Executive Summary
We analyzed 41 running communities listed on Hive Index to understand where people gather, what these groups offer, and which communities attract the most interest.
The big picture: running communities are broad and fragmented, with many small groups and a few very large outliers.
Source: Hive Index community database · Updated periodically
- Communities
- 41
- Platforms
- 7
- Avg members
- 6.3M
- Median members
- 125K
Where Running Communities Are Hosted
- Independent Platforms: 16 communities (39%)
- Reddit: 11 communities (27%)
- Facebook: 7 communities (17%)
- Skool: 3 communities (7%)
- Meetup: 2 communities (5%)
- Discord: 1 communities (2%)
- WhatsApp: 1 communities (2%)
- 16(39%)
![Independent Platforms]()
Independent Platforms - 11(27%)
Reddit - 7(17%)
Facebook - 3(7%)
Skool - 2(5%)
Meetup - 1(2%)
Discord - 1(2%)
WhatsApp
Format mix
- 34(83%)Forum / feed-based
- 3(7%)Private membership
- 2(5%)Other platforms
- 2(5%)Chat communities
Most listings are forum / feed-based (83%).
Independent Platforms leads, but Reddit and Facebook also represent meaningful shares.
Audience Size & Access
Community size
- Tiny: 0 communities (0%)
- Small: 1 communities (2%)
- Medium: 3 communities (7%)
- Large: 0 communities (0%)
- Huge: 3 communities (7%)
- Massive: 8 communities (20%)
- Gigantic: 2 communities (5%)
- 0(0%)Tiny<20 members
- 1(2%)Small20-100 members
- 3(7%)Medium100-1,000 members
- 0(0%)Large1,000-10,000 members
- 3(7%)Huge10,000-100,000 members
- 8(20%)Massive100,000-1M members
- 2(5%)Gigantic1M+ members
24 communities have unknown member counts.
Free vs paid
- Free to join: 41 communities (100%)
- Paid or apply-to-join: 0 communities (0%)
The average is much higher than the median (6.3M vs 125K), which usually means a few large groups are pulling the average up.
How Running Differs From Other Categories
Running is more free-to-join, and larger, compared with typical Hive Index topics.
| Metric | Running | Hive Index average |
|---|---|---|
| Free to join | 100% | 84% |
| Median members | 125K | 25K |
| Average members | 6.3M | 668K |
| Paid or apply-to-join | 0% | 16% |
| Live chat | 15% | 41% |
| Discord share | 2% | 17% |
Feature Mix
Common features appear in at least 15% of listings.
Common Features
- Forum: 35 communities (85%)
- Live Chat: 6 communities (15%)
- Online/Offline Events: 6 communities (15%)
- 85%Forum
- 15%Live Chat
- 15%Online/Offline Events
Niche Features
- Courses: 2 communities (5%)
- 5%Courses
Forum appears on 85% of listings.
What Visitors Click
- Outbound clicks / mo
- 16
Platform supply vs. clicks
| Platform | Communities | Share of communities | Outbound clicks | Share of clicks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 27% | 2 | 13% | |
| 7 | 17% | 7 | 44% | |
| Skool | 3 | 7% | 1 | 6% |
| Discord | 1 | 2% | 6 | 38% |
Share is calculated within this topic.
Facebook gets 44% of clicks but only 17% of listings, so visitors click it more than you'd expect from supply alone.
Most-clicked formats
- 9(56%)Forum / feed-based
- 6(38%)Chat communities
- 1(6%)Private membership
Most-clicked features
- 9(56%)Forum
- 7(44%)Live Chat
- 1(6%)Courses
Most-clicked size ranges
- 6(38%)Small
- 1(6%)Gigantic
- 1(6%)Massive
- 1(6%)Medium
Top-clicked listings
- 6(38%)Running Discord (r/running Official)
- 4(25%)Trail and Ultra Runners (Facebook Group)
- 2(13%)Running For Beginners (Facebook Group)
Most clicks go to forum / feed-based and chat communities communities.
Trends
Founded year
- 1958: 1 communities (20%)
- 2004: 1 communities (20%)
- 2008: 1 communities (20%)
- 2009: 1 communities (20%)
- 2012: 1 communities (20%)
36 communities have no founding year on file.
Most listed groups were founded around 1958.
Methodology & FAQ
Methodology
This report uses communities in the Hive Index database tagged as Running. We exclude removed or suppressed listings. Member counts, traffic, features, reviews, and ratings may vary by source and are updated periodically.
Updated periodically