r/running

Community Overview

About r/running

All runners welcome.

The community at a glance

r/running is a Subreddit for Fitness Enthusiasts and Runners with roughly 4.2M members. It uses a forum format for communication. On the Hive Index it ranks #5 in the Running communities list. It is the 4th largest community in the Fitness topic page.

Roughly 108K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Running, Looking For, and Struggling. Common discussion themes are Advice Requests. Product recommendations often mention running shoes, road/trail gore-tex shoes, and running shoes for shin splints.

On Reddit
4.2M Members

Subreddit Analysis

via GummySearch
Yearly: +108K members
Growth: +2.6% / year

Member growth over time

All time (yearly)

  • 2013: 44K members
  • 2014: 42K members
  • 2015: 30K members
  • 2016: 44K members
  • 2017: 148K members
  • 2018: 202K members
  • 2019: 209K members
  • 2020: 475K members
  • 2023: 1.5M members
  • 2024: 1.0M members
  • 2025: 365K members
  • 2026: 83K members

Past year (monthly)

  • Sep: 2K members
  • Oct: 1K members
  • Nov: 11K members
  • Dec: 9K members
  • Jan: 11K members
  • Feb: 8K members
  • Mar: 10K members
  • Apr: 14K members
  • May: 17K members
  • Jun: 12K members
  • Jul: 9K members
  • Aug: 1K members

Themes

  • Advice Requests
    6 posts in the past month
    1. When you first started running, what did you struggle with the most?
    2. What do you carry with you during a long distance race (marathon)?
    3. How do you know if this shoe is right for you when buying it?
    #1
    Advice Requests
    When you first started running, what did you struggle with the most? · What do you carry with you during a long distance race (marathon)? · How do you know if this shoe is right for you when buying it?
    6

Topics

  • Running
    58 posts in the past month
    #1
    Running
    58
  • Looking For
    43 posts in the past month
    #2
    Looking For
    43
  • Struggling
    35 posts in the past month
    #3
    Struggling
    35
  • Struggles
    17 posts in the past month
    #4
    Struggles
    17
  • Training
    10 posts in the past month
    #5
    Training
    10

Flair

  • Daily Thread
    18 posts in the past month
    1. Achievements for Tuesday, July 28, 2026
    2. Achievements for Wednesday, July 29, 2026
    3. Achievements for Saturday, July 25, 2026
    #1
    Daily Thread
    Achievements for Tuesday, July 28, 2026 · Achievements for Wednesday, July 29, 2026 · Achievements for Saturday, July 25, 2026
    18
  • Weekly Thread
    14 posts in the past month
    1. Weekly Complaints & Confessions Thread
    2. Li'l Race Report Thread
    3. Race Roll Call
    #2
    Weekly Thread
    Weekly Complaints & Confessions Thread · Li'l Race Report Thread · Race Roll Call
    14
  • Discussion
    4 posts in the past month
    1. When you first started running, what did you struggle with the most?
    2. What do you carry with you during a long distance race (marathon)?
    3. How do you know if this shoe is right for you when buying it?
    #3
    Discussion
    When you first started running, what did you struggle with the most? · What do you carry with you during a long distance race (marathon)? · How do you know if this shoe is right for you when buying it?
    4
  • Gear
    3 posts in the past month
    1. What Non-Big-Brand Running Gear Are You Wearing in 2026?
    2. Breaking in New Race Shoes
    3. Is a curved treadmill right for me?
    #4
    Gear
    What Non-Big-Brand Running Gear Are You Wearing in 2026? · Breaking in New Race Shoes · Is a curved treadmill right for me?
    3
  • Training
    3 posts in the past month
    1. How you do guys plan the actual routes that you take on your runs?
    2. Quitting my physical job next month, how do you actually spend a sudden surplus of recovery capacity?
    3. Feedback on "Greg" Garmin coach experience
    #5
    Training
    How you do guys plan the actual routes that you take on your runs? · Quitting my physical job next month, how do you actually spend a sudden surplus of recovery capacity? · Feedback on "Greg" Garmin coach experience
    3

Product recommendations

  • running shoes
    15 posts in the past month
    1. Best running shoes for knee pain – Cushion, stability, or both?
    2. Best Running Shoes After 3 Meniscus Repairs & Early Arthritis?
    3. Best running shoes under €90 that won’t destroy my calves?
    #1
    running shoes
    Best running shoes for knee pain – Cushion, stability, or both? · Best Running Shoes After 3 Meniscus Repairs & Early Arthritis? · Best running shoes under €90 that won’t destroy my calves?
    15
  • road/trail gore-tex shoes
    4 posts in the past month
    1. Best road/trail gore-tex shoes?
    2. Best read/trail Gore-Tex shoes?
    3. Best road/trail gore-tex shoes?
    #2
    road/trail gore-tex shoes
    Best road/trail gore-tex shoes? · Best read/trail Gore-Tex shoes? · Best road/trail gore-tex shoes?
    4
  • running shoes for shin splints
    3 posts in the past month
    1. Best running shoes for shin splints—real help or just marketing?
    2. Best running shoes for shin splints—real help or just marketing?
    3. Best running shoes for shin splints—real help or just marketing?
    #3
    running shoes for shin splints
    Best running shoes for shin splints—real help or just marketing? · Best running shoes for shin splints—real help or just marketing? · Best running shoes for shin splints—real help or just marketing?
    3
  • running training app
    3 posts in the past month
    1. What is the best Free running training app?
    2. Best running training app to get back into it after a break?
    3. Best running training apps for getting back into it after a break?
    #4
    running training app
    What is the best Free running training app? · Best running training app to get back into it after a break? · Best running training apps for getting back into it after a break?
    3
  • treadmill
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Best, most fun, treadmill?
    2. Best, most fun treadmill?
    #5
    treadmill
    Best, most fun, treadmill? · Best, most fun treadmill?
    2

Frequently asked questions

Who is r/running for?
Best for Fitness Enthusiasts and Runners enthusiasts looking for a Reddit-based community with forum discussion.
Is r/running free to join?
This listing is not marked as paid-only. Access rules and any fees are decided by the community.
How many members does r/running have?
Roughly 4.2M members, based on figures reported by the community or its host. Member counts are approximate and change over time.
What platform is r/running on?
r/running runs on Reddit. Reddit communities (or "subreddits") are forum-based groups on the popular social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website Reddit. Reddit is commonly known as "the front page of the internet". Users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down and discussed by other members. From investing Reddit communities, to professional ones, to ones just for laughs, you're likely to find a community for you on Reddit.
What topics does r/running cover?
On the Hive Index, r/running is organized under Fitness Enthusiasts, Runners.
How do I join r/running?
You can join r/running by clicking this link, or pressing the "Go to community" button above.
What are the Fitness communities like?
One of the larger topic areas on the site, covering lifting, running, yoga, calisthenics, and pretty much every other form of exercise. Reddit has massive communities for general fitness and specific disciplines, with Discord servers for accountability and program sharing. Good for program recommendations, form checks, and finding training partners.