By Cara Waters
Every Wednesday evening, a group of women meets at Albert Park to run.
The pace is easy and relaxed and the emphasis is more on conversation and connection than speed or distance.
Ebony Clarke, Brittany de Groot and Dominique Holland are part of all women running group Flow State.Credit: Simon Schluter
“We spend more time hanging out after the run than we do running,” Brittany De Groot says. “There is no ego, we won’t race off and leave someone behind. There is a real sense of camaraderie. If we need to stop, we stop; if someone wants a drink, that’s fine.”
De Groot works in the music industry and started the all-women running group, called Flow State, a year ago after taking up running during the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.
“I think everyone was seeking connection in COVID and running was a good way to exercise while having a chat within the rules,” she says.
After their run, the women debrief over a non-alcoholic beer or soft drink and have dinner together monthly.
Running groups have popped up all over Melbourne. Credit: Simon Schluter
Flow State is one of many running groups that have popped up in Melbourne after a surge of interest following the pandemic.
The groups are free to join and often organise through social media platforms such as Instagram.
Photographer and filmmaker Ben Clement is an organiser of the AM:PM Running Crew which meets in the CBD and Clifton Hill twice a week, with 15 to 20 people turning up for each run.
“Running was booming already, and we see post-COVID it has gone through a second boom with an uptake of new groups and crews,” he says. “It is definitely a global movement with hundreds of crews around the world putting a new spin on running.”
The AM:PM Running Crew all have coffee together after morning sessions.Credit: Ben Clement
Clement says there are so many running groups in Melbourne, someone could easily join a different group every night of the week.
The AM:PM Running Crew have coffee after morning sessions and Clement says a big part of the group is the social element.
“We party together, we go on holidays together, we eat food together, there are a lot of things we do outside of running – running is the thread that brings us together,” he says. “The new groups are not as stiff as the old clubs, they are welcoming and more social with less stress around club fees and things like that.”
The uptick in popularity of running groups is driving entries to the Melbourne Marathon, being held on Sunday.
From left: Andrés Noé, Jamie Kavanagh, Xavier Watson, Sean Marshall, Conor Dillon, Tess Marks, Luke Moran, Montana Ferguson, Kelsey Dubar are part of the AM:PM Running Crew. Credit: Ben Clement
The race sold out months ago and event director Marcus Gale described the demand for entries as unprecedented.
The full marathon, which has 9500 runners, sold out for the first time. The half-marathon, with 12,000 runners, also sold out, as has the 10-kilometre race, with 11,000 runners, and the five-kilometre race with 5000 runners.
A waiting list has 17,000 people who missed out and want to participate.
“We have never seen these sorts of numbers before,” Gale says. “Running was one of the beneficiaries of COVID as people couldn’t do much else, so they got out and exercised.”
According to a report by Nielsen Sports published in 2021, 13 per cent of all surveyed runners began during the pandemic.
Campbell Moffatt is a teacher who has been leading running group Love The Run out of Clifton Hill on Tuesday nights and Friday mornings for 15 years.
The group has resulted in one marriage with a couple of kids, several couples and many friendships.
“It’s people with similar interests and in some ways you are at your rawest when you are running. It’s just you, there is no facade or pretences put up,” Moffatt says.
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