Are Saratoga's Running Clubs the New Dating Apps?
Investigating the viral phenomenon right here in the Spa City.
I can’t say for certain what your Instagram/TikTok algorithms were showing you this summer, but you might’ve come across at least one video proclaiming a possibly monumental (and possibly bullsh**) shift in the dating world:
Running clubs are the new dating apps.
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Indeed, TikToks and Instagram Reels showing swarms of attractive 20- and 30-somethings running though urban centers abound, suggesting that the only thing standing in the way of finding love is your aversion to cardio. The New York Times even covered the phenomenon, then offered advice for dating a serious runner—if, of course, it all ends up working out.
One thing I noticed in all the viral videos I saw? All the running clubs were in major cities. That, of course, got me thinking: Is the same thing happening at Saratoga’s running clubs? I laced up my sneakers and went to find out.
Saratoga Stryders
On a recent Wednesday evening, I crashed the Saratoga Stryders’ mid-week workout run at the Saratoga Spa State Park. (I say crashed, because though one member told me I came dressed like a runner, putting on biker shorts is where my cardiovascular abilities end. Also, I hadn’t paid the $20 yearly membership fee.) The Stryders have more than 300 active members and will celebrate their 40th anniversary at a party next month. The Wednesday night run in the park is one of four weekly runs the club hosts, and come November, it’ll switch over to a headlamp-lit, high-visibility vest–required run through downtown beginning and ending at Whitman Brewing. (Post-run beers are a common occurrence.)
While I didn’t see any sparks flying at the Wednesday run, I heard about members Dan and Cori Flanagan, who actually met through the club. “I joined when I got divorced because I thought it was a good way to meet women who were into running,” says Dan, who clearly doesn’t need TikTok to tell him what to do. “I was like, well, I’m into running, so maybe I’ll join a club and find someone that’s like-minded.”
Obviously, he did, and the couple’s first date was a 5K in Albany. “He slid into my DMs and asked me to go to this race,” Cori says. “I didn’t know it was a date.” It was only after Dan asked Cori to go to a concert at The Egg that she caught on. Six years later, they got married—the day after running a 5K.
“Stryders has been really good because we have potlucks and a Christmas party and a summer picnic,” Dan says. “There’s a lot of time for socialization—it’s not just run and go home.”
Cori jumps in: “It’s a social club with a running problem.”
So, is Saratoga Stryders a dating app? It can be, if you make it one.
Fleet Feet Vikings
While Saratoga Stryders bills itself as a way to stay active and socially engaged, Fleet Feet Vikings is more of a means to an end—and the end isn’t finding a significant other. The Malta running store offers three training programs for runners of all abilities: a beginner 5K group, an advanced 5K/10K group and a half marathon/marathon group. The first meets Monday and Thursday evenings, and the latter two meet together on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. All members pay between $100-$200 (depending on the level) to receive a day-by-day workout plan, and individuals can opt to show up for the twice-weekly group runs, or train on their own.
Dan and Cori have both participated in Fleet Feet’s programs, which run in the fall and spring. (There are other shorter program offerings in the off season.) “You still meet people when you go to Fleet Feet, but they’re specifically training you to run a 5K,” Dan says. “Usually you run, and then go home.” (Exceptions: after a recent run at the Saratoga Battlefield, one Fleet Feet Viking invited everyone back to her pool in Schuylerville, and after the fall session everyone will meet for an end-of-year banquet at The Local.)
iRun Local
If you’re looking for a little less commitment (running-wise—not relationship-wise), iRun Local on Broadway hosts free runs on Tuesdays at 6pm, as well as a Sunrise 5-Miler on Thursdays at 6am. The group runs all around downtown Saratoga, and is for runners of all abilities. “I tell people we’re here to run at a conversation pace,” says Sara King, who has been hosting the club, but as of yesterday is no longer with iRun Local. (She says to keep an eye on the store’s social media accounts for updates on the future of the run club.) “Have fun with your run,” she continues. “Find the pace that you can chat with the person beside you if that’s what you want to do.”
Sara says that though the group is largely made up of 20- and 30-somethings, she hasn’t seen any members hit it off romantically. After the run, members typically just go home, but that could change in the future. “Maybe someone else would be interested in leading a singles social run club,” Sara says. “They could even hook it up with a bar downtown.”
SingleCut Run Club
New to the Saratoga run club scene is SingleCut North, the brewery off Exit 10 of the Northway. Launched in August, the free club is super informal—members can start their run (or walk!) at any time on Wednesday evenings, as long as they check in with run club founders Mike and Kim at the brewery. You can run wherever you want for as long as you want, and then show Mike and Kim how far you ran on your Apple Watch or Strava app (which apparently is now also a dating app). Once you rack up three runs or 15 miles—whichever comes first—you get a free beer, and there are more incentives every 25 miles you log.
While the flexibility is nice for some, it also means you aren’t always running with a group, making it hard to meet new people. Most runners stick around for a beer after, though. In the six weeks it’s been going on, 64 different people have showed up to run club. One of them may just be the person you’ve been looking for.
Rubber Club
And lastly, the least formal Saratoga run club of them all. The Rubber Club was started by a group of female friends (you may not recognize them outside of their inflatable koala suits) as a way to train for the Boilermaker 15K in Utica earlier this year. they began running together, and after an AutoCorrect fail that changed “running” to “rubbing,” Rubber Club was born. (In addition to “rubs,” the group also goes on “jobs”—another mistype.) The group typically runs mornings in downtown Saratoga, but it’s not exactly the sort of club you can pay to join. But, no matter. Rubber Club is a lot of things. A dating app is not one of them.
—Natalie