Valentine's Day has long been associated with candlelit dinners, handwritten love letters, and grand romantic gestures, but this year romance is taking a new route - literally.
A popular online trend suggests that running clubs are becoming the new dating apps, and while there’s no hard evidence, many runners would agree that they’d prefer to meet someone without the use of apps and out in the real world.
"I probably joined the run club to find a woman, and now I’m addicted to running, so take from that what you will," joked Kevin Shire, who is a regular runner with RUN061 - a run club based in Limerick city.
The idea for the club was the brainchild of Aimee and Pravesh Dana, who are childhood sweethearts from South Africa. Running has always been a part of their story.
The idea took shape on their flight back to Ireland following their wedding in South Africa.
They loved living in Limerick, but felt that they were missing an everyday human connection.
Hoping to build a sense of community, they started RUN061 and put out a call on Instagram, inviting locals to join them for a run.
At first it was just four runners - Aimee and Pravesh, as well as Aimee’s brother David, and one more. From those small beginnings, the club has grown legs and expanded in ways they could never have imagined.
With themed runs being a staple for the club, this year they decided on a 'traffic light run' to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Runners choose what colour to wear for the run based on their relationship status - green for single, yellow for 'it’s complicated', and red for taken.
The event sparked plenty of conversation, fun, and even a few flirtations along the way.
"We're here with our green and orange today, we'll see," said Natasha Grew, one of the participants on the run.
"The old dating apps are not very fun at all so this is pretty good," added Danny O'Regan.
The club welcomes runners of all levels, creating a sense of camaraderie that extends far beyond race times or personal bests.
With post-run coffees, community events, and themed runs such as the traffic light run, it's easy to see how friendships - and sometimes relationships - can naturally develop.
The love at RUN061 isn't just romantic, it spreads throughout the wider community. By partnering with local businesses, the club has helped create a support network that benefits both members and the city itself.
Whether it's collaborating with cafés for post-run meetups and events, or simply giving people a reason to gather, RUN061 is more than just a running club.
So, while dating apps may still be the go-to for singles looking for love, some are finding that the best way to meet someone might just be by tying up their laces and hitting the ground running.
You can watch the full segment on dating and running clubs on Nationwide at 7pm on Friday on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
