Inside San Diego's massively popular Pacific Beach Run Club

Flashback: Organizer Todd Barnet has always been a runner, and moved to San Diego on March 13, 2020, looking for friends and community.

• COVID had other plans, and by that October, he was even more ready to gather with other runners.

"I wanted to create something that was accessible and that didn't revolve around drinking," he told Axios.

By the numbers: He started with a group of 10. After a year, he had around 80.

• Now club meetings bring out 600 to 700 people in the summer, he said.

How it works: Barnet said he doesn't pay for Instagram ads, but has built a social media following by posting magazine-worthy photos of the group.

• "I run around with a camera that's probably too expensive to run around with, taking photos every run and share those at the end of every run," he said.
• He also makes the photos downloadable so runners can share on their own social media.
• And he has every new runner pose for a portrait—before they get sweaty.

Inside the group: Runners are mostly in their 20s and 30s, but older runners certainly join, too.

• "Maybe they're local and all their friends have moved away, and they're trying to find a new friend group," Barnet said. "Maybe they just moved across the country."

"When you move to San Diego and you're looking for a place to meet people, the default recommendation has become PB Run Club in a lot of circles," he said. "I think that largely is because so many people have successfully come to Run Club and made a lot of their lifelong friends."

• Plus, a handful of engagements and marriages, he said.

On a recent Wednesday, Cynthia Morin was checking out the group for the first time.

• She'd only been living in San Diego for two weeks and saw the posts on Instagram.
• "It just seemed like a way to meet people," she said. "Plus I've been doing a lot of weights and want to do more cardio. It seemed like if we're all running together, my chances of doing it are a lot higher."

💭 Claire's thought bubble: I also joined the group for a 3-mile run (and felt quite old). They all run as one massive pack, with guides along the sides keeping people together. Every mile, they stop for a few minutes to let the stragglers catch up.

• One guy wears a big speaker on his back, blasting music the whole time.
• It was definitely not what I'm used to, but I have to admit running in what felt like a tidal wave was pretty fun.

This is all by design, Barnet said. Instead of the group splintering off into faster and slower runners, this method forces you to make friends.

• And the musical accompaniment gets you to take off your headphones.
• "Our saying is we're a social club that likes to run," he said.