Running in a group with music and meeting new people: this is what the "Midnight Runners" events are like

The loneliness of the long-distance runner is not so hard if it is shared with 150 people and loud music. The plan improves if you go to drink something afterwards. This is what the Midnight Runners do in Barcelona twice a week, Monday and Wednesday, a group of runners who transform a sporting event into a party. The initiative was born in 2015 in London and has expanded to 18 cities around the world such as Sydney, Tokyo, Berlin, Bogotá and New York. It is neither paid nor charged. Attendance is free (it is confirmed through an app) and those who lead the event, the captains, are volunteers. Despite their name, they usually run in the afternoon, and not at midnight.

The activity has a local but also international audience. People from different parts of the world who reside here participate in it. Also temporary residents who join events in other cities. The Barcelona group was born in 2018 and Nicolás, originally from Germany, is one of its captains. Their goal is to “turn these workouts into a party event.” They don’t do it to see who is the fastest, but to “socialize and meet new people.” On Wednesdays they run about nine kilometers and on Wednesdays five. They stop every mile to exercise and leave no one behind. When they finish they go to a bar to chat and get to know each other.

The majority are young, although there are people of all ages, and they have very different levels. Some run often and participate in marathons, but others have recently started in this world. “It is adapted to all levels, we expect everyone,” says Julia. She is 24 years old, she is from France and she is one of the captains of the group. “If it’s their first time, we try to encourage them a little more,” she explains. Like most people who participate in these events, Julia joined “by chance,” because an acquaintance told her about the initiative. In fact, she didn’t run before joining, but she didn’t want to play sports inside a gym. “The new people little by little are improving, and they are beginning to sign up for careers that they had not even considered.” They don’t go unnoticed in the city. They run together and carry speakers with music. Aware of the space they occupy, they have three rules. They do not cross red lights, they run assuming that they do not have priority and that they are not participating in a race.

Running alone or with someone are quite different experiences. Lily is 22 years old and from South Korea. There she ran regularly with a group. She is now on an exchange in Barcelona and has joined Midnight Runners because a friend told them about them. “Running in a group is a lot of fun, we are all motivated and we can achieve our goals,” she explains. Gonzalo (40) has come accompanied by his dog Nala. “She’s a regular,” he says. At first he was hesitant about whether she should join because she prefers to run alone, but he discovered that they are a “very fun” group. Regardless of their preferences, attendees recognize the good feelings they have when they participate in these gatherings. Claudia (32, from New York) describes it as a “sense of community.” She likes to run, but she finds doing it alone boring. She joined Midnight Runners a month ago.

The euphoria of exercise and the good atmosphere have made it easier for them to strengthen ties with each other. Nicolás, one of the captains, met his current partner at one of the events in Barcelona. He also knows that there are marriages that have arisen as a result of these groups around the world. One of the runners, Evelí (32 years old), was running in the Sydney group. There, she explains, she met people who came together thanks to this activity. Upon returning from Australia she joined the Barcelona group, and she has been running with Midnight Runners for two years now. He is used to running with a little more intensity. In fact, he arrived sweaty because he came to the meeting point running from his house. “If I want to run fast I go alone, if I want to run calmly I go with them,” she explains. They have met at eight, they do a group warm-up and then they go out for a run. Today they start heading towards Parc de la Ciutadella to Port Vell. Those who want will go for a drink when they’re done.