When Adyan Child joined the cross-country team in middle school, running became a lifelong friend. The sport brought him accolades and peace of mind, but Child could not foresee it would bring him to Depot Park, where he would befriend scores of like-minded individuals who felt the same.
“I found out running was a great way to kind of blow off some steam, deal with issues,” Child said while reflecting on his running origins, ”Whether it's just running by yourself and fighting demons, or running as a group, talking together, working on things together and growing as a team.”
Child, 24, started Peak Pulse, a run club in Gainesville that meets weekly at Depot Park. The first meeting in the summer of 2024 had 15 to 20 of Child’s friends. Once the club started to advertise their twice-weekly runs on Instagram, those numbers doubled.
“I really wanted an outlet for something fun to do and a way to meet new people,” he said, “now it's turned into this great community.”
In its yearly trend report, the popular workout app Strava found the percentage of social runners increased dramatically in 2024, particularly among younger Gen Z athletes.
55% of Gen Z respondents said their primary motivation for joining a fitness group was to make social connections. Strava only predicts this trend to grow even more in 2025.
Today, Peak Pulse sees anywhere from 50 to 100 runners on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Each run is characterized by a distinct Peak Pulse “vibe” which involves upbeat music and cold plunge ice baths.
Hundreds of miles later, Child has seen the social club expand into a community.
For novice runners Anson Wu and Brian Cardoso, Peak Pulse was a great way to diversify their workouts.
“I love it. I mean, it's a great environment,” Wu said, “Everyone's very welcoming.”
The pair met as teenagers. Since then, they have tackled the pillars of adolescence together. Be it prom or dorms, they've been at each other's sides for years.
“We're like, best friends,” Cardoso said.
On why running has become their newest challenge?
“Running allows you to escape from the craziness of reality,” Wu said.
This summer, Wu and Cardoso will go their separate ways to pursue internships in different cities. But just before their parting, they'll take on one more challenge: A 10k through the streets of Miami.
Both Wu and Cordoso called the challenge a “final push.”
Darien Douglas, a 25-year-old Alachua County resident, joined Peak Pulse after hearing about it from a friend. Six months, ten referrals, and countless new friendships later, he still finds comfort in the galloping gaggle.
“If I'm last, I'm never last,” Douglas said, “I can blend in.”
Rachel Napoli, 28, has run with Peak Pulse since that first summer. Napoli said she was excited to “make her way back to the Gainesville community.”
“I am a little bit older than the undergrad crowd,” she said, "It's really welcoming.”
When she started, she was thrilled to help her friend and founder, Aydan Child, in his newest endeavor; now she attends most weekly runs and loves the support the club provides.
Child’s social running society that started in Depot park has come a long way in the past ten months. Reaching the one-year milestone in the coming months, with such success, has propelled him into thinking about the future.
With sponsors like Celsius, satellite clubs like Peak Pulse Tallahassee and consistent high-turnout, Child sees the potential for this movement to take over other college towns across Florida.
“There are plans in the works,” Child said.
To anyone looking for a way to break into the sport, Aydan has a simple message (one that seems to be the mantra of every member who started at Peak Pulse): Come out and see what it's all about.
“We're all here for the same reasons, to stay active, meet new people and have fun,” Child said, “No pressure, no judgement; whether you walk, run or jog there’s a spot for you.