Helping urbanites pause screen-time, this fitness institution is good for the soul
It’s an early, blue-skied morning in London’s Battersea Park. March, with its accompanying greenery and blossom has arrived, but the spring air still bears the chill of winter.
Figures pass along the paths, but in the heart of the park a more communal activity is taking place. Outside the Millennium Arena, a group of working age adults are out at a time when most of their peers are still in bed, but why? Because they are the Clapham Chasers, or the ‘Chasers’ as they are affectionately known by fellow members, a 1,500 strong running and triathlon club in South-West London with a distinctly social element.
One runner, from a rowing background, joined to meet people after relocating from Australia. They are working from home today and think of this morning run as their cherished social time. Another, who has also moved to London from elsewhere, says all their friends in London are Chasers.
Then they’re off, bright trainers a blur as they pound away.
The rise of running clubs
The scene this morning is part of a wider trend. Last year saw a 59% increase in running club participation globally, according to a new report by Strava. The social allure of group fitness is why Rob Ellis joined in 2020. Having moved to London to work in hospitality and a little out of contact with university friends, he came across the club online: “I was looking to try and meet new people. I also wanted to get back to a bit of fitness.” Five years on and his quest to “meet like-minded people” has worked. Not only a long-term member, he sits on the committee as membership secretary. “I wanted to give back to the club because it’s given me a good crop of friends that I spend probably most of my time with.”
There’s a lot of time to spend with fellow Chasers if members so wish. From £25 per year they can get involved in everything from a Team 10K running programme to triathlon sessions. Weekly events include high intensity track-based run sessions at Battersea Park Millennium Arena, to relaxed social-style runs in Trinity Fields, Wandsworth. Regular cycle and swim meets are on the agenda too.
The club’s ‘social, inclusive, ambitious’ mission statement rings true in the way they organise their non-exercise events. There’s a newcomers’ social, a dressier awards evening around Christmas which enables Chasers to ditch the trainers, and even a sports day in the summer. “A big aspect is social,” Ellis confirms.
Ellis speaks with many people about why they want to join the Chasers. While a number are marathon focused, a majority have “just moved to London and want to meet new people,” a social desire likely rooted in London’s hybrid work culture.
The home of hybrid
In 2023, 60% of London’s workforce reported working from home at least one day a week, according to the ONS. A 2024 report from research unit Centre for Cities and software firm FocalData found that London’s office attendance rate fell behind other global capitals including Paris and New York at just 2.7 days per week.
If London’s offices are no longer the social hubs they were pre-pandemic, it makes sense that fitness-aware Londoners, especially if they are new to a job and the city, are looking to connect via running clubs. Add to this the feelings of isolation and lower wellbeing that remote work can cause employees, and it’s easy to see why a solo run or gym session could be a solitary activity too far.
Antonio Capasso, Sport Psychology Consultant at Mindframe Performance, believes that hybrid work has made running clubs more accessible. “People are looking for ways to get that social side of life and being hybrid allows you to have access to these communities because you know that you’re going to finish work at a certain time, and you know your commute time. Whereas, if you’re at the office you could end up getting caught up with things and not make the run.”
A majority of new Chasers may be individuals, but friendship groups including housemates and “fully formed” couples also feature. The club has even forged some relationships of its own, including “a few Chaser babies.” For those already with established friendship groups, the Chasers offer the chance to expand social horizons as “it can be quite difficult to meet new people” in adulthood, confesses Ellis. With friendships shifting gears throughout life, the Chasers allow social seekers the chance to constantly meet new people: “We have people joining pretty much every day.” It’s unlikely that your average small-to-medium workplace could replicate such a high rate of new starts.
A mental health booster
The runs offer members co-counselling. “You are talking to like-minded people, you can hear other people’s problems and everything else they’ve been up to.” For more targeted support, they can turn to the club’s welfare officers via email or physically at sessions. “With the potential isolation of remote working it can be difficult,” Ellis acknowledges. “People don’t necessarily want to go to their HR.”
Having recently celebrated half a decade as a member, Ellis alone is an example of the loyalty people have to the club. Member retention, he reflects, is solid: “We generally see people for at least a couple of years, two-to-three years, and then beyond as well.” Ellis says a few have moved as far as Australia and still retain their membership “which shows that we’re doing something right,” he chuckles.
Ellis concludes by jokingly calling clubs like the Chasers part of an early “mid life crisis” of the modern age. “When you’re turning 30 you’re either getting married, having kids or you’re joining a running club.”
Well, if you’re going to have a ‘mid life crisis’, better to pick one that is good for your body, mind and soul.
Annie May Byrne Noonan 
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