Remember during the pandemic when “hot girl walks” were all the craze? Now, those hot girls are running. 

During quarantine, when people couldn’t go anywhere, they laced up their sneakers and hit the ground running. According to Statistica, in 2023, 48.32 million people in the U.S. ran or jogged, up from 47.82 million in 2022. 

Strava, an app that tracks physical exercise, saw a 4% increase that year in people uploading runs from 2022. 

Social media allows people to share their lives with the masses, including their workouts. Workouts like the Hot Girl Walk and the 12-3-30 treadmill workout have become hugely popular, but now, another workout is taking over: running. 

People are also signing up for more races than ever before. There were over 33,000 applicants for the Boston Marathon, the most in the race’s 128 years. 

On social media, specifically TikTok, people are sharing their journeys about training for races, from 5Ks to ultra-marathons, no matter their pace. From Mrs. Space Cadet, known for her slower running and her reviews of running clothing, to Matt Choi, who shows off his endurance training and running multiple marathons and ultra-marathons, there is a running influencer for everyone. 

Micah Sparks just finished his first marathon at the age of 19. The New Mexico State freshman has been running for seven years and has noticed a trend of more people getting into running, “especially when there is a marathon or a large race going around in my local area,” he said. 

“This makes me happy because I believe running is medicine for the soul, and it must be shared with everyone,” he said. 

While Sparks has been running for several years, people like Annabel Lecky rediscovered running in the past few months. 

“I felt like I was hitting a wall, and I felt like I didn’t have any workout goals or ambitions,” she said. “I went for a run one day on the treadmill, where I ran four miles. I thought, you know what, I’m gonna run a half marathon.” 

Lecky, a University of Arizona junior,  said one of the reasons she wanted to run a half marathon was seeing videos of people running and training for races. 

“I would see videos on TikTok of people doing races and talking about their training and how it was so good for them.” she said. 

If running alone is not your thing, you can join a running group like Fleet Feet, where you can run and train with others. 

Fleet Feet offers free weekly events for every type of runner and provides $120 training programs for 5K, 10K, half marathons and full marathons. 

Marion Turner is the head coach and coordinator for Fleet Feet of Tucson’s training group. She loves the club’s social aspect, which keeps her motivated. Turner also uses social media to promote the training groups, which has allowed Fleet Feet to reach a more diverse audience. 

“Social media has been very helpful in getting the word out about our program,” she said. “It helps keep our participants connected and is a way to let people know when we have different events happening. It definitely helps people feel part of our running community.”

Get running: There are many races in Tucson and across Arizona. 

• The Himmel Park run is a free weekly 5K on Saturdays at 1000 N. Tucson Blvd. Pre-registration is required at parkrun.us/himmel.
• To celebrate Earth Day, there is a 5K at Biosphere 2 in Oracle on April 20. The cost is $40 for adults and $5 for kids.
• If you are feeling extremely adventurous, head up to the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona for the 150-mile run from Meteor Crater to the South Rim. The race takes place every April; you missed out on the 2024 event, but reservations are open now for 2025. It costs around $300.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.