Trainers laced, Strava on, earphones in, body stretched: We’re going for a run. So many of us are adopting a version of this ritual. Record numbers of people have signed up to the 2025 London Marathon; I saw someone selling their entry to the upcoming Hackney Half Marathon for an outrageous £300, as record signups have occurred there too; people in their 20s made up 28% of the finishers at this year’s Los Angeles Marathon, up from 21% in 2019; sports brands including On, Nike and Gymshark have set up run clubs that attract a young crowd; casual runners are normalising the “slow run” on social media. This new wave of runners are up for swapping cocktail happy hour for a 5km post-work lap — but while they were out running, they became the butt of an ongoing series of jokes.
As a woman in her late 20s who started running this year, my TikTok algorithm is full of people, both established runners and non-runners alike, taking the mick out of newbies like me. It’s all tongue in cheek of course, but those cracking the jokes seem to be irked (though, some critics have been downright malicious, criticising those doing 5km while wearing a running vest). One popular TikTokker, known as GK Barry, went viral for posting this sound on the app that’s since been reused many times: “A sure sign that someone is having a midlife crisis is that they sign up to do a marathon. Why are you running? My manager is doing a half marathon and I’ve told her to book in with the GP.” The Atlantic also called marathons “the new quarter life crisis”, which some in the comments took issue with. Another TikTokker claimed all the new runners are doing it “for attention”. Other videos have claimed “running clubs are the new Hinge”, given the amount of young single people attending them. Stylist called getting into running in your 20s and 30s a “new milestone tick box”.
“Running has become a part of my identity now,” says Lucy Jeffrey, 29, from London. “I never enjoyed long-distance running when I was younger. I found it dull, and I would always start off running too fast and get tired really easily.” But then during the pandemic, craving outdoor exercise, Jeffery, 26 at the time, began running. Now, she runs three times a week and often in groups for the social side, too. “I like that I can do it anywhere — I don’t need a pool, bike or gym. I can just get outside, for my mental health and fitness.” She’s signed up to a 25km race in May, which will be the furthest she’s ever run. Jeffery, for one, is “very proud of achieving [her] running goals” and “shares progress on social media and with friends and family”. She’s also enjoying finding people her age who “enjoy being happy and healthy”, making the most of the running community.
Studies suggest that individuals reach their prime marathon-running age between 30 to 35
That community is rapidly expanding. Mason Granger, the fitness pro at Gymshark running its weekly club, says attendees typically fall between the ages of 20 to 30, with a mix of experienced and new runners. “There’s no expiration date on starting a running journey and it varies person to person,” he says, though “some studies suggest that individuals may reach their prime marathon-running age between 30 to 35,” making the late 20s a good time to start if this is your goal. “I think the ever-growing research into running that shows the health benefits, both physically and mentally, as well as myth-busting common misconceptions like ‘running is bad for your knees’ is all helping with the running boom.”
It’s not just about groups though — solo running is a part of the trend. “I think at this age people are just starting to take their health seriously,” says Phoebe Wingrove, 27, from Brighton, who began running this year. For Wingrove, a photographer, running offers health benefits and then some. “I hadn’t been to the gym for ages and I didn’t enjoy going anymore,” she explains. “I always struggled to run when I was younger, everyone was always faster than me. I first gave running a go at 22, but didn’t stick with it.” Only now is she finding her groove with it, having completed the Brighton 10km race. “I wanted something that I could do outside and not have to travel to the gym before starting a workout. My 10km went much better than I was expecting — I actually enjoyed it.” Wingrove says it’s improving her anxiety and helping her through a breakup, and she appreciates the fact that it’s “free, quick and instant”, unlike other sports. But most importantly, she adds: “I’d like to keep this going as a constant habit in my life — it feels good.” As for those firing shots at running newbies like herself, she gets it. “I think the people making those jokes are actually the insecure ones that aren’t looking after themselves — it takes a lot of courage to start something new, throw yourself into running, and having people stare at you — I used to be one of those people that questioned why are people running on a weekend, and now I get it.”
Running offers low-cost exercise in the cost of living crisis
The health benefits of running include improved cardiovascular health, increased bone strength, better muscular endurance, and the “runner’s high” (from released endorphins). Not to mention it’s the only sport that’s free — you don’t need a gym, membership or equipment, just a stretch of road to pace down. Martyn Oakey, head of fitness at Everlast Gyms, part of Sports Direct, believes that of all the reasons young people are gravitating towards running as a go-to exercise, “chief among them is the low cost of entry.” In an age of ice baths and luxury gyms, running is the only “trendy” exercise right now that’s actually financially accessible, rather than aspirational, to us all. Perhaps this is why young people are taking it up in droves. “The cost of living crisis is causing people to examine their financial commitments, and as a low-cost exercise which can be done in some basic exercise clothes, running is a cheap and effective way to stay fit,” he says. “There’s also a movement in fitness communities to focus on what we call ‘holistic fitness’. This focuses on exercises which are beneficial to the whole body and mind. Running is a great example.”
Running has been attracting a wider range of people for some time, and the stats show us this: Between 1986 and 2018, average running times stretched out. People are taking 12 minutes longer to do a 10k, suggesting that running no longer appeals only to the super-fit athletic types — everyone wants to get involved. Gabrielle Marie Yap, 33, from Florida, began running at 28, because at that age, she says, “I started feeling this itch to challenge myself physically. I wanted to prove to myself that I could push past my comfort zone and do something that seemed impossible to me before. I got to a point in my life where I was willing to try new things and push through my own doubts and fears. And I’m so glad I did, because running has brought me so much joy and fulfilment.” She wasn’t a natural, at first finding herself “huffing and puffing” (as many of us do), but now it’s become her personal “escape” from the stress of day to day life. “There’s this incredible sense of freedom that comes with pounding the pavement, feeling the wind in your hair, and just letting your mind wander.” Stepping outside of her comfort zone paid off — but no, she wasn’t having a quarter-life crisis, as the nay-sayers would joke.
It can feel embarrassing to start something new, so the last thing we should do is discourage people from running. Money, health and trends aside, running taps into the collective push towards self-betterment that’s dominated wellness trends over the last decade. No one starts off able to do even 10km without some level of training, and as Granger puts it: “Fitness in general is a continuous aim of striving for self-improvement and running encapsulates that.” This can only be a good thing, so whatever your reasons, forget the jokes and put one foot in front of the other.
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