Run The Weekend grew from six runners, half of them siblings, into Paphos's Sunday crew

0:00 Not your ordinary run club

Have you ever tried to join a fitness group and you just feel totally, utterly intimidated before you even, like, tie your shoes?

Oh, absolutely. Like, every single time.

You show up and everyone is decked out in this, like, aerodynamic neon gear.

Yeah, and they're all tapping their $400 GPS watches.

Exactly, and they're casually dropping all this jargon about, you know, VO2 max and negative splits. And you're just sitting there like, I just want to get off the couch.

Yeah, suddenly you feel like you accidentally stumbled into the Olympic trials or something.

It's the worst feeling. But today, we're doing a deep dive into a community that is completely tearing down that barrier.

It's such a refreshing story.

It really is. Our mission today is to explore how a super simple fitness goal can unexpectedly transform into this massive, tight-knit community. And our source for this is an incredibly warm, funny interview from the Couch to Club series over on runpacks.app.

Yeah, it features this Cyprus-based social run club called Run The Weekend, or, you know, RTW as they call it.

Right. And if you read their own words, which we're going to dive into, it is the exact opposite of that intimidating experience we were just talking about.

It really is. And I think it starts directly with their core ethos, right? Because they have this defining hashtag.

Oh, yes.

#NotYourOrdinaryRunClub.

Exactly.

And they have this motto, which is Run Together, Grow Together. But what really struck me is how they define why they aren't ordinary.

Yeah, they actually spelled it out so perfectly in the interview.

They did. Their exact words were, and I quote, We don't care about your pace, your watch, or your personal best.

Which is wild for a run club. Right.

But they follow it up by saying, We care that you show up, have fun, and leave feeling better than when you arrived.

Leave feeling better than when you arrived. I love that so much. It's kind of like going to a really great dinner party.

Oh, how so?

Well, you know, at a great dinner party, the food is actually just an excuse to get all your favorite people in a room together.

Oh, totally. Yeah.

Like, the running is just the appetizer for RTW. The community is the actual main course. The club is really about everything that happens because of the running, not the running itself.

That is such a spot-on analogy.

Yeah.

Because by removing those metrics, you know, the pace, the watch, the personal best, they completely remove the barrier to entry.

Right.

It makes fitness truly accessible to anyone, regardless of where they're starting from.

2:25 Six runners, three of them siblings

But, you know, it's one thing to say you have zero intimidation, and it's another to actually build that from scratch.

Oh, for sure. Starting something new is always awkward. So awkward.

And their beginnings were very, very humble, and honestly, pretty hilarious.

Yeah, they really started small. Very small.

The founders had this simple idea to make fitness more social and fun, right? But at their very first run, guess how many people showed up?

Um, I remember reading this. It was just six people, right? Just six people.

And here is the best part. I'm just going to read their exact words from the origin story.

Go for it. They said,

and here's the funny part. Three of them were our siblings

who were basically forced to show up and support us. Oh my gosh, that's amazing. Right. And they added, so technically,

half of our first running crew had no choice.

I mean, you got to do what you got to do.

You really do. I just had to laugh at the relatable reality of that. Behind every great grassroots movement, there was some family member who was dragged off the couch on a Sunday.

Just so the founders wouldn't look like they were standing alone in an empty parking lot. Exactly.

A little bit of guilt goes a long way when you're starting out.

It definitely does.

But, you know, from that guilt-tripped family gathering of six people,

they've evolved into this massive,

magnetic weekly event.

It's incredible.

3:43 A Sunday at Paphos Castle

And if we walk through what a normal Sunday looks like for them now, it is just magical.

The setting alone is unbelievable. Right.

They meet at Paphos Castle on the harbor, and they time it perfectly for that golden hour of sunshine.

Yeah, they mentioned the start time dynamically moves between 5 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., just depending on the season, so they always catch that light.

And the mechanics of joining are so simple. It is totally free.

No subscription, nothing.

Absolutely zero registration. They literally just say,

just show up. Which is huge.

But they also have pacers for every level, right?

Yes. Which I think is so smart. It guarantees no one is left behind.

And then the route itself is a really relaxed 5K along that beautiful Paphos coastline.

The way they described that coastline in the interview was stunning.

It really was. They said it feels like an exotic island, and they talked about it having a whole different kind of magic with the sea and the golden skies and the warm breeze.

I mean, with scenery like that, it's no wonder they sometimes forget they're actually there to exercise.

Exactly.

I'd forget, too. The flow of the event

is just a group warm-up, the run itself, where some go fast, some go easy, but there's lots of laughter and good vibes.

And then the cool down and stretching, of course.

Oh, and we can't forget the grand finale.

The photos? Yes.

No Sunday is complete without their traditional group photo with that gorgeous sunset in the background.

It really sounds like a dream. But, you know, a scenic route is beautiful, but a nice view isn't really enough to keep a community thriving week after week.

5:10 First-run nerves and the RTW superpower

No, you need something deeper. Right.

And they have this incredible advice for newcomers who might still be nervous.

Yeah, what did they say about that?

They said, feeling nervous is completely normal, but it just won't last long because no experience or specific pace is needed. There's just zero pressure or judgment.

That is so comforting.

It is. And they actually stated that they have a superpower.

Oh, I love this part.

Their superpower is making strangers feel like they've known each other for years.

Wow. Yeah.

Quoting the club directly here, they said, there's something about the RTW energy that makes everyone feel instantly at home. No pressure, no awkwardness, just good vibes and genuine connections.

That is amazing.

