On a sweaty Wednesday afternoon in New York City’s Washington Square Park, a sea of slicked back buns and black Lululemon workout sets performed a mating ritual. At this singles run club, about 1,000 New Yorkers search every week for an antidote to the ills of Tinder and Hinge. Attendees said they're so over dating apps, and they're willing to sweat for an alternative.
Content creator Annie Jorgensen, 28, said that on her first week there in May, the group of around 30 runners formed a circle and introduced themselves to each other. Now, as the numbers each week break four figures, organizers stand on benches with a bullhorn and instruct runners and “hot walkers” to divide into pace groups. “At the happy hour afterwards, I remember I talked to every single person that was there,” she said.