Run Clubs Are The New Nightclubs: How Gen Z Is Rewriting The Weekend

What activewear, acai bowls, and run clubs reveal about the future of work, wellness, and connection.

If you’re out for a coffee on a Saturday morning, you’ll notice fewer young people in heels limping home from last night’s party, and more of them in matching activewear, smoothies in hand, fresh from their local run club.

Gen Z is officially trading the nightclub for the run club.

Amaretto sours are being replaced with acai bowls. Dresses and stilettos swapped for lycra and Hokas. This isn’t just a health trend, it’s a generational shift that’s reshaping how young people spend their time, money, and social energy.

The Fall of the Nightclub

Nightlife, long considered a rite of passage for young people, has been in steady decline for a number of years now. In the UK, the number of nightclubs has halved since 2005. Here in Australia, nightclub revenue has dropped 10.2% between 2019 and 2024. While COVID-19 dealt an early blow, other factors have made it difficult for the industry to bounce back. 

Younger generations are drinking less than their predecessors, and many are opting out of late-night partying entirely. A recent DrinkWise survey found that 76% of young Australians prefer to socialise in ways that don’t involve alcohol. Two-thirds said that it’s because they want to avoid the hangovers so they can make the most of their next day.

Add to that the pressure of rising living costs, and the average night out starts to feel more like a financial burden than a good time. Sydney has now been named the second most unaffordable city in the world, and more than a quarter of the world’s ‘impossibly unaffordable’ cities are in Australia. With many Gen Zs still living at home, or sacrificing basic comforts to keep up with rent, dropping $200 on a big night out just doesn’t make sense anymore.

The Rise Of The Run Club

At the same time, Gen Z is embracing a new way to spend their weekends. One that’s healthy, social, and affordable. Enter: the run club. For many young Australians, this simple activity offers the perfect mix of movement, mateship, and meaning. It’s a wellness habit and a social ritual wrapped into one.

In Rockhampton, Queensland, locals gather each Wednesday for Run and Rump, a running club that meets at a different pub each week, completes a 5km loop, and then sits down for a hearty steak.

In Brisbane, Soso’s Run Club has become a fixture of inner-city life, with hundreds turning up to run, socialise, and connect, followed by a post run coffee and acai bowl. With hundreds of runners joining each week, their Instagram following has grown to nearly 30,000.

In Sydney, Unofficial Run Club has gone viral since launching in 2023, amassing more than 55,000 followers. The appeal? Their founders credit that to the ‘croissant component’ that awaits participants at the end of their run.

And this isn’t just happening on the fringe. City-wide running events are seeing unprecedented interest. The Gold Coast and Sydney Marathons both sold out months in advance in 2024. The iconic City2Surf run in Sydney welcomed 90,000 participants this year, selling out for the first time in its 53-year history. Remarkably, more than half of those runners were participating for the first time, and around 10% of all participants reported being members of a local run club. That’s around 9,000 Sydneysiders turning up thanks to their running crew.

Gen Zs Wellness Rebrand 

This cultural shift is also backed by research. According to McKinsey’s Future of Wellness report, 56% of Gen Z consumers say that fitness is a “very high priority”, more than any other generation. The same report found that Gen Z and Millennials are purchasing more wellness-related products and services than their older counterparts, investing heavily in everything from mindfulness apps to plant-based nutrition.

The running boom is also mirrored in digital spaces. Strava, the world’s largest fitness tracking app, reported a 59% increase in run club participation in its 2024 Year in Sport report. They even declared that “run clubs are replacing nightclubs as social hot spots.” On TikTok, FitTok, a community where users share workouts, healthy recipes, and wellness routines,  has amassed over 64 billion views.

But it’s not just about the health benefits. At its core, this trend is about connection. Fitness is becoming one of Gen Z’s preferred ways to meet people and build relationships. Strava’s Year In Sport Report also found that 58% of users had made new friends through group exercise, and nearly one in five Gen Zs had gone on a date with someone they met through fitness. Gen Zs were also four times more likely to want to meet people through working out than through bars or clubs. The social fabric once woven in smoky dance floors is now being stitched together on pre-dawn jogs and post-run brunches.

Rethinking Work, Culture, and Connection

So, what does this all mean for organisations, employers, and marketers hoping to engage this generation of consumers and employees?

For starters, it’s a wake-up call. The assumption that young people want to connect over drinks and late-night events is rapidly becoming outdated. If brands and workplaces want to remain relevant, they’ll need to rethink how they’re building community and offering value to Gen Z audiences.

We’re already seeing this shift in the market. Hotels are expanding their wellness offerings and gym spaces to appeal to younger travellers. Tourism operators are designing nature-based experiences like forest bathing, fruit harvesting, and plant-based cooking classes to meet rising demand. And businesses are reworking employee perks, with wellness stipends, mental health resources, and gym memberships taking the place of Friday evening bar tabs.

This generational shift isn’t about rejecting fun, it’s about redefining it. In an era of economic pressure, digital burnout, and post-pandemic reset, Gen Z is choosing a lifestyle that feels good now and later. They want to feel connected, energised, and aligned; not hungover and out of pocket.

Evening Wear Is Out. Activewear Is In.

As nightclub doors continue to close and run club memberships keep rising, one thing is clear: Gen Z isn’t just working differently. They’re living differently.

The next generation of consumers and employees is choosing purpose over party, and wellness over nightlife.

So whether you’re a brand, business, or boss, the question is no longer “How do we sell to this generation?”

It’s: Are you ready to run with them?

About The Author

Scott Millar is a business leader, keynote speaker, and generational consultant on a mission to help organisations navigate the ever-changing future of work. Launching his business in early high school, Scott has spent the past 10 years working with young professionals and business leaders around the world to explore how technology and innovation are changing the way we live, work, and learn. 

To find out more about Scott and to book him to speak at your next event, head to: www.iamscottmillar.com/speaking