The rise of social running; How Vhi’s Your Happy Pace is meeting the moment

This couch-to-5km programme comes with a built-in support system and a focus on showing up as you are.

Socialising has shifted … again. The way we move, and commune is increasingly offline. You can feel it in group chats and Instagram stories. Running, long viewed as solitary and reserved for the super-fit has taken centre stage, or at least centre park.

At the heart of this shift is parkrun, the free weekly 5k event that has become a Saturday morning ritual for many across Ireland. And now, a new wave of beginner runners are getting their own starting line thanks to a programme called Your Happy Pace, created by Vhi, presenting partners of parkrun.

The six-week programme is designed for people who’ve never run before, or who’ve taken a long break and want a gentler re-entry. But unlike many couch-to-5km offerings, this one comes with a built-in support system: real-life in-person coaching, group WhatsApp chats, and a focus on showing up as you are. The training plan and free coaching mean this parkrun programme is ideal for running newbies.

“We wanted to break the barrier to entry,” says Brighid Smyth, Head of Corporate Communications, Vhi. “Because for a lot of people, running isn’t about speed or fitness. It’s about showing up for yourself, and with others.”

Participants are given a weekly training plan and can attend in-person coaching sessions at one of six selected parkrun locations across Ireland from urban Dublin to Donegal. The idea is to provide structure and accountability without pressure.

What stands out most about Your Happy Pace is the tone. There’s no talk of PBs or calorie burn. Instead, there’s a recognition that running can offer connection, confidence and generally just increased happiness.

And for many participants, the benefits include friendship. Two in three reported making new social connections through parkrun that extended beyond the finish line.

Your Happy Pace finds its stride as a community to step into.

Six locations across Ireland are hosting the programme, each with 50 places available:

• Poolbeg parkrun, Dublin
• University of Galway parkrun, Galway
• Ballincollig parkrun, Cork
• Mungret parkrun, Limerick
• Castle Park, Kilkenny
• Letterkenny parkrun, Donegal

Registration is open now. The programme is free but value is in something that can’t quite be tracked on Strava: the feeling of being welcomed, exactly as you are.