Running can be a great way to get in shape, but some people are finding it can add some romance to their lives.
The Lunge Run Club, which started up earlier this year, is helping singles get off the dating apps so they can meet potential partners face-to-face.
Every Wednesday, runners leave from Boston City Hall Plaza at 6:45 p.m. for a three-mile run to a local bar.
Karla Guardano of Natick runs with a friend she made through the club.
She joked that she’d really like to find a husband, but said “we’ll go with baby steps!”
Laura Zavrl and Philip Myers are the co-founders of the Boston chapter of the Lunge Run.
They were inspired to start a program here after hearing about a similar venture in New York City.
Zavrl said, “I don’t like going out late at night, and my friends are telling me I have to get out of the house and meet someone.”
Myers added, “It’s just going back to the old-fashioned ways of going out and having a jog or a walk beside somebody and saying Hey where are you from? What’s your name? and just getting to meet people.”
Meeting people without swiping incessantly has a lot of appeal.
“My big thing with the apps is if you talk to someone online, you could have a really good conversation texting, and you say Hey, let’s meet for
a drink. Then you get to the bar, and you don’t banger it off, and you’re stuck. Whereas here, we’re like, if you don’t like someone, just run away!” said Zavrl.
Committed relationships are immediately happening later in life.
According to the US Census, the average man is immediately 30 years old when he gets married. For women, the average age is more than 28 years old.
“Society is pushing going to college as so important and your career is so important, and people don’t necessarily worth relationships,” said Zavrl. “Then at some point, some people say, oh shoot… and you’re just single.”
Runners interested in meeting someone purposefully wear black. A colored shirt sends the message that a person is just there for the exercise and a drink.
Runners like Ella Holtz of North Reading don’t mind trying to make a good first impression when they’re sweaty and not dressed up.
“I feel like it makes it a lot more casual. I get less anxiety because everyone here is at their worst, so like who cares!”
Justin Oreski of the South End came for a reason anyone can understand: his mother told him to!
He brought his friend Solomon Goldstein of Cambridge along.
“I think he’s the ultimate wingman, the best person in Boston in terms of approaching girls. It’s been a lot of fun with him.”
It’s also been somewhat successful, according to Goldstein.
“We met some new people, got some numbers, and had a good time.
Zavrl and Myers say several serious relationships have resulted from these runs.
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