Across the nation, more and more people are running than ever before. According to Fleet Feet, an athletic apparel company that uses data-driven insights to match runners with running gear, there were 20 million “new” runners in 2022 compared to 2020.

Locally, Wilmington has a community of runners, including many run clubs. A trend the area has seen is the growing popularity of run clubs that meet at breweries or other establishments before and after the run. It’s a win-win situation for the establishment and the runners because the business brings in more customers while the runners can make new connections and friendships.

Participants say that meeting up at breweries or coffee shops around town encourages community and gets more people outside exercising. An example of one such group is the Wilmington Run Club, which meets at different coffee shops around the city. Another example is Lighthouse Beer & Wine, 220 Causeway Drive in Wrightsville Beach. It launched its run club toward the end of July and hosts it at 7 p.m. Mondays.

Kristi Brown, Lighthouse Beer & Wine’s assistant manager, launched the group to build community while increasing business on Monday nights, which would otherwise be a “little bit of a slower day in the shop.”

“The Wrightsville Beach community is really tight-knit, and we were thinking of ways that we could provide an outlet for the community,” Brown said. “Since Lighthouse Beer & Wine is a great spot to meet up, we were like, ‘How can we promote community, fitness and then also a social gathering aspect?’"

The solution was quite literally right next door – The Loop.

The Loop, otherwise known as Nesbitt Loop, is a 2.45-mile path around Wrightsville Beach that people use for walking, running and other forms of exercise. The run club works by having participants gather for a run or walk, whichever works best for them, and then afterward, the group sticks around for drinks, chats, and builds community at the brewery.

“People love running The Loop, and sometimes people may be a little fearful to get out and run by themselves,” Brown said.

A way that Lighthouse Beer & Wine has encouraged participation, in addition to the enticing pint of beer or glass of wine after a casual jog or run with friends, is a weekly raffle. Essentially, each time a participant attends the run club, their name is entered into a raffle for some swag or a gift card. The group has about 30 participants who attend regularly.

A bonus is Lighthouse Beer & Wine serves $3 drafts on Monday nights for runners.
Another run club on Wilmington’s growing list of such groups is the Wilmington Brewing Run Club, which started in 2018.

“We have not missed a single run since our first run in 2018,” said Chris Gordon, a club leader. “That’s another one of our philosophies: Run club is never canceled. It’s always there for someone.”

Wilmington Brewing Run Club members meet every Tuesday for a fun and social 3-mile run through the University of North Carolina Wilmington campus and conclude with a pint of beer or two to celebrate the run afterward at Wilmington Brewing Company.

The Wilmington Brewing Run Club meets at Wilmington Brewing Company, 824 S. Kerr Ave., at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Like Lighthouse Beer & Wine, Wilmington Brewing Company sought creative ways to generate revenue on an otherwise “slow night” for the establishment. Another commonality between the clubs was seeking ways to connect and unwind with a community of fellow runners and Wilmington residents.

Gordon was initially drawn to the run club because of the potential to build a new community of friends.
“The idea is people come out for a run and stay to drink a beer,” Gordon said. “I don’t think any of us knew where it was going when it started. I think we all had the idea that we wanted to have a place where you can meet and run and meet new people around town. For me, my personal experience, that was certainly the case, looking to meet and be social and be around people that didn’t know work history or my entire life story. That brought us all together as a group.”

Something important to the Wilmington Brewing Run Club was making the atmosphere casual and ensuring an environment where people from different walks of life and physical activity levels could participate.

“We wanted to be a place where you didn’t feel like someone was going to be pushing the pace or doing a workout,” Gordon said. “We have some pretty fast people that run here, but we also have some grandmothers that walk with their grandkids every week just for the social aspect. The general rule on Tuesdays is you can run fast, but there’s no racing. Don’t get yourself any farther from the beer that you can’t easily get back to.”

At the end of the day, the run clubs have a similar focus.

“The biggest hope,” Brown said, “is this community becomes something that people look forward to on their Monday nights.”