NatNews

Though many individuals scoff at the idea of running for enjoyment and make jokes about only running when being chased, the participation in run clubs is continuing to grow in popularity. In fact, there are more than 2,000 run clubs throughout the U.S., and this year’s Chicago Marathon will have a record number of 50,000 participants after approximately 120,000 applications.

While running has been a social option for many years, the sport made significant strides during the pandemic when people were trying to find ways to stay active and sane and still interact with others in outdoor settings. Social media and people’s success stories of gaining friends and improving health helped to continue to encourage individuals to lace up their running shoes.

Dallas-area resident Adrian Acevedo said he stumbled upon the Thursday Night Social Run (TNSR) Facebook page about four years ago and decided to start attending its weekly run in the Plano area. For him, the biggest benefit has been the community it brought to his life.

“We aren’t trying to outcompete each other, but we are sharing the love of running, no matter the pace,” he said. “For serious runners, it’s a chance to meet other runners who have the same experience as them. For casual runners, it’s a chance to come out and not be scared of running, because there’s always someone who can run with you.”

Just as Acevedo used social media to start his social running journey, Dallas resident Kirsten Kraske, originally from Montana, first began attending White Rock Running Co-op events after discovering the group on Facebook. She also noted that such a group is beneficial for runners of all abilities and paces.

“For serious runners, it gives them a chance to level up their skills, push themselves to run with faster people, and push their bodies to see what they can do,” she said. “For more casual runners, it gives a positive social atmosphere and a way to get outside, move your body, and challenge yourself to see how far you can go.”

Dallas resident Alfonzo Gonzalez Jr. (Fonz), who coaches several runners of all levels, has been a well-known part of the local running community for many years and was still running with another group when a couple of the runners he was training mentioned the idea of starting a group, as they were primarily running alone at the time. He now leads the Train Pegasus group, which offers runners a variety of opportunities for both easy and more challenging runs throughout the week. In Fonz’s view, there are multiple benefits to taking part in run clubs.

“New runners can learn a lot from the more seasoned runners,” he said. “Run clubs give casual runners a place to stay motivated toward their fitness goals and provide a space to network and make new friends.”

There are plenty of other run clubs throughout the metroplex (including Pint Striders, Plano Running Club, and Oak Cliff Run Crew, to name a few), all offering ways for people to stay in shape and build friendships at the same time. As a leader of such a group, Fonz said he enjoys watching new runners make new connections with others and believes running with people on a consistent basis is growing in popularity because of the advantages doing so can bring to a person’s life.

“More people are realizing that social run clubs can be an outing to socialize with others while exercising at the same time,” he said.

One highly appealing factor to many social running opportunities, including all of the groups mentioned thus far, is the fact that they are free to join. One can simply show up and hit the pavement with like-minded individuals. Kraske also appreciates that they offer an authentic way to meet people outside of a drinking setting.

“It gives people something active to do while also being social,” she said. “I think run clubs promote an inviting atmosphere to either come alone or come with friends because there’s someone there for everyone. It also gives you a really great way to start or end your day.”

There’s a uniqueness to running, as well. It’s a sport that challenges individuals but doesn’t always pit them against one another in a competitive way. Rather, there’s encouragement without scorekeeping and conversations that often become personal and help lead to lifelong friendships. Some people have even found their future spouses at run clubs, and it’s not uncommon for singles to use them as a way to meet people as an alternative to dating apps. Others have found them helpful to make friends after moving to new cities or when looking to spend time with those with similar interests.

“It’s a great way to connect with people that not many other sports can really do,” Acevedo said.

And running can certainly create a selfless bond between individuals that allows them to experience genuine pride and joy for one another.

“The thing I enjoy the most about being in a run club is the personal growth I see from runners,” Acevedo said. “From people running one mile on their first day to running marathons, it is truly inspiring.”

For Kraske, the consistency of the run group and the individuals within it are what she appreciates most.

“The people in WRRC were the first people to make Dallas feel like home for me,” she said, “and I’m forever grateful for them.”

The English version of the word “pocket,” deriving from a variation of a word meaning “bag,” came into use around 1450 to describe a small sack, whether sewn into clothing or not, worn by an individual.

When you’re younger, it seems like almost anyone you know and generally like is pretty much your friend. Whether it’s your classmates, teammates, people you know from extracurricular activities, neighbors, or kids you meet on the playground, friends are almost everywhere.

