Run clubs are on the rise. They're about so much more than exercise.

For some people, the idea of lacing up their shoes and heading out on a run is a much-loved solo experience. For others, however, running isn’t about solitude — it’s a social experience. Enter run clubs, which are soaring in popularity all over the globe.

It’s a simple concept: Run clubs are organized groups that meet in order to hit the pavement together. Sometimes these groups train for marathons or other races together, but for many, these clubs are just a fun way to get some exercise.

So … should you join a run club? Here’s why you might want to consider it, from people who love them.

You’ll connect with a running community — no matter your level

Run clubs aren’t just about running — they can also be safe spaces to explore other kinds of communities. The Philadelphia-based group Recovery Run Club offers those dealing with addiction issues a safe space. The Badass Lady Gang, which has run clubs all over the United States and Canada, focuses on building women friendships and body positivity. Besties Run Club, based in Los Angeles, has its home base at a vegan grocer and engages its club in a variety of community activities. (Most importantly, it offers free dairy-free soft-serve to runners.)

Michael Mazzara, who owns HalfMarathon.net, a website that covers running culture, tells Yahoo Life that he joined more than 100 runners participating in “Track Tuesday” at the Brooklyn Track Club. It helped him find other people who shared his passion.

“I felt like showing up was the reward and I was exposed to every different perspective, motivation and approach to running,” he says. “Run clubs normalize what you previously felt alone about in your running. Am I running too slow? Is everyone else cramping in the summer? What should I know about the NYC Marathon? It offers this safe space for learning and loving the practice.”

Plus, it makes what can be a “very elite and performance-driven sport” more fun, says Mazzara. “When we open up Runner's World, the articles we're shown are on world records being broken when we're just busy logging 10 minute miles for our marathon 18 weeks away,” he says. However, with run clubs, “the reward becomes the practice versus the finish line.”

For those who like the idea of a judgment-free club to hit the pavement with, the Slow AF Run Club, which has groups around the country, might be just the thing.

You’ll get outside

One benefit of run clubs is that they force you to spend time outside, as opposed to indoors at a gym, slogging away on the treadmill. Studies have even shown that exercising in nature may be better for your brain than working out indoors.

“Exercising outdoors, such as jogging, biking or walking, is a great way to stimulate the body by bringing in fresh air, vitamin D from the sun and observing changes in scenery,” Bradley Donohue, a clinical sports psychologist and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, previously told Yahoo Life. Plus, you might actually work out harder, as all of these factors help “shape a positive mindset and inspire effort to engage in moderately intense physical activity that we know is critical to healthy living.”

Run clubs hold you accountable to your fitness goals

For some people, joining a run club is a step towards completing a major race like a marathon. The fellow people in the run club are all accountability partners. Nick Arrington, a lead run coach with NoName Run Club, which trains New York City runners for marathons, tells Yahoo Life that joining his Lululemon-powered run club helps people get over the finish line — not only through their training regimen, but by the emotional support they provide.

“The person who has never run a 5K, 10K, half marathon or a full marathon gets the most love and support,” says Arrington, who also appeared on Bravo’s Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard. “We all want to see each other win.”

Ari Perez, who is operating partner at the Fleet Feet stores in Austin, Texas, tells Yahoo Life that running clubs offer a “safe place” for people to workout, where they don’t have to put the effort into creating their own personalized workout, which may be intimidating for some people. “It’s an outlet for functional movement, from a pure health standpoint,” Perez says. “There’s a camaraderie there. You know you’re going to have a safe place, and you’re going to do this workout together, unlike if you were to go alone to a gym. There’s a structured workout — you’re there, and you’re on the ride with everyone.”

It’s a low-pressure social activity

Some people might join a running club to meet more people — but unlike some other group activities, chatting isn’t a must-do. Duy Nguyen, who runs Koreatown Run Club in Los Angeles, tells Yahoo Life that the group consists of about 2,000 people, broken up between four days during the week, and people have a variety of experiences within the club.

“You can just be there to get your run in, or you can show up and talk to everyone,” he says. “It’s really open. If you want to come out four days a week and train for a marathon, you can. Or if you just want to get a run in before the gym, you can do that as well.”

You might find the love of your life

Who needs dating apps when you have … run clubs?! While meeting someone while you’re sweating might not seem ideal for some, many singles are turning to run clubs as a way to meet their match. In fact, the Chicago Run Collective went so far as to offer signs to their single club members highlighting their solo status, in hopes of striking up a love connection. The Weston Run Club in South Florida boasts a marriage proposal (and two children!) as a result of their meetups.

There may be a scientific reason why run clubs are a good place to meet someone — if you’re actually interested in working out, that is. “We also seek validation, which is easier to find with a person who shares our specific interests,” Theresa DiDonato, an associate professor of psychology at Loyola University Maryland, previously told Women’s Health. If you’re already bonding over a love of running, who knows what else you and your potential new paramour have in common?