If your Instagram feed has suddenly become a mix of sunrise selfies, sweaty group photos and Strava screenshots, you are not imagining it.
Malaysia appears to be in its running era, with more people joining run clubs, signing up for races and discovering that waking up early on a weekend can apparently be a personality trait.
Speaking to exclusively WeirdKaya, Zachary Foong, CEO of Backyard Running Association (BRA), said the current running trend is a pretty positive movement overall.
From drinking buddies to running buddies
According to Zachary, running has always been around, but the current wave has managed to pull in people who might not have considered it before.
Some of my old drinking buddies actually started running because of the current trend, so I would say it’s a pretty positive movement,” he said.
When asked whether people are running mainly for fitness or partly to flex their Strava records on Instagram, Zachary said it is likely a mix of both.
He added that FOMO, or fear of missing out, also plays a big role.
“I think it’s a bit of both, and it’s also driven by FOMO. The recent spike in popularity is mainly caused by social media and the rise of run clubs,” he said.
Would people still run without social media?
For Zachary, the answer is YES.
He shared that he has been running for about 10 years now, long before running became the cool thing to post about.
However, he acknowledged that the current running culture looks very different compared to when he first started.
Running used to be seen as something only ‘crazy’ people did
As someone leading a run club today, Zachary said he did not exactly expect running to become such a big trend in Malaysia.
He explained that the concept of social run clubs first started overseas, and his team thought it would be fun to bring the idea here.
Before this, running was often seen as something only “crazy” people did, mainly because it involved long hours of training and doing the same thing repeatedly.
“It wasn’t considered cool like it is now. There was nothing to flex about. But right now, everyone is flexing their Strava,” he said.
No, he does not earn a lot from the run club
With run clubs gaining popularity, some might assume that running one means big money.
But according to Zachary, that is not really the case.
He said BRA does sometimes charge for events, but most of the money goes back to the committees and team bonding activities.
“So technically, I don’t earn anything from the run club,” he said.
More beginners are joining because they want to be part of the trend
Zachary said the club has seen more newcomers joining, especially as running continues to become more popular among Malaysians.
It’s the trend right now, so because everyone wants to be trendy, everyone wants to join and be involved in what’s going on,” he said.
He also agreed that many beginners are joining because of FOMO.
The hype may slow down, but running will not disappear
As for whether the running trend is here to stay, Zachary believes the hype will probably cool down eventually.
He estimated that the current excitement could slow down in a year or two.
However, he said the sport itself is not going anywhere.
“The hype will definitely slow down someday, probably in a year or two, but the sport itself will never die,” he said.
Running clubs are the new social hangout, but you still need game
With more Malaysians joining run clubs, some have compared them to cafe hopping, except healthier and sweatier.
Zachary agreed that run clubs are a great place to meet new people.
But whether those new connections actually go anywhere depends on the person.
You can definitely meet a lot of new people, but whether you’ve got game or not to actually connect with them, that depends entirely on you,” he said.
So yes, running might be about fitness.
It might also be about FOMO, Strava screenshots and showing up in matching running fits.
But either way, at least Malaysians are moving.
Watch the full interview here:
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