community in local running clubs

A free cup of coffee, cookies and a chance to churn your own ice cream? Treats abound at Vancouver run clubs. But what keeps them moving and coming back are the community and health benefits they found after.

While it’s not uncommon for members of running clubs to bond over a snack or a cold beverage after a run, Hybred Culture Club and many other local clubs have started partnering with local cafes and businesses to offer treats to incentivize Vancouverites to get active.

Howard Yu, who started attending social runs this summer, originally joined for the possibility of treats, but now says he can “easily” come up with many reasons to join running clubs beyond the initial incentive.

Running clubs can serve as “a gauge on a healthy lifestyle,” he said, explaining that he used to get exhausted at just 2.5 kilometres. “Now that I have had some practice, I can say that I am no longer exhausted nor am I tired from the full five-kilometre run.”

More importantly, Yu thinks running clubs can help people make connections in a city where it is “already hard to make friends.” The unique routes designed by each club also allow one to explore “unfamiliar neighbourhoods and diverse local areas.”