How do I just find dudes to run with as a 30 year old?

Just curious - where do you live?

My club and a local store, in Upstate NY, has group runs 4-5 days a week.

If you went you would typically find people of all levels and the "group" ends up splintering into subgroups.

Take up trail running.

No, seriously. Far fewer wannabe influencer types, and most people who run trails have other things going on in their lives.

One of the big 5 major west coast cities.

There's your problem, bro.

You should try grindr. You seem like the type that'll have a LOT of success on there.

If you are going to be a distance runner you have to learn to accept and embrace the fact that it is an individual activity. Not a team sport. Even when running with a group on a social run its primarily just you, your body and what you are thinking about in your head.

Likely more runners than not are more introvert type. Loners, maybe even renegades. The loneliness of the long distance runner.

I have lived all over the US and can say it is really not easy to find other people to run with that you can enjoy connecting with. Everyone has their favorite paces and distances. If you really want to run with others you have to compromise and adapt so you stay with the group.

Then you have all the individual personalities, quirks, political agendas, lifestyles etc etc that you need to accept. Runners have running in common, and you can sort of connect with people on that level but chatting about running only goes so far.

So I run with others maybe once a week Sure part of me would like to run with others more but I have learned to accept that I am the reason I do not participate in more group runs, and that's ok.

very insightful, i've thought this for a while but not been able to articulate it

Why do you say that’s the problem?

Run local races and talk to those who finish around you. People are usually very friendly and it is easy post race to strike up a conversation. Best of all you already know they are compatable to you in pace and ability. I have met many runner friends this way.

You sound like a runfluencer

I usually just go scout new specimans at the high school track. I bring a newspaper with two holes cut into it so that they don't feel surveilled or anything.

Cool story bro

MOVE TO BALTIMORE

I do have a subscription but can't remember why I decided to pay. Regarding the social aspect the protocol seems to be just send some "kudos" and if there's no response then maybe the other runner just wants to be left alone. Most runners seem to be looking for other runners to connect with - even if just to communicate through Strava.

This is something I've talked to a friend about. We were okay to decent college runners and we ran pretty competitively after college for a bit. A lot of these runners we met, almost always the ones that didn't get into it until later, were chasing this idealized image of what training and racing is like. IDK how to phrase it, it's like they expected it all to be fun and effortless, like they'd just develop the stride of David Rudisha and achieve greatness and do it all with a smile on their face while running with their buds. It's what they saw on Instagram.

I'm not saying I regret running competitively, I definitely don't. I'm not saying I never had fun and enjoyed myself, I definitely did. But there was always this deer in headlights look when we'd talk about what we did to become fast. It wasn't always pretty. Early mornings. Late nights after work. A solo long run on Christmas morning when you're hungover. Lots of injuries. Constantly feeling like crap. Wake up and your limping because of your chronic achilles issues? Too bad, you've got a tempo this morning and 200s later in the afternoon.

I'm not saying running was or should be constant pain and suffering, but it became clear that there's a disconnect between expectations and reality for these kinds of runners. Like the other poster said, the loneliness of the long distance runner is real.

That's nothing like our running groups.. sounds like you live somewhere lame

I’m in with early 30s with young kids, I will say finding others to run with is tough. Like another poster said I can’t make the 6pm run clubs out there with my family, and no one seems to want to run at 5:30-6am.

I’m honestly not sure how many friends I’d have at all, let alone for running, if I wasn’t going to church. You may have different beliefs and perspectives but that it how I’ve made lasting relationships.

I have a group of guys my age who run long most weekends super early. It took a long time to finally put that together. So keep trying, don’t give up, it’s worth it.

Prob join a track club. I haven’t but my buddies have and it sounds like the people there take running seriously and have a history of competing. So prob cuts out the “run bro and I also do Spartan races” and “runner chickkk” types