While we don’t advocate joining a running group just to scope out potential babes to date, there’s no escaping the fact that a shared love of running has brought together countless couples. Many people join run clubs to get fit and socialize, with a secret hope that they might meet some romantic prospects. One running group—Cooldown Running—is making that aim a bit more explicit, and has begun hosting “singles night” events for their members to mix and mingle over easy miles.
“At its core, Cooldown is a social club disguised as a running/walking club,” co-founder Daniel Belk told Runner’s World by email. “With this being the MO, I think it naturally became a place for people to meet and start dating. It’s way more natural to meet someone at Cooldown than to meet them on the apps then go have two margaritas and job interview with that person.”
The running group has been the meeting place of at least 10 relationships, many of which have already celebrated their six-month anniversary.
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Belk and Bailey Ness, former collegiate runners, started Cooldown Running in Denver in September 2022, as a casual running group for all ability levels. They encourage people to walk or run at whatever pace is comfortable, and every run ends with drinks and socializing. Part of the reason they started the club, Belk says, is that many people find it difficult to make new friends after college. Cooldown gives people a framework for plugging into a community, and the pair have tried to make it a welcoming space that isn’t intimidating.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re fast or slow, you’re invited to Cooldown,” Ness said in a recent interview with Fox 31. Their group in Denver has now swelled to 200 to 300 runners who show up on a weekly basis, and they’ve since expanded to Charlotte, Austin, and New York City.
Single runners at Cooldown started requesting a singles-specific event, so Belk says, “We decided to give the people what they wanted!”
Last week, the group hosted its inaugural singles night called “Too Cool To Handle.” In an Instagram video recap of the event, hordes of single runners can be seen loping down a paved trail and getting to know each other over post-run drinks at a bar. Ness interviews a handful of participants who, with beers in hand, playfully discuss what they’re looking for in a potential date. One runner, Sam, introduces himself to the camera, and says, “My biggest red flag is if you’re not at Cooldown.”
Belk says he heard of “quite a few numbers being exchanged” over the course of the night. He and Ness plan on hosting more singles nights in the future and hope to add in some fun elements like speed dating (Sha’Carri Richardson sprinting form not required).
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
