Are there any Running Zwifters on this forum?
How do people meet up for group runs?
Are there any upcoming events or games or challenges for runners ?
There are runners. For the Zwift running forum click the bold word “Running” below…
If you use the companion app you can look for running events and you will also find that there are Zwift running clubs.
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I think @Stuart.Middlecoate will admit to running
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Now and again Paul… now and again.
Hi @J_Rav
As @Tim_dODZ has demonstrated there are plenty of group runs daily to suit your location. You don’t need to worry about pace as very few are races so just join in and enjoy the chat.
As for challenges the Tour of Zwift starts in January which has several stages and you can unlock kit.
There are numerous clubs also and the biggest running club ZLDR have a January challenge where you compete as part of a team for fun. The missions are fun and are designed for you to meet new runners.
Running on Zwift is a friendly welcoming experience.
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Thank you all
I have an unrelated followup. How do you make turns?
I pressed all over the iPad app but couldn’t find any way to turn left or right down the two different paths and my avatar just got stuck running in place.
Any advice ?
Thank you Tim
When a turn is possible an icon pops up at the bottom of the screen indicating the direction your avatar will go.
This will have a ring around it that acts as a countdown timer until no turn is possible.
Press on this icon and it’ll bring up the alternate directions you can go.
Obviously making a turn deviates off the route you are on and you won’t get the completion badge for that route if one is available.
Hi Stuart,
Have you got any more detail on the ZLDR January Running challenge, I have had a look and can’t see any detail anywhere.
Thanks John
I’ve spent a bit of time running in Zwift over the years (still do), but unlike cycling, Zwift running feels largely like a solo activity. Over time, it seems to have lost its critical mass, and as a result, group participation has dwindled significantly. TdZ in January is likely to see the highest participation.
Thanks Stuart
I will give it a go and stick it on my Zwift team home page to see if anyone is interested
Thanks John
You’re joining the wrong events then Xav.
There’s plenty of well attended group events and half a dozen or so active clubs.
Chat is less than cycling activities as its harder to do whilst running but there’s a good few that have mastered the art.
Come and pop in to some events and see.
I’m hoping that the purge on not attended cycling races gets extended to all events including running so that the calendar gets cleaned up and the remaining events are ones with a leader etc…
Hi guys just started zwift running yesterday. Under the Events tab I see there’s “official” run events daily and that’s really cool. Aside from that how do you find local/regional run clubs that host meet-ups? It would be cool to find a run club from DC/NYC and we just do random track meet ups or a weekly long run, etc. How do you meet other runners and add them to your friends list? Anyways had a fun 7 miler yesterday.
If you have a Facebook account, head over to Zwift Runners and ask about people who run at the time of day you want. They might or might not be local to you, but if they like your time of day then it’s all good.
ahh, unfortunately i don’t have facebook
Hello, what do you mean by “official run event”? Zwift rarely organizes official running events, AFAIK this was the last one (January 2025): zwift.com/tour-de-zwift
What event are you talking about exactly?
Aside from that how do you find local/regional run clubs that host meet-ups? It would be cool to find a run club from DC/NYC and we just do random track meet ups or a weekly long run, etc. How do you meet other runners and add them to your friends list? Anyways had a fun 7 miler yesterday.
The best way to find the club that suits you most is to install the Companion app, select Club → All, and use Search by name. From there, you can see each group’s activities, how many members it has, and so on.
As a runner, that’s pretty much the only reason I even have the Companion app. Everything else is already in the main app.
Gotta agree with you there. I’d say over 95% of Zwift users are into cycling, and running is kind of a niche thing.
So, a lot of events end up with no one showing up.
Over time, it seems to have lost its critical mass, and as a result, group participation has dwindled significantly.
I didn’t even know Zwift running ever reached a “critical mass”, but I’ve been running on it for about a year. Was there actually more participation in the past?
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Giuseppe,
My interpretation is that Zwift has gone through a critical mass shift over the years. Back in the fall of 2019, Zwift Running was growing fast. You could log into May Field at almost any time and find a solid group of participants (too many sometimes). Group runs in the mornings (Eastern time) lined up with peak European hours, so it wasn’t unusual to run with 20–30 people consistently (without cherry peaking). The Zwift Academy, Tour de Zwift, and Tour of Watopia were especially strong experiences.
Then COVID hit in 2020 and participation exploded. During that period, I joined group runs with hundreds of people, and 2021 still felt like a good year, probably, the last strong year; since then, participation has steadily diminished.
Oh wow, I didn’t realize it used to be that busy! I started running on Zwift in January 2025, and I rarely see other runners. Sometimes I’m literally the only one in New York or Paris.
Watopia events are mostly empty too, except maybe the ZLDR ones, but even there you’ll see 5-10 runners max, and most don’t chat. I joined the Tour de Zwift earlier this year and only spotted a couple of runners.
Do you have any idea why the running community dropped off so much? It feels kinda dead lately.
thank you so much!!