As we get older, though, our friendship circles tend to close in a little bit more tightly, and we change the way we view the people we know—some are true friends, while others are merely acquaintances. Friends are those with whom one spends more time, has regular interactions and shared experiences, and engages in deeper conversations and emotional bonds. Acquaintances, on the other hand, are those with whom a person has more surface-level relationships and conversations and doesn’t necessarily make concerted efforts to spend time.

Not everyone views and prioritizes friendships and acquaintanceships in similar regards, though. A recent NatNews research initiative revealed that only 6 percent of dear readers see friends and acquaintances as essentially being the same, though the vast majority (53 percent) have more friends than acquaintances and generally only trust people close to them.

“Friends are unconditional—those relationships exist outside of any container or context,” Dane Sebring, a paranormal investigator in Washington, D.C., said. “Acquaintances are relative to a specific environment—school, work, church, etc. I have more acquaintances than friends, just like I suspect most people do. It takes a lot of mutual effort, time, and shared experience to elevate a relationship from acquaintance to friend.”

Like Sebring, Dallas resident Charlotte Thomas said she likely has more acquaintances than friends. This is certainly not uncommon. Recent Pew Research Center surveys found that the majority of adults place strong emphasis on the importance of friendships in their lives and have between one and four close friends. Acquaintances, however, are much easier to find.

“If you count all of the people I’m friendly with during my day-to-day (work, fitness, hobbies, friends of friends), it can really add up,” Thomas said. “As I’ve gotten older, my number of friends has decreased since I do not go out as much. Some friends have turned into acquaintances, but that’s mostly due to lack of communication and not disinterest, and that could change easily.”

While relationships vary among individuals and don’t look the same for everyone, understanding the different dynamics between friends and acquaintances can help you set appropriate expectations for the people in your life.

“I typically will discuss personal issues with my friends and have frequent meet-ups (like going out to dinner), while with acquaintances I will keep it surface-level and usually will not hang out with them regularly,” Thomas said. “Acquaintances can become friends, though.”

For Montana resident Karen Brinkmann, an acquaintance is someone who is on his or her way to becoming a friend, though Brinkmann certainly recognizes the difference between the two.

“I’m friendly with both acquaintances and friends, but I probably am a little more transparent and open the longer I’ve been friends with someone,” she said. “There is a level of trust you have with closer friends than you do with acquaintances.”

While Brinkmann said she definitely has more acquaintances than close friends, she recognizes that they all play significant roles and fill different needs in a person’s life.

“I think it’s important to have both friends and acquaintances,” she said. “And all good friends probably started off as some level of acquaintance before they hit that next level of friendship.”

Sebring also knows the value of having a variety of different relationships in one’s life and how truly impactful friendships can be, though he admits that having friends can be hard work at times.

“If you have a lot of them, they probably aren’t that close,” he said. “You can’t be a well-adjusted adult without someone on speed dial who will split a bottle of wine and laugh about your deepest insecurities.”

For some individuals, blurring the lines between how to interact with and view people can alter one’s attitude or perception. Dallas-area resident Megan England said she began treating everyone at work as a friend rather than an acquaintance, and doing so proved to be a game changer.

“It really helped create a more positive experience for me,” she said. “The intentionality was a process but worth it. I was inspired by my maintenance man. He is very gifted in this area. I’m not, so it was a big push for me.”

Whether a person has many friends or acquaintances or very few of either is not what matters most, though, as Thomas pointed out.

“What’s important is maintaining happiness through growth and connections,” she said. “And these connections are not based on the amount of connections but the quality of those connections.”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

The youths help keep NatNews staff members somewhat hip sometimes

Monday, August 5: Rangers vs. Astros at Globe Life Field
Tuesday, August 6: Free Rooftop Movie — Mallrats at Sundown at Granada; Fun in the Sun — Back-to-School Bash at Grandscape
Wednesday, August 7: Females on Fire Conference at the Majestic Theatre
Thursday, August 8: Weezer Tribute — The Troublemakers at Legacy Hall; 4th Annual Irish Slammer at Harwood Arms
Friday, August 9: The Box Office Girl Presents — 10 Things I Hate About You at the Texas Theatre; Salsa Dance Lesson & Party at Klyde Warren Park
Saturday, August 10: WRRC Saturday run from Taco Joint; Neon Summer Adult Night at Hawaiian Waters; Cornhole Tournament at Community Beer Co.
Sunday, August 11: WRC Latte Art Workshop at White Rock Coffee Brew Lab; West Coast Swing Dance Class at DFW Young and Social