They say you shouldn’t chase a man because of love, but in this dating scene he might be running right next to 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 the “run-and-rave” brings a new social scene to NYC.
“Singles wear black” is the motto of the Lunge Run Club, “a social club disguised as a fitness club,” as founder Steve Cole calls it, having started the club to give young people a place to meet like-minded people.
Lunge hosts weekly 3-mile runs in Manhattan, where runners are encouraged to walk “cool” without headphones so participants can socialize, and maybe flirt, followed by a “follow-up” where runners grab a drink and socialize as their “cooler.”
“After” ranges from regular beer at the bar to EDM raves with wild DJ sets.
It may sound like a nightmare to some, but for fitness lovers, it’s a new way to have fun and flirt.
Cole told The Post that the goal was to change the way couples between the ages of 24 and 35 meet, fall in love and, if anything, find potential partners who prioritize “balance.”
“In the old days, people used to meet in churches or at work, as many people care about health and well-being now and prioritize what creates a dating platform for them,” explained the founder.
“Going to bars and drinking is what social life in NYC is all about, so it’s nice to have a different place to meet like-minded people,” added Cole.
Lunge tries his best to separate club events, like a run followed by a HYROX singles event — or even, a Knicks watch party.
With up to 1,000 runners attending one event, there are plenty of options for those looking to single, socialize and get their sweat on.
“People come up to me and tell me that their friend is engaged to someone they met at the Lunge Run Club,” Cole proudly told The Post.
If Lunge Run Club runners come across a potential suitor during a run, Cole encourages them to use the group’s dating system, where users swipe and match others before hooking up for a run as their “first date.”
“I used to see this tall, handsome guy all the time at my gym,” Lunge user Jaclyn Monroe said on the group’s website. “I picked up Lunge and found him. On our first day, he told me that I am a person who likes to exercise, but he considered it disrespectful to hit me while I was exercising.”
“When I started college in a new place, I was nervous about meeting people with the same interests as me, but at Lunge, I met my amazing boyfriend and many new gym friends,” wrote fellow runner Leena Vyas.
Cole feels that this concept is a win-win because even if someone goes without contact, at least they got a great workout.
The Almost Friday Run Club (AFRC) is the same group that meets every Thursday morning on Morton Street and the West Side Highway to run 1.5 miles downtown before grabbing a cup of coffee together.
AFRC usually sees a crowd of 50-100 20 to 30 year olds in its weekly races.
The run club was not started with the intention of connecting people, but it happened because of what happened.
Founders Ben Lorry, Victor Zeitoune and Jack Dweck told The Post that AFRC was born when the trio were looking for ways to stay active after graduating from sports. After running together before work, the friends realized there was an entire running community in the Big Apple doing the same.
“Creating a community in this city is more difficult than people expect,” Lorry told The Post. “We’ve become a place where newcomers can feel like they’re a part of something.”
The founders purposely created a travel break that allows people to chat with a new person.
The AFRC hosts a variety of activities, including its annual “Beer Mile,” where runners drink beer before the run; celebrity events such as celebrity DJ Diplo hosting an after-party; and the “Cookie Run,” where participants finish at a local partner bakery.
They also partnered with the bar for the “Will Run for Wine” 5K.
“For a long time, nightlife has been a place to connect with a lot of young people,” Dweck said. “Now people are looking for ways to balance that. A running club doesn’t replace that experience; it complements it.”
The founders say they watched runners move to New York without knowing a soul, forming groups of friends after each group.
“New Yorkers still want to get out. They still want energy, community, and spontaneity,” Lorry said. “A run club gives you another way to get those things. You can meet 100 people on a Thursday morning, get coffee afterwards, and have your whole day ahead of you.”
