Gen Z gets better, sweatier together with Pinellas Run Club

In just a year, young Tampa Bay newcomers have taken Pinellas Run Club from a group of seven friends and family into a diverse swarm of around 150 taking over St. Petersburg twice a week.

The big picture: Tech is failing the loneliness crisis , so Gen Z is turning to old-fashioned sweat and shoelaces.

• Running is lapping other sports across fitness trackers, and Gen Z is setting the pace .

What they're saying: "When you sweat with someone you build another type of relationship than if you were to just go grab coffee or a beer," Brent Thomas, who runs the club with his wife, Brandy, told Axios.

How it works: Pinellas Run Club meets at a different spot — usually a brewery — every Thursday at 6:30pm. After finishing the 1-, 2- or 3-mile route, a sweaty happy hour commences. Dogs and kids are welcome.

• Saturday runs were just added to accommodate the group's growth and those who want longer routes, with a 3-, 5- or 8-mile option.
• The group even trots through rain and extreme heat, and any updates get posted to Instagram .

Between the laces: The club has helped make friends for some, and more than friends for others.

• Joining the club was the first thing Caleb Miller, 27, and Shelby Noble, 26, did when each moved to St. Pete last year.
• The couple met at the post-run sweaty happy hour and have been dating and running together since.

By the numbers: 84% of Strava users tell the fitness tracker company their No. 1 reason for exercising is social connection.

• Gen Z is 29% more likely than millennials to work out with another person at least some of the time.

💭 Analis' thought bubble: Joining Rolling Proud Run Club in Tampa allowed me to connect with Black and brown runners and health enthusiasts.

• I was nervous to join because I'm not a fast runner, but it has been a community of encouragement, pushing me to meet my fitness goals.
• There truly is a club for everyone.