In just a year, young Tampa Bay newcomers have taken the Pinellas Run Club from a group of seven friends and family into a diverse swarm of around 150 taking over St. Petersburg twice a week.

The big picture: Tech is failing the loneliness crisis, so Gen Z is turning to old-fashioned sweat and shoelaces.

• Running is lapping other sports across fitness trackers, and Gen Z is setting the pace.

What they're saying: "When you sweat with someone you build another type of relationship than if you were to just go grab coffee or a beer," Brent Thomas, who runs the club with his wife, Brandy, told Axios.

How it works: Pinellas Run Club meets at a different spot — usually a brewery — every Thursday at 6:30pm. After finishing the 1-, 2- or 3-mile route, a sweaty happy hour commences. Dogs and kids are welcome.

• Saturday runs were just added to accommodate the group's growth and those who want longer routes, with 3-, 5- or 8-mile options available.
• The group even trots through rain and extreme heat, and any updates get posted to Instagram.

Between the laces: The club has helped make friends for some, and more than friends for others.

• Joining the club was the first thing Caleb Miller, 27, and Shelby Noble, 26, did when each moved to St. Pete last year.
• The couple met at the post-run happy hour and have been dating and running together since.

By the numbers: 84% of Strava users tell the fitness tracker company their No. 1 reason for exercising is social connection.

• Gen Z is 29% more likely than millennials to work out with another person at least some of the time.

💭 Analis' thought bubble

Before Biden dropped out, Florida swing voters told Axios they were open to Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

Why it matters: In our June focus group with Engagious/Sago, nine of 13 participants — who voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020 — said they would vote for Harris if she were picked to run against Trump and other candidates on the ballot.

• While a focus group is not a statistically significant sample like a poll, the responses show how some voters are thinking and talking about current events.
• The group included five Democrats, three Republicans and five independents.

What they're saying: "I just haven't seen her around as much in the four years of being vice president, but I mean, it can't be worse than the other option," said participant Marie C., referring to former President Trump.

Zoom in: Some Florida swing voters said they would support Harris because of the opportunity to make history if she won the White House.

🏗️ The Morean Arts Center in St. Pete plans to demolish its Central Avenue home to make way for a new 5-story building with more gallery space, offices, parking, and an expanded Chihuly collection. (St. Pete Rising)

⚾️ Rays shortstop Taylor Walls made what some fans interpreted as a pro-Trump gesture during Sunday's game, pumping his fist and mouthing "fight, fight," similar to the former president's actions after a July 13 assassination attempt. (Tampa Bay Times)

🅿️ Parking at Sunset Beach's side street in Treasure Island will no longer be free starting next Monday. (WTSP)

Pets need to hurricane prep too.

Why it matters: Many pets died or went missing after Hurricane Ian slammed Florida in 2022.

• We're still in what forecasters predicted to be a hyperactive season.

Driving the news: Pet Disaster Alert, a free disaster relief plan for pets, launched in Florida today.

• The plan, which includes a smart tag, is offered by nonprofit animal rescue Flew The Coop and pet-collar tech company FidoAlert.

How it works: Pet owners who register for the plan get preemptive guidance before storms including locations of pet-friendly shelters, a "Pet Prep Playbook," and real-time SMS text message alerts during storms with resources for people and pets.

• They also get a free pet tag engraved with the animal's name and a unique pet ID number, which links the pet to FidoAlert's national database to assist in reuniting lost pets with their owners.
• If a pet is lost, a text alert can be sent to every member of the alert network within a few miles.
• Someone who finds a pet can scan the tag's QR code, automatically contacting the pet parent and their emergency contacts.

Share with a furry friend

University of Florida is among the country's powerhouses for making Olympian swimmers, and one of its best is going for the gold.

State of splash: An Axios analysis found that more than half of the athletes who have swum for the U.S. Olympics team and attended college hailed from the same eight schools.

Why it matters: Swimming has won the U.S. the most Olympic medals in the last seven games, and a quarter of all medals historically.

• The U.S. swim team currently holds three times as many medals as any other country's team.

Zoom in: Katie Ledecky, who has the most gold medals of any female swimmer in history, started at Stanford and now trains at UF.

What's next: She'll compete in the 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyle races beginning on July 30. She could add three medals to her record.

Just keep swimming