And they followed it up with, you may come for the run, but it's the feeling

that brings you back. So let me ask you this as we're analyzing this. Is this superpower just like runners high in endorphins? Or is this a deliberate culture that the founders have somehow engineered?

It's definitely deliberate engineering. Because think about it, the lack of registration, the all levels welcome rule, the pacers for every speed, all of that actively dismantles social anxiety. Right.

They take away all the friction. Exactly.

They've built an environment where you literally can't fail. So your brain stops worrying about failing and starts focusing on connecting with the people around you.

6:43 The Grand Prix win and the Summer Party

Which leads to some incredibly unforgettable moments. Because when you take a massive group of people who are running purely for good vibes, and you put them in a high stakes environment, the results are really surprising.

Oh, you mean the Limassol Grand Prix?

Yes. Last year, RTW unexpectedly took first place as a team in the 5K race.

Which is wild. It is.

Because they only went to run together and have fun. They weren't trying to dominate the field. Which made the win this huge, massive surprise.

It's so delightful.

It really is. It's like, um,

it's like a group of people casually playing mini golf for fun

and accidentally winning the Masters.

That is the perfect way to describe it.

Right. It just proves that a relaxed, supportive environment can sometimes yield much better results than, like, hyper-competitive stress.

Absolutely. And that vibe carries over in everything they do. Like their summer party, which was another unforgettable moment they talked about.

Oh, yeah. They mentioned how much they loved seeing all these people, some of them complete strangers, just dancing and laughing and celebrating together.

It really shows that the community aspect is what they treasure most.

Definitely.

7:51 This or that

And to really get inside

the minds of the founders and see what makes them tick, there was this amazing this or that game in the interview.

Oh, I loved that part.

It was so fun. We should play it right now. I'll ask you the prompt and you try to guess what RTW answered.

Okay, I am so down for this. Let's do it. All right, first one.

Road or trail?

Hmm. I'm going to guess they said both. You got it.

They said both. Road for speed and trail for views.

Nice. Makes sense.

Okay, next one. Sunset run or sunrise hike?

Well, considering their Sunday rituals, definitely sunset run. Yep.

They said sunset run. Golden hour hits different in Paphos.

It really must.

Okay, here's a tricky one. Sprint finish or chatty pace?

Oh, well, based on their relaxed vibe, I would confidently guess chatty pace.

See, I thought so too, but no, they said sprint finish.

Wait, really? Yes, but their reasoning

is hilarious.

They said sprint finish, obviously,

especially when the photographers are waiting at the finish line. Got to look fast with a little laughing emoji.

Oh my gosh, that is brilliant. It's so honest. Do it for the photos.

Exactly. It's so honest. Okay, how about the harbor or the hills?

I'll say harbor. They actually split it.

They said the harbor for the vibes, the hills for the drama.

The drama. I love that they appreciate the drama of a good hill climb.

Right. Okay, next one. Summer season or winter season? This is tough.

Cyprus is famous for summer, but I feel a curveball. Winter.

Yes.

And they didn't just say winter,

they spelled it out. W I N T E R with three exclamation marks. Winter period. Wow,

they are really passionate about winter. Super passionate. And last one, run together

or grow together.

Oh, that's their motto.

They definitely said both.

Exactly. They said, why choose?

We run together, we grow together. That's the whole point.

That is just so wholesome.

It really is.

9:52 Winter, a hike and something big

But going back to that

incredible enthusiasm for winter,

it begs the question, what does the off-season

actually look like for a club that loves winter so much?

Well, their official Summer Sunday runs just closed, right?

Yeah, they closed on October 18, 2026 with an event they called the "One last dance" run.

So they are currently on a winter break from the Sunday runs, but the club definitely isn't stopping.

Not at all. They said to expect spontaneous runs and hikes.

And we actually have a recent example of a winter-style event they did.

Oh, yeah? Yeah,

on September 12, 2026, they did this big hike with another Cyprus club

called Outrunners. Oh,

I saw that.

Yeah. They hiked out and back from Doxa Soi o Theos to the Madari Fire Lookout.

Yeah, a 7.6-kilometer hike. So they're definitely keeping active and mixing it up. For sure.

And when the interviewer asked them about the next hike, they kept it a secret. But they did say another adventure is definitely on the way.

They are good at building the hype.

They really are. And they left us with a huge teaser. They said they are working on something big.

Oh, really? Yeah.

A fresh look, exciting plans, and a whole new chapter. They said same mission, same energy, bigger dreams.

Wow.

I am so curious what that something big could be.

Me too. It just shows

they are a community that refuses to rest on its laurels. You know, they are always looking for the next adventure.

It's so inspiring.

It really is. So, listener, if you want to see all these golden hour photos, and trust me, you do, and read the full story in the club's own words, you need to head over to runpacks.app. Yes,

11:19 Where to find them

definitely check that out.

And you also absolutely need to follow them on Instagram. Their handle is @runtheweekend_. So that's @runtheweekend_, so you don't miss the very first spontaneous winter run they announce.

And before we go, I just want to leave you with a final thought to kind of mull over today.

Yeah, let's hear it.

RTW proved that sometimes the best way to achieve a goal, whether it's getting fit, or, you know, accidentally winning a 5K, or just building a habit, isn't by tracking every single metric and stressing over all the numbers.

Right.

It's actually by finding a community that makes the whole process so enjoyable that you basically forget you're even doing the work. So ask yourself, what area of your life could benefit from a little less tracking and a little more running together?

That is a great question to end on. Thanks for hanging out with us today, everyone.