Looking for a date? Head to a run club

Speed dating gets a whole new meaning as run clubs and sports hubs become the new hunting ground for singles

- Shrenik Avlani

Tejaswini Nair, a product manager in Bengaluru, was in a bad place last November after she lost her dog within months of ending a long relationship. A friend asked her to come for a Singles Day run organised by global sports brand Puma and dating app Bumble in Bengaluru that month. "I needed some stimulus to snap out of the funk and was curious to find out who and how many actually show up at 7am on a Sunday for a run," says Nair, 29. There were 300 participants for the run that was followed by a mixer, which included speed-dating, breakfast and games. Looking at the bright side, Nair, for whom fitness is an integral aspect of life, says, "Even though I didn't end up meeting anyone interesting, I got some exercise and had fun."

Unlike Nair, who has never once used a dating app, Bengaluru-based Aniket Roy, 27, has used all dating apps across the world because he "travels a lot" but has grown "bored and tired" of them. These days, Roy, international business lead for a fintech firm, prefers joining local run clubs and attending events to meet singles and new people instead of swiping. The Puma x Bumble Singles Run was a no-brainer for him especially since he has had luck finding a date at a run club in New York City.

Single people like Nair and Roy across the world are choosing to sweat it out instead of swiping. Run clubs, exercise-themed events and padel and pickleball courts are increasingly emerging as the places to find love, friendship and flings as people grow sceptical and tired of a digital-first approach to dating through apps such as Tinder, Bumble and Hinge, which had enjoyed plenty of success before the pandemic.