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They say don’t chase a man for love, but in this dating scene, he may be running alongside you.
Forget dating apps and late-night drinks — lonely, but fit, Gen Z and millennials are swapping heels for sneakers and tequila shots for celery juice, as “run-and-raves” are bringing an entirely new social scene to NYC.
“Singles wear black” is the motto for Lunge Run Club, “a social club disguised as a fitness club,” as founder Steve Cole calls it, having started the group to give younger people a space to meet other like-minded people.
Lunge hosts weekly 3-mile runs in Manhattan, where runners are encouraged to move at a “chiller pace” sans headphones so participants can engage, and maybe flirt, with one another, followed by “afters” where runners grab a drink and socialize as their “cool down.”
“Afters” range from casual beers at a local pub to EDM raves with wild DJ sets.
Might sound like a nightmare to some, but for fitness enthusiasts, it’s a new way to socialize and flirt.
Cole told The Post the goal was to revolutionize the way young singles between 24 and 35 socialize, date and if anything, find potential friends who also prioritize “balance.”
“In the old days, people used to meet at church or work, and since a lot of people care about health and wellness now and prioritize it, it creates a dating pool for them,” explained the founder.
“Going to the bars and drinking is what the social life in NYC revolves around, so it’s cool to have a different space to meet like-minded people,” Cole added.
Lunge tries his best to diversify the club’s events, like a run followed by a HYROX-specific singles event — or even, say, a Knicks watch party.
With as many as 1,000 runners attending a single event, there are plenty of options for those looking to single, mingle and get their sweat on.
“People come up to me and tell me that their friend is engaged to someone they met at Lunge Run Club,” Cole proudly told The Post.
If Lunge Run Club runners strike out with meeting a potential suitor mid-run, Cole encourages them to utilize the club’s dating app, where users swipe and match with others before coordinating to go on a run as their “first date.”
“I used to see this tall, gorgeous guy all the time at my gym,” Lunge user Jaclyn Monroe gushed on the club’s website. “I downloaded Lunge and found him. On our first date, he mentioned I was his gym crush, but he felt it was too disrespectful to hit on me during my workout.”
“When I started college in a new state, I was nervous about meeting people who shared similar interests and passions as me, but with Lunge, I met my amazing boyfriend and so many new gym friends,” wrote fellow runner Leena Vyas.
Cole feels the concept is a win-win because even if someone leaves without making a connection, at least they got a great workout in.
Almost Friday Run Club (AFRC) is a similar group that meets every Thursday morning at Morton Street and the West Side Highway to run 1.5 miles downtown before grabbing a cup of coffee together.
AFRC typically sees a crowd of 50-100 20 to 30-year-olds on its weekly runs.
The run club wasn’t started with the intention of connecting people, but it happened organically.
Founders Ben Lorry, Victor Zeitoune and Jack Dweck told The Post that AFRC was born when the trio sought out ways to stay active after graduating from structured sports. After running together before work, the friends realized there was an entire running community in the Big Apple doing the same.
“Building a social circle in this city is harder than people expect,” Lorry told The Post. “We’ve become a place where newcomers can immediately feel like they’re a part of something.”
The founders purposely built in a walk break that allows people to chat up someone new.
AFRC hosts various functions, including its annual “Beer Mile,” where runners chug beer before their run; celebrity events like celeb DJ Diplo hosting an after-run party; and a “Cookie Run,” where participants finish at a local partner bakery.
They’ve also collaborated with a bar for a “Will Run for Wine” 5K.
“For a long time, nightlife was the default social outlet for a lot of young people,” said Dweck. “Now people are looking for ways to balance that out. A run club doesn’t replace those experiences; it complements them.”
The founders said they’ve watched runners who moved to New York not knowing a soul, build entire friend groups through the club.
“New Yorkers still want to go out. They still want energy, community, and spontaneity,” Lorry said. “A run club just gives you another way to get those things. You can meet 100 people on a Thursday morning, get coffee afterward, and still have your entire day ahead of you.”
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