Gen Z is turning run clubs into social spaces in DSM
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Members of 515 Run Club at Gray's Lake. Photo: Courtesy of Neek Robinson
Step aside, nightclubs — the cool kids are lacing up and heading to run clubs instead.
The big picture: Social running is having a moment, especially among people in their 20s and 30s — driven by young people craving healthier, more analog social experiences.
Driving the news: Running has always been a part of Des Moines' culture (just look at the Drake Relays), but the last few years have marked a shift, says Michael Zimmerman, owner of RipRoar, which hosts Dam to DSM and the Turkey Trot.
- Where run clubs once centered on training goals and people were "one and done" after finishing a race, Zimmerman says, the next generation of runners is driven more by social connection.
Case in point: Next week, RipRoar hosts the Des Moines Girl 5K and the Des Moines Women's Half Marathon — both social events with things such as a braid bar, facials and wine.
- The half marathon has sold out for the first time in a decade, with 1,250 participants, up 75% from last year, with the biggest growth among women ages 18–24.
- And Dam to DSM saw a rise this year, particularly among 18- to 34-year-old participants, he says.
Zoom in: For triathlete Val Ruby, burnout was the catalyst for launching Gratitude Running in 2023.
- After years of logging long solo training hours for Ironman competitions, Ruby was losing the joy in it. She started the weekly 3-mile run/walk group, for whom each mile is a prompt to slow down and focus on something to be grateful for.
- "I can run hard and fast all alone any day of the week," Ruby says. "But Saturdays at 8am — that's my time to enjoy it with other people."
Neek Robinson, 27, co-founded 515 Run Club with a few friends. Thanks to its popular Instagram, the group now draws 130–200 people to its 2-mile runs.
- Robinson brings his point-and-shoot camera, shooting dreamy black-and-white photos of the group and romanticizing common landmarks like Gray's Lake and the Women of Achievement Bridge.
- Those vintage-esque photos and the purpose behind the club help draw out some nostalgia in young adults, who are craving hanging out with friends for hours without their phones.
- "That's ultimately what me and the other leaders of the 515 Run Club are wanting to do is, create a third space for people to just show up and come as they are," he says.
What's next: In trying to seize the moment, RipRoar is launching a new event in June: The Night Run, which routes through downtown's back alleys, parking garages and a viaduct after dark.
- The goal is to replicate the energy of a night out, but with the running community.
- "We wanted something gritty and urban that represented Des Moines," Zimmerman says.
