Endorphins Running: Connecting People Through Movement, Positivity, and Happiness

Spanning nine cities in the US and many more virtually, Endorphins Running is a burgeoning running club with community and positivity at its core. From offering weekly group runs to access to elite coaches, physical therapists, and dieticians, as well as discounts on sports brands, this club has its members covered. It’s easy to see why, after its inaugural community event in November 2022, the club rapidly gained momentum, surpassing the 10,000-member milestone within just 14 months, with over 4,500 members actively engaging on Strava.

This meteoric rise can be attributed to the club's adept use of social media, with Strava emerging as a pivotal tool for visibility and connection. In its quest to foster meaningful connections within and beyond its running meetups, the running club has strategically leveraged the Strava app.

Growing the Endorphins Running Community

Tyler Swartz, the founder of Endorphins Running, emphasizes the club's initial reliance on Strava over Instagram. "That's where our people live," he notes. "People tag our Strava group in their experiences or activities, signaling to the world they're associated with us. I believe having a club on the platform has been really interesting."

In-app Connections

As the club expanded its reach, organizers recognized the importance of ensuring members continued to have a positive and impactful experience through social connections. Strava's in-app messaging feature became instrumental in maintaining these connections, allowing members to stay engaged beyond the physical meetups.

Tori Faust, a dedicated Endorphins Running member in Philadelphia, underscores Strava's role as the "glue" that binds the community together. "The group run feature is critical for finding the new friends you made on each run, and scrolling through Strava each day is such a positivity boost to see all the Endorphins members giving Kudos, commenting, and cheering on our peers. Strava is where community is built," she declares, emphasizing the platform's group-run feature as pivotal for forging new connections.

Tyler further emphasizes the significance of one-on-one communication within Strava, citing the platform's messaging feature as more intimate and personal. "It allows for lasting connection outside of the group experience, and I think that's really powerful for both the platform and my members," he states. Members often exchange Strava profiles after runs, prioritizing staying connected through shared interests in positivity, happiness, movement, and a healthy lifestyle.

Onwards and upwards

The club's commitment to meaningful connections extends beyond the virtual realm, with regular fun run meetups and seamless in-app communication complementing their extensive use of Strava. Tyler outlines their overarching mission: "Our mission is bringing people together around the shared interests of positivity, happiness, movement, exercise, and loving a happy and healthy lifestyle." This mission underpins the ethos of Endorphins Running, propelling them not only towards fostering a robust local community but also towards building a formidable Strava presence.

Looking forward, Tyler envisions the Endorphins Running impacting a million people in the next three to five years. Given their current trajectory, marked by explosive growth and a strong presence on Strava, the club is well on its way to realizing this ambitious goal. The combination of strategic social media utilization, engaging events, and the unique connections facilitated by Strava positions Endorphins Running as a beacon of success in the realm of running clubs.