As they swap late nights for early runs, young Gen Z runners share their motivations for getting fit in an increasingly anxious digital world.
“Doomscrolling is out, movement is in,” says Strava, the popular San Francisco-based app that helps people to track and share their fitness kicks.
The app has had a meteoric rise over the last three years, as wellness culture has taken off across social media. Founders Michael Horvath and Mark Gainey created it back in 2009, but have watched as Gen Z has brought a new life to fitness.
In a message from their co-founders, they ask, “How can we motivate? Through progress, friendships, support and knowledge — whether you move by yourself or in a group; whether you’re local or connecting through a shared passion with friends on the other side of the world.”
Strava has been one branch of the fitness and running trends that have exploded across the internet. In their 2025 annual report, Strava found that: “Running remains the top sport on Strava, with racing on the rise. Gen Z is 75% more likely than Gen X to say their main motivation for exercise is a race or event.”
The data also reinforced another part of Gen Z’s priorities, finding that: “Gen Z’s dating (and spending) priorities are clear. 64% said they’d rather spend money on gear than a date, and 39% more Gen Z than Gen X use fitness to meet people who share their interests. When it comes to workout first dates, 46% of respondents say ‘heck yes’ while 31% give it a ‘hard pass’.
So the question is, why? Why has Gen Z shifted focus to fitness and running, over drinking and dating?
Speaking with different Gen Z adults, who have all found running as their favourite fitness fix, answers vary.
Kiki Burke completed the London Marathon in April 2025, a huge milestone for any runner, especially a 20-year-old who had only started training a few months before.
For Kiki, her decision to take up running came after a particularly difficult break-up. To regain some control in her life and have a clear focus, she began training for the marathon.
“I always quote this, probably about once a day – ‘I can do hard things’. You really can, especially after running a marathon.”
Like other Gen Z fitness fiends, Kiki has seen a rise in wellness culture on social media, partly a reason why she first got into running. Training tips, workout splits and protein smoothie recipes are inescapable most days, so it isn’t unusual that Gen Z scrollers get hooked.
“[Social media] definitely was an inspiration. I would search up how to get over a breakup or how to overcome the depression and anxiety that comes with a breakup. It was all running, exercise, etc. My dad had also done it in the past, so he was also a huge part of it,
“I definitely think on [social media], the macro trend of wellness has become this huge thing, and it has been for a while. The whole ‘clean girl aesthetic’ and [things] like that. The micro trends within being skincare, running, exercising, gym rats, stuff like that. I think running is definitely part of [all] that and has been a huge part of making it a macro trend.”
Wellness and fitness, as mentioned, have become an inescapable part of Gen Z’s lives. The recent UK Health & Fitness Market Report 2025 found that people aged 25-34 years old are the most likely to have a gym membership, followed by 16-24 year-olds.
For Kiki, she found a release and a positive outcome from her journey into the fitness and health world. But she is cautiously aware of how much Gen Z are prioritising fitness.
“I think Gen Z has become a lot more hyper-aware, a lot more anxious about certain things. [Of course] I do think it has positives, in terms of mental health, and I do think it does do great things. [But] I’m very 50-50,
“I just think health and wellness really need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Obviously, you want to be your best version of yourself, but [when] doing that, be careful and [try] not pressure yourself or make yourself do anything you don’t want to do.”
For Philip and Freddie, young Gen Z runners, they have both found connection and community through the hobby. As a way to clear their minds and have some fresh air, running together has become a healthy pastime.
“I find that the world around me, for that hour run, disappears and lets me reach a level of peace and focus and dedication that is otherwise unattainable in normal life,” Philip explained.
“Doing something such as running [definitely] improves my daily life as well. Having a habitual sport, such as running, means that it helps you become a habitual person and establish those good habits in life.”
The pair have found that having a partner to run alongside keeps them motivated: “I like the relationship you build and understanding of each other’s limits while also having competition with each other,” Freddie noted.
Philip agreed, also noting the healthy competition it brings: “I find that running with one close friend consistently helps me in both my resiliency while running, but my resilience to get out and go. Having a friend to run with brings another level of encouragement and competition between the both of you and leads to longer, better and more rewarding runs.”
Another trend that has been created by apps like Strava and the increase in running has been running clubs. For reasons similar to Philip and Freddie, running clubs encourage community, motivation, and, for Gen Z, have also been a means of meeting romantic prospects.
Despite Gen Z no longer prioritising dating, they have found a way to merge fitness and romance.
According to Vice, ‘Running Clubs Are The New Dating Apps’. The more laid-back and casual approach to running clubs means that you avoid “awkward first-date wardrobe decisions”, the fear of ghosting, or “swiping through bios where someone’s only personality trait is loves the gym and crypto.”
So far, neither Philip nor Freddie has ventured into romantic running endeavours, but have not ruled out running clubs altogether.
“I believe I would join a club. Joining a club for me would be a place to meet new people and extend your social barriers. However, [my issue is] I may struggle to consistently show face as I have a [varied] schedule and have to fit running in around my [free] days,” Philip said.
For Freddie, he began his running hobby through a college-running club: “I am a big believer in clubs. I was part of one before, and it kept me motivated. It got me into running, but now I prefer having the freedom to control my own schedule.”
The consensus does seem to be that running is both a healthy and rewarding fitness hobby that has developed into a community-based activity through this new generation.
With a constantly growing rise in anxiety and depression among Gen Z, with the Employee Benefit Trends Study for 2025 finding that “46% of Gen Z respondents said they were feeling stressed, versus the 35% reported by employees of other generations,” it is definitely a positive that health is being prioritised.
Regardless of the reasons people are drawn to running and fitness, if it encourages community and personal growth, it is definitely a positive thing.
In the end, fitness teaches a simple truth, as Kiki said: “You can do hard things.”
Feature image by Ben Stern via Unsplash.