Lauftreff: Erst Run Club, dann Cappuccino – ein neues Geschäftsmodell für den Laufsport

In the heart of Düsseldorf's Old Town, on a Sunday morning just before eight o'clock, runners from various directions converge on the square in front of a church in Bastionstraße. Regardless of the season, more than a hundred participants gather here every week. The meeting begins with a warm-up session, followed by a run of five to ten kilometers. At the group's designated time, they head down to the banks of the Rhine.

David Ebisch, one of the founders of the sports brand Another Cotton Lab, is among the group's leaders. Since its inception two years ago, the Sunday Running Club has held weekly meetings. Some members attend regularly, while others attend sporadically. Participation is free and not obligatory. Some attendees wear the brand's clothing, but this is not mandatory.

For Ebisch, starting a run club seemed like a natural progression: "Our team already ran together once a week. Somewhere along the way, we decided to invite our friends and customers to join us." Initially, attendance was limited to a handful of runners during special events; occasionally, numbers would swell to 200-300 participants. On average, about a hundred people attend.