Running isn’t new, and marathons used to be a once-a-year spectacle where the city cheered from the sidelines. Fast forward to today, and Singapore’s running scene looks very different.
Run clubs are sprouting islandwide, millennials and Gen Zs are lacing up to pound the pavements, and feeds are flooded with squiggly Strava maps, sweaty post-run selfies, and proud finish-line grins. The stats don’t lie either—the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) has grown from 5,000 runners in 2009 to a record-breaking participation of over 55,000 in 2024. What was once just a sport is now a cultural movement, one that says as much about happiness as it does about fitness. This begs the question: why is everyone suddenly so obsessed with running?
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Run Clubs: The New Social Platform to Lace Up for Connection
The answer starts small—with run clubs. For millennials and Gen Z, running isn’t just about pounding pavements alone. Sure, the endorphins give them that feel-good runner’s high, but what really makes them lace up again and again is the community. Running solo can feel like a chore, but with a crew, it becomes a refreshingly social ritual: mid-run chats, post-run coffees, celebrating new personal records with like-minded friends, and even finding role models who show what’s possible.
What makes Singapore’s run clubs tick is that they’re never one-size-fits all. Running Department is the giant volunteer-run community offering free programmes and pacers for major races like SCSM. Happy Pace Club keeps it a happy place for female-only runners, where it’s all sisterhood and support. Easy Pace* Run Club is the go-to to sweat it out when life’s tough. They take their pace slow and easy, perfect for those who prefer a no-pressure vibe over hardcore training. And Fast and Free Running Club serves up two flavours: Toasted Thursdays for high-intensity interval runs, and Saturday Kaya Runs for longer, social runs.
Within each club, there are also all kinds of runners at different paces—from casual joggers easing into their first 5K to competitive sprinters chasing personal bests. Each moves at their own stride, but it’s the camaraderie that keeps everyone going, lifts them through slumps, and pushes them further than they could alone.
For a generation wired on digital connections but starved of real ones, run clubs are the new kind of social platform—except this time, they actually leave the house. And in many ways, it’s less about the mileage and more about meaningful connections. That sense of belonging becomes its own language of happiness, going beyond the run and its obvious gains into something more holistic.
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Marathons: The Rite of Passage to Chase Meaning & Charge Towards Growth
If run clubs are the social platform, marathons are the rite of passage for twenty- and thirty-somethings on a perpetual quest for meaning. Marathons have become a way for them to carve out purpose and move forward in an age of uncertainty, when life milestones feel just out of reach. For those who feel left behind in the race of life, running can feel like the secret to staving off the fear of not achieving fast enough and springing back on track.
Marathons offer a sense of accomplishment with a clear goal to chase and a finish line that’s far more tangible than the unknowns life throws their way. Here, they don’t need to be the fastest to feel accomplished; they just need to finish. No one dictates their pace, and the only person they compete with is themselves. Whether it’s completing the first 10K or beating a personal best, each accomplishment gives meaning to effort. Being able to say they ran a marathon is already a huge feat. Especially for first-timers, that finish line represents more than just crossing it; it’s a lesson in self-acceptance that, on some days, simply finishing is a win in itself.
Marathons also put life into perspective. By design, there are no shortcuts to training for a race. It’s a step-by-step process. Runners build their mileage bit by bit before tackling the longer, harder runs. It’s the consistency that builds endurance. Every session they show up for pushes their limits and teaches them the grit to keep going. Each race becomes a reminder of the progress that got them to where they are, a test of how much further they can go, and proof they can outrun the version of themselves that said they couldn’t.
So the pull of running goes deeper than post-marathon victory poses and shiny medals to flex on social feeds. That kind of happiness is fleeting, but the fulfilment from the purpose running gives and the lessons each run teaches them about growth—that’s what lasts.
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Running: The Journey Towards Happiness Beyond the Finish Line
Running has grown beyond fitness. It’s now a culture, a language of happiness. And that’s why everyone is joining run clubs and marathons lately. So the better question is: why not you? Running is more than the miles you clock—it’s about lacing up with your crew, chasing meaning on the move, and charging towards a better version of yourself, giving you even more reasons to smile.
If you’re into connecting with people, seeking meaning, bettering yourself, and discovering happiness, The Market Society speaks your language. Check out our page at @themarketsociety.