On weekends, around 5 am, namma Chennai looks unlike anything seen on weekdays. The roads are quieter, the air feels softer, and the city, which usually chases the sun from dawn to dusk, moves at a gentler pace. Along the Marina beach and Besant Nagar Loop, near the stretches of ECR, inside closed turf courts, and even around tea kadais, groups of people — with their headgears, wrist bands, aesthetic socks, running shoes, and comfy activewear — gather not just to exercise, but to belong.
What began as isolated fitness pursuits have now evolved into something far more social. Run clubs, cycling groups, lifting communities, and women-only wellness collectives are steadily transforming the city’s fitness landscape, creating spaces where people come together for movement, companionship, accountability, and — on a larger scale — a community.
For Karun B, founder of Cloka, the idea began casually. “I used to call my friends to come run with me. But no one showed up,” he comments. What started as a social media post inviting strangers for a run in January 2025 has now snowballed into a fitness collective with close to 9,000 registered members on their website.
Today, Cloka hosts run clubs, lifting sessions, and even fight clubs across the week — all formed out of his personal interest. Saturday mornings are reserved for beach runs, Sunday afternoons for lifting sessions, and Wednesday nights for mid-week stress relief. “We wanted people to have a break from work stress and everything happening during the week in the form of a fight club. Not to promote violence, but to have peace of mind. Not to take anger out on anything in particular, but just controlling it. This is what we are trying to promote in our fight club,” informs Karun.
The group’s evolution reflects a larger cultural shift in fitness, where working out is no longer merely about Instagram posts or likes. “Initially, people came thinking, ‘I’m just coming here to post.’ But we do make them run as well. No one is escaping that,” he quips. Yet, social media validation is not something the community entirely dismisses. “It is a huge achievement to wake up early and show up. So, we’re happy people want to share that.”
What stands out in Cloka and similar fitness communities is their diversity. Cloka’s members range from college students and entrepreneurs to working professionals between 18 and 35 years. Over time, older participants have also begun joining through collaborations and networking events. “People who’ve achieved a lot in life come and interact with youngsters and give advice as well,” Karun says.
Neighbourhood networks
Beyond fostering human connections, these communities are also deeply rooted in neighbourhoods across the city. Cycling groups, in particular, have long been building such local ecosystems. Founded in 2012, Chennai Cyclists began as a neighbourhood initiative in Anna Nagar by Divagaran Thiyagarajan and three of his friends. Back then, there were hardly any organised cycling groups in the area.
Today, the collective has grown into 16 chapters — where each neighbourhood is a chapter — spread across Chennai, from Red Hills and Tondiarpet in the north to Kelambakkam, and Guduvancheri in the south. Early morning rides, often beginning at 5 am, range from 20-km weekday routes to endurance rides crossing 50 km over weekends. “Cycling goes beyond fitness. It’s also about exploring newer routes, newer destinations, fresh air, and socialising,” says Divagaran.
The club also promotes cycling as a sustainable commuting option through initiatives encouraging people to cycle to work or nearby stores. During the pandemic, participation peaked. “People either had to walk or cycle because motor vehicles were restricted. That’s when we saw a huge spike [in participation and membership], which died down post Covid, around 2023,” he recalls.
Despite the dip, the community is growing stronger by the day, as more individuals (read Gen Z) are “investing in health and fitness.” While there is a pull from the participants, Divagaran notes that infrastructure remains a challenge. “Cyclists and pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users. Chennai still has a long way to go in prioritising them,” he says.
Curated for commitment
Meanwhile, newer communities are emerging with highly specific goals. F7_Runclub on Instagram, founded by Aravind Shanmugam earlier this year, originally began as a training group for the global fitness race Hyrox. As Instagram posts gained traction, strangers, particularly women with weight loss concerns, began turning up for runs.
Now, weekly runs are accompanied by breakfasts, music sessions, and beginner-friendly coaching. “Practicing with a team doesn’t make you feel alone,” says Aravind, adding, “People who struggled to run even one kilometre initially, suddenly realise by the third or fourth week that their body is changing.”
Not deviating from his initial goal of training to take part in the rapidly expanding global fitness competition, Aravind keeps the priorities straight. “I converse with the audience [community members] and understand their needs. If they wish to enrol in the competition, then I will help them with the training,” he affirms.
Building inclusive spaces
These communities are in demand, evolving, connected by social media, and importantly, target a niche activity. Beyond these are fitness groups increasingly aimed at people often excluded from mainstream spaces, equally gaining traction. The GloKlub’s partners, Sampreetha Premnath and Sharon Mary Cherian, are progressively creating a women-only wellness collective where beginners could feel safe trying new activities.
“Most fitness communities are still 70-80% men. Women tend to get intimidated when it’s about trying new things or pushing themselves,” notes Sampreetha. She adds that spaces that provide fitness training to the widely identified two genders often get competitive and aggressive. “We wanted to create a safe space for women to try new things,” she says.
Started in late 2025, The GloKlub organises weekend sessions ranging from pickleball and badminton to yoga, swimming, boxing, and strength training. Runs are held in the mornings, racket sports around sunset, and most sessions are followed by brunches or café meet-ups. “The idea is to promote sisterhood. We want women to connect, socialise, and feel comfortable enough to try something new.”
Translating this sense of comfort and accountability towards shaping how fitness is being introduced to children is senior physiotherapist and fitness consultant A Magesh Kumar. He runs activity-based fitness camps for children that blend yoga, obstacle games, agility drills, and even animal-inspired exercises like bear walks and bunny hops. “Kids should not get bored. Every day they want to learn something new. Hence, there is new training every day with special focus on movement,” explains Magesh.
These two-hour sessions focus on communication, teamwork, and awareness around nutrition. Art and craft activities have also recently been added to keep the experience engaging. “They [the kids] are spending more time on screens with no time playing outdoors,” he says, adding that his focus is to teach the youngsters the importance of movement, healthy intake, and strength training early in life so that they take fitness seriously and work towards it.
Finding fitness friendships
As people become more aware of fitness, consistency, and personal health goals, what ties these vastly different communities together is not merely physical movement, but the search for connection in an increasingly isolated urban lifestyle.
“People are stepping out to make real friendships and bonds,” says Karun. Many participants who first arrived as strangers now form friend groups within the community. Some communities facilitate the nurturing of various bonds, while some leave it to the members’ discretion.
Karun believes that fitness clubs have the potential to slowly become alternatives to traditional gyms. “Most gym owners are now trying to create third spaces inside gyms to build community,” he says. Aravind counters that these clubs can act as a support group because the part takers come from different localities in the city. Finding an alternative closer by will be the easier option.
Regardless of differing views, a real shift is unfolding across the beaches and streets of the city. Now, fitness no longer exists as an individual goal pursued inside the gym and around machines. It is becoming a collective and conversational core. As a new day comes, the city is constantly rushing somewhere, but these communities are giving people a reason to move together and find a sense of belonging along the way.