Six date ideas for running couples, it's time to combine your love life with your run life

If you’re dating a runner, that’s good news for you, because no matter what, you’ll always have something to bond over. You two share a common love (for running!), so why not incorporate running into your dates? There are plenty of ways to turn a run into a date (and vice versa), so it’s time to give it a try. Here are six ideas to get you started.

1.- Go for a run

This one’s pretty obvious, but if you don’t run with your partner, then you should test it out. You’re both so busy with work and training, and you might not have much time together when you’re finally done for the day. Running together is a great way to spend more time together without sacrificing any training hours. So lace up, head out the door with your significant other and enjoy a nice long run, side by side. 

2.- Have a running picnic 

Pack a backpack with your favorite foods and snacks and find a trail with a scenic lookout. You and your partner can run there together, then take a well-deserved break for lunch. After you eat and enjoy the scenery, you can run back (or have a nice, relaxed hike). 

3.- Run and ride 

If you’re training for a marathon and your partner is focusing on shorter races, your long runs are likely much longer than theirs. Or maybe it’s the opposite, and you’re the short-distance runner in the relationship. In either case, you can still hang out together on your long runs, with the marathon runner on foot and the 5K runner riding beside them on a bike. This will give the marathoner some welcome company for their long run, and it will give you a chance to chat. 

4.- Enter a destination race 

Plan a getaway with your partner and sign up for a destination race together. You can have a romantic weekend away while still doing what you both love—racing. Don’t forget to make reservations somewhere for your joint carb-loading meal. Maybe you have some vacation days to spare and you can tack on a few days after the race, so you can enjoy your destination post-run once the stress of the event is in the past.

5.- Couples massage

Book a couples massage for you and your partner. You’ve both been training so hard, so you deserve a treat, and what’s better than a massage to aid in your recovery? Enjoy a massage together to help your bodies unwind ahead of your next workout.

6.- Pace your partner

Now, we know that pacing your partner in a race won’t give you a chance to talk much, but it’s still a good way to spend some time together. Plus, your partner will appreciate your help as you pace them to a new PB (hopefully), and when it comes time for your A race, they’ll be there to return the favor. 

posted Friday March 10th
by Ben Snider-McGrath