Looking for a running partner? Here is how to ask.
"Anyone fancy running sometime?" is the most common running-partner post on the internet, and it almost never works. Not because nobody wants a partner, but because nobody can tell from it whether they would be one. Here is what to put in instead, a template you can copy, and where to post it.
Why most posts get no replies
A vague post asks every reader to do the work. To reply, they would have to wonder whether you are faster than them, whether you run when they run, whether you live anywhere near them — and then message you to find out. Most people do not bother.
A specific post does the opposite. The right person reads it, recognises themselves in it, and replies in one line. The wrong person scrolls past, which is exactly what you want.
The five lines every post needs
Pace, as a range. "Around 5:45–6:15 per km" — not your best time, the pace you hold on an ordinary run.
Distance. "Usually 5–8 km, a 12 km on Sundays."
Days and times. "Tuesday or Thursday evenings after 18:30, sometimes Saturday morning."
Where you start. A neighbourhood or a landmark, never your street. "Starting near the park by the station."
What you want. A regular run or a one-off, chatty or training, a race you are building towards. One line about you helps too — new to the city, back after a break, training for a half.
A template you can copy
"Looking for a running partner in [area]. I run [5–8 km] at about [5:45–6:15 /km], usually [Tuesday or Thursday evenings]. Happy to start around [landmark]. Looking for [a regular easy run / someone to train for a half with]. [New to the area / back after a year off.] Reply or message if that sounds like you."
Two examples. A beginner: "Looking for a running partner in the city centre. I am building up to 5 km at about 7:00 /km, Monday and Wednesday mornings around 07:00. Just want someone to make sure I actually go." A marathoner: "Looking for a long-run partner for the April marathon. Sundays, 18–28 km at 5:20–5:40, starting from the river. Happy to share routes."
What to leave out
Your address, your street, your phone number. A neighbourhood or a landmark is enough to tell people whether you are close; the rest can wait until you have messaged and decided to meet.
A list of who you do not want. "No slow runners" or "serious runners only" reads as hostile and puts off exactly the people who would have been fine. Your pace range already does that filtering politely.
Your race times. Your 10 km PB tells people how fast you once ran on your best day, not how fast you run on a Tuesday. It also makes the post feel like a trial. The ordinary pace is the useful number.
An essay. Five or six lines. If it does not fit on a phone screen without scrolling, the people you want will not finish it.
Where to post it
Your city's subreddit and r/running's weekly threads — slow, but locals reply and point you elsewhere if nobody bites.
Local Facebook groups for your city's runners or your neighbourhood. Post it on a weekday evening, when people are actually reading.
Your club's or run shop's WhatsApp or Strava club. The people there already run, which makes the hit rate far higher than a general group.
Partner-finding sites and apps. On a matching app the post is your profile: pace range, days and area are filled in once, and you are shown to the people who overlap instead of waiting for them to scroll past.
When replies come in
Check the three things that have to match — pace, days and distance from you — before anything else. A lovely message from someone who runs Saturdays only, across the city, is a run that will happen once.
For the first run, meet somewhere public, busy and lit, tell someone where you are going, and keep it short. The guide to running with a stranger safely covers the rest.
If nobody replies
Repost a week later at a different time of day, widen your pace range by 15 seconds each way, or add a second day. And go to a parkrun: the people who finish around you are the replies your post did not get.
Common questions
What should I write when looking for a running partner?
Your pace as a range per kilometre, your usual distance, the days and times you run, the area you start from (never your address), and whether you want a regular easy run or a training partner.
Where can I post that I am looking for a running partner?
Your city's subreddit, local runners' Facebook groups, your club's or run shop's WhatsApp or Strava club, and partner-matching apps, where your pace, days and area act as the post.
Why does nobody reply to my running partner post?
Usually because it is too vague for anyone to tell whether they would fit. Adding a pace range, days and times, and a starting area makes the right people recognise themselves and reply.
Should I give my exact pace or a range?
A range. Most runners vary by 30–50 seconds per kilometre depending on the day, and a range produces better matches than a single best time.
Is it safe to meet someone from a running partner post?
With ordinary precautions, yes: meet somewhere public and lit, tell someone your route and time, keep the first run short, and leave if anything feels off.