Running is more than just fitness in 2025. Welcome to the realm of TikTok running culture, where It all comes down to your mile splits, your FYP engagement, the appropriate pair of Hokas, and aesthetic water bottles. 

What began as run club videos and “Hot Girl Walks” has grown into a full-fledged subculture. Nowadays, an expanding running community on TikTok shares everything from outfit checks to  workouts, fostering a new form of online friendship and sometimes rivalry. The app is changing the way we think about running, fitness, and who gets to call themselves a “runner,” regardless of whether you’re preparing for your first 10K or are just here for the serotonin and Stanley cups.

 I spoke with runner and HYROX athlete Emily Diss about how TikTok has influenced new runners like her:

How has TikTok changed your personal approach to running?

“I do enjoy watching lots of fitness content creators as I think that you can learn from them. My training for races and various distances has undoubtedly benefited from it. Although I do believe that TikTok frequently presents an exaggerated picture of running culture, which leads to negative comparisons for viewers like myself and may influence my perspective, I do notice that there is a lot more actual running material currently than there was in the past.”

Have you discovered any running tips or trends on TikTok that you use regularly?

“Nutritional tips are something that I have personally found useful from TikTok, in terms of fueling your body for various distances and disciplines, as this is something that I didn’t know much about when I started running.”

Do you feel TikTok makes running more inclusive or more performative?

“I can see both sides to this, there is a wide variety of running creators on TikTok which I think has attracted inclusivity and welcomed more people into a community that could be daunting. Yet, I do see a lot of comparison within the running community and there is a pressure to perform for content.”

What’s your take on the mental health side of TikTok running culture? Motivating or pressuring?

“I am someone that does get motivated and inspired from seeing others do things such as running, but there is definitely a pressure to have a success story in running and that is not necessarily realistic. I do find that fitness in general, but especially running, is often idealised on social media by fitness influencers, which is frustrating because many of them do not live a ‘regular’ life and that does create a pressure.”

Have you been influenced into buying any running gear from TikTok recommendations?

“I think running shoes are very personal to the runner and I would personally not take a recommendation without knowing that the shoes worked for me, however TikTok was how I found out about running analysis which helped me to find trainers that were right for me.”

I think it’s important to remember that not everything you see on social media is realistic, although TikTok has encouraged so many to get into running – Its good to remember to not compare achievements and to run because you want to not because someone is telling you too.

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