It seems that shoot up like mushrooms from the ground. Every running brand seems to have their own culture. Here is an example:
I’m also noticing this phenomenon in a big city near my hometown.
A running club with ambitioned runners is taking over nearly every local races and also crushing it on social media.
It seems that this club is getting bigger and bigger. Their social media is growing and the times of runners that are part of the club are getting faster.
Running clubs have a transformative force.
The clubs spirit
- Ambitious runners run fast together
- Cheering and support each other
- Time caps for entry. You have to run a sub 42 min in 10k as a men and sub 45 min as a woman.
- Track Thursday as part of the culture
- They share their running stories and successes online, inspiring more people to join them.
Social Media Content
They have an Instagram account which now has about 10.000 followers.
Their online presence serves not just as a self-promotion tool but as a hub of motivation, inspiring members to stay committed to the sport.
Whether it’s sharing individual successes and achievements or crafting inspiring short form videos.
I think that visibility of runners on social media can have a powerful impact on ambitious and hardworking runners.
Local running heroes emerging through online platforms
I once went to a marathon race in that city and people from this club were also there. I was there with my cousin who also knew one of their club members. She said to me: “Oh, look there is … from the … club.”
Suddenly it felt like a star was walking past us. I think it’s cecause you see someone that you only now from your daily social media and now you see them for the first time in public.
To me it seems that through their club local running heroes emerging through their content put out on social media.
On Culture and Branding
They have a few rituals that are linked to their culture:
- Track Thursday (group interval training on the track)
- Friday Social Run in collaboration with a cafe
- Wearing branding clothes: hoodie, running singlet, smartphone stickers, flag which is waved on race days
- Cheering zone with loud music at events for their members
What makes this club successful?
- The desire for recognition
Hard working runners get recognized online, get support and are more extrinsically motivated to train. Strengthen runners’ engagement in the sport through social media - To step up in the club hierarchy
People look at each other’s personal bests. A personal best hierarchy develops in the club, in which members want to climb the ladder and thus motivate each other to perform better and better - Inspiring other people from outside the club
People outside the club want to be part of it and feel motivated to train in order to reach the time caps. But not only because of the elite feeling also because of being part of the social group. They also post from social events such as going out or eating together after a race. From the outside, their training (Track Thursday) seems more like a party with music or a social media event.
Coaches serve as role models
The leader of the group is a well known, sub elite runner with a broad audience on social media. He has a running school in the city and established the club. Together with another coach from his running school he serves as a role model for others and is kind of the leader of the group.
I think that also his running school benefits from the attention that the club is getting. Runners see the clubs members at local events and want to run the fast times they are running.
This story reflects the tremendous impact of community and use of social media in the world of running. A strong sense of community and the digital inspires other people and works as a motivation for runners inside and outside the running club.