Finding a hobby: Run club

Within the climbing world, bouldering is the discipline that has taken off. Without the harnesses and ropes needed in other forms of climbing, all you need is a wall or rock formation to scale and a pair of climbing shoes.

The growth of the sport in Wellington has seen the opening of Faultline, a specialist bouldering gym, where I’ve been climbing for the last few weeks with a couple of mates to see what this bouldering caper is all about.

“But that doesn’t make any sense,” I point out. “How will you meet men if the club is only for women?” 

“I know,” replies Brodie.  “That’s exactly what my mum said.”

The group kicked off in April, with weekly meet-ups in Milford, Auckland at 6.15 every Tuesday morning and evening. The first morning around 20 single women turned up, and 30 on the first evening, but after posting photos of the event on social media, Brodie was flooded with requests from not-so-single women also keen to join. Now they’ve got around 100 regulars and 800 people following them on Facebook.

“We realised there were all these women out there who wanted to run, but didn’t feel safe running alone, so we opened it up to all women, and that’s our kaupapa now. The Solo Girls Run Club is a safe place where all women, single or not, can come and connect, run, walk and yarn.”

I opted for the early morning shift, pulling into the Milford Beach car park as the sun came up behind Rangitoto. Getting up at 5.15 was a struggle, but that crimson pink sky made it well worth the effort.

After a few group stretches and warm up lunges we were off, galloping through the streets of Milford. My fear of not being fast enough quickly dissipated – this is a club where everybody runs at their own pace and thanks to their ‘20 minutes out, 20 minutes back’ philosophy, everyone finishes at the same time. Noone cares whether you’ve clocked up six kilometres or seven, and there are no winners or losers, just a bunch of energetic and friendly women getting together to do something they love.

“This is a club for everyone, with a range of ages and running speeds,” says Kris. “Sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed on a Tuesday morning, but once you get here it’s such an awesome vibe. You get to talk to all sorts of amazing women, have some great chats while you’re running, and you’re always buzzing afterwards.”

She’s not wrong. I’m blown away by how friendly everyone is and, as I fall into step beside Solo Girls Run Clubber Safra Bacchus, I gain even more of an insight into what makes run clubs such a hit, even if you’re not looking for love.

“The safety of early morning running with other people is a big drawcard for me,” says Safra. “Plus running in a group makes me push myself and keeps me honest. It’s also just great being around other women who enjoy running!”

I can’t argue. I’ve been running for 15 years by myself, but surprisingly I’m getting a real kick out of the camaraderie.

“We have people who didn’t know each other before and now they’re getting together for weekend runs and meeting up to do running events,” says Brodie, who was one of the 50 Solo Girls Run Clubbers who teamed up for the recent Auckland Marathon.

“It’s really been about building a like-minded community. I feel like we lost a bit of human connection during Covid. Some of these people you only see on a Tuesday, but they’re part of your world now. They are another strand of friendship.”

Fitness, friendship and fun? I can’t think of a better reason to lace up those running shoes.

^{Story by Vanessa Trethewey for the Summer 2024 issue of AA Directions Magazine. Vanessa Trethewey is a freelance writer who regularly contributes to AA Directions magazine.}