The 5 Benefits of Community Running
You’ve heard the saying ‘strength in numbers’, but why is it worthwhile running with others? Let's take a look at the benefits of community running.

Published: 19 July 2021. Written by: Jonathan Kibble, Vitality PT and Head of Exercise & Physical Activity.
You’ve heard the saying ‘strength in numbers’, but why is it worthwhile running with others? Let's take a look at the benefits of community running.1. Motivation & commitment
It’s far too easy to come up with excuses to give one of your runs a miss…’I’m too tired’, ‘I had a busy day’, ‘It’s raining’, ‘I’ll rest and come back stronger tomorrow’. Having a group or friend that’s expecting you to show up will help keep you accountable when those excuses start to show up. We rarely regret exercising once we’ve done it, but it’s the getting those trainers on and stepping outside that’s often the hardest step (pun intended). The community aspect of joining others encourages you to get out the door with like-minded people and not miss a session.2. Boost your mood

3. Building the habit
Habits take time to build. One of the best ways to start building your running habit is to have a structured plan as to when you’re going to train rather than just running when you feel like it. Running with a friend, or group, is a great way to proactively plan your running. Groups will often meet on certain days to run. For example, parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9am in the UK. What better way to start building a new habit than to commit to joining a club, group, or friend on a run.4. Push yourself
Hitting a new PB is something the majority of us will strive for once we’ve caught the running bug. Completing a 5k or 10k PB on your own can be pretty tough and requires incredible effort and determination. If you’ve ever run at an event such as the Vitality 10k, you’ll have experienced that running alongside and around others has a huge impact on your own motivation, and therefore likelihood of performing well. Research has shown that working alongside and/or with others increases our levels of motivation and as a result, how long and hard we exercise for.5. Build bonds

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