Participants at The Bhag Club voluntary run in Delhi
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Last Sunday, a large group of college students and young adults gathered at Chanakyapuri in Delhi and voluntarily put on their running shoes to run the perimeter of Nehru Park and test their stamina and energy levels. It was neither a competitive race nor was there any pressure on them. People joined for fun, to up their fitness levels or to meet and build a community of like-minded individuals who like to run.
Leading them were two college friends, Krishbir Singh and Jyotiraditya Thakur, who founded The Bhag Club (TBC) in June 2024with an objective to promote an athletic mindset among the people of Delhi NCR.
“Post pandemic we noticed how peoples’ social lives were negatively affected,” says Jyotiraditya. Krishbir adds there has been a lack of both healthy habits and a sense of athleticism among the majority.
Both of them felt community running would help to break the mental and social barriers. They wanted people to run for pleasure and whenever they feel like. “Running needs only motivation and a pair of good shoes unlike other sports that require investment,” says Jyotiraditya.
The idea was good but to get things going was not easy. A lot depended on how they marketed the concept. “We had to think of a strategy that would appeal to the young and make them feel it is good and cool to run,” Krishbir says.
Participants at The Bhag Club voluntary run in Delhi
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Juhi Majumdar, a UPSC aspirant, was a first-time participant at the Sunday run. “I am into fitness, I play volleyball and lift weights but never took to running,” she says. “It was a good experience and I made new friends too,” she adds.
Software engineer Ekansh Batra, who develops mobile games, says running with the TBC has helped him inculcate a fitness regime. “I have a desk job and joined the run for the first time in January this year; ever since I have been a regular,” he says.
Ekansh says he lost 16 kilograms in the last six months and is now able to do HYROX, an indoor fitness competition that combines running with functional workouts. “Running with The Bhag Club has increased my confidence, stamina and skills in other sports such as football,” he says.
Vidushi Kaushik, a recent graduate of OP Jindal Global University, joined the TBC five months ago. “I started off slow, but I recently completed a 10 kilometre-run at my own pace. It pushes me to do better; that is why I keep returning,” she says.
It was Trusha’s third run with the TBC and the Plaksha University student says she enjoys pushing herself.
“In the coming months, we want to focus on more beginner-friendly programmes, be it 10K accelerator or Run your First 5K,” says Jyotiraditya. We want to scale up and get as many people active as possible, adds Krishbir.
Published – July 25, 2025 10:56 am IST
