From runs to treks, Andhra youth redefine social life through shared interests

Vijayawada: Imagine beginning your Sunday with a run along the beach, the sound of waves keeping pace with a group of strangers. A few hours later, you find yourself sharing coffee, heading to a pickleball session or simply watching the sunset with people you had never met before.Not long ago, such scenes were more commonly associated with Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Mumbai. Today, they are becoming increasingly familiar in cities such as Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.Across Andhra Pradesh, young people are quietly creating a new kind of social life. Through run clubs, wellness gatherings, creative workshops, outdoor meetups and hobby-based events, they are finding friendship and connection through shared interests.What makes these gatherings different is that many participants arrive alone. They are not meeting school friends, college classmates or colleagues. Instead, they are joining communities built around common interests, often stepping into a space where they know nobody.Yet by the end of the day, weekend plans are being made and strangers leave as friends.For Keshavi, founder of Visakhapatnam-based community platform Rhyze, the idea emerged from a simple observation. While the city offered beaches, cafes and popular hangout spots, there were limited opportunities for people to connect through meaningful shared experiences.Rhyze hosted its first event in October 2025 and attracted more than 250 participants. Since then, participation has continued to grow, with many attendees returning regularly and bringing friends along.“The activities bring people in, but what many are really looking for is connection and a sense of belonging,” says Keshavi.According to her, many participants arrive alone. Over time, those same participants have formed friendships, collaborations and support networks that extend beyond the events themselves.A similar story is unfolding in Vijayawada.After leaving his investment banking career last year to pursue endurance sports full-time, triathlete Srimanth started Run With The Wind Run Club in September 2025 with just three runners.Today, the club has grown to more than 120 members, with 30 to 40 people regularly turning up for weekly runs. More than 95 per cent of the participants had never run regularly before joining the club.“The whole idea was to build a running community through like-minded people,” says Srimanth. “Most people join on their own and end up making friends here. I’ve seen complete strangers become close friends and continue spending time together outside the runs.”For 28-year-old consultant Bharat, who moved to Vijayawada from Chennai, the run club offered something he did not expect.After relocating to the city, he found it difficult to build a social circle.“I didn’t know anyone when I joined,” he says. “My native language isn’t Telugu, so connecting with people wasn’t easy. But everyone here helps and guides each other. It’s not just about fitness anymore. It’s about friendships and meaningful connections.”Today, Bharat says the community has introduced him to people from different professions and backgrounds.“It feels a little like going back to school and college life. We focus so much on work that we sometimes forget how important it is to socialise with like-minded people.”Many of these communities are finding members through Instagram and other social media platforms. Organisers say participants often discover events online before forming friendships offline.The movement is no longer confined to a single activity. Across Andhra’s cities, young people are signing up for everything from sunrise runs and pickleball sessions to pet yoga events, wellness gatherings, ice-bath experiences, creative workshops, beach clean-ups and outdoor social meetups.According to members of Guntur Trekking Kings, many participants initially join for the experience of exploring nature but end up finding friendships and a sense of community along the way. “People come for nature, but they also build friendships and a sense of community,” says S. Ram. “You meet people from different professions and backgrounds, and many of those connections continue long after the trek ends.”Earlier, friendships were often formed through school, college, neighbourhoods or workplaces. Today, many young adults are meeting through a morning run, a wellness event, a creative gathering or even a pickleball game. The shared activity becomes the starting point for conversations and friendships that may otherwise never have happened.People come for the activity, but stay for the community. And across Andhra Pradesh, young people are not waiting for community anymore. They are building it.