A novel music festival is injecting a dose of romance into the typical festival experience by offering speed dating – with a twist: participants will be running.
The inaugural Festival of Running and Music (FORM), conceptualized by a Bristol-based couple whose initial ten dates were all 10k runs, is scheduled to take place from September 25th to 27th in Wales’s picturesque Brecon Beacons.
Ed JenkinsFORM’s organizing team will pre-match participants with two or three potential romantic interests. Couples will then complete three loops of a scenic trail, designed to facilitate conversation and connection.
Co-organiser Ed Jenkins remarked that introducing speed dating was a natural progression, driven by his observation of the “anguish” surrounding dating within his regular running club, Ravers2Runners (R2R).
“The running speed-dating is slightly tongue-in-cheek, but I think it really does represent quite a serious issue in society right now,” Jenkins stated, highlighting a perceived mental health crisis in modern dating.
Ed Jenkins“If people need a safe place to meet other people and are trying to forge a deeper connection and lifelong relationship, then why shouldn’t we use our space to create that?” he continued. “We have a fantastic, very romantic, one kilometre (0.6 mile) route around Three Pools Farm – with the backdrop of the stunning Brecon Beacons.”
Following the run, participants will anonymously indicate their interest in a follow-up coffee, drink, or other activity with someone they met. “Let’s see if we get our first FORM festival wedding off the back of it,” Jenkins added optimistically.
Marc HarveyMarc Harvey, 38, a regular with R2R for 18 months, shared that his social life has “absolutely exploded” since joining, leading to a couple of romantic relationships. He expressed disillusionment with the traditional dating app landscape, finding it passive and discouraging.
“I can only speak from my own personal experience, but I was just so jaded by the whole field of dating through dating apps,” Harvey confessed. “I found them so discouraging, as you just kind of sat there swiping. I said to myself, ‘surely it’s a lot better to go out there and see someone in the wild, so to speak.'”
‘No Pressure’ Encounters
Harvey anticipates meeting like-minded individuals at FORM who share his enthusiasm for the outdoors, running, and music. “Running speed-dating is a great idea because we’re all in the same place to do the same thing and there’s no pressure,” he remarked.
Hannah Ward, 36, who has extensive experience working at festivals like Glastonbury and Boomtown, observes a significant cultural shift towards health-conscious and activity-driven events.
“The running speed-dating is something that I think is really interesting, and something I can’t wait to do, because with R2R festivals, I know the crowd they attract is sort of a Venn diagram of my main two interests, and therefore there could more likely be connections,” Ward explained, emphasizing the targeted nature of FORM’s appeal.
Hannah WardWard, who no longer uses dating apps due to their perceived lack of authenticity, believes FORM’s approach is refreshing. “Events like [FORM], where they are focusing on the singles market, are great, because no other event that I’ve seen has really had any singles activities,” she commented. “I’ve never understood why there’s not speed-dating at every festival!”
Business Style Takeaway: The FORM festival exemplifies a growing trend of niche events blending lifestyle passions with social interaction. Brands looking to resonate with younger, experience-seeking demographics should consider how to create authentic connection points that go beyond passive consumption, tapping into shared activities and community building as pathways to engagement and loyalty.
Based on materials from : www.bbc.com