‘Lazy’ running becomes fresh way for Tokyo runners to build community

Members of the Meguro River Lazy Runners group gather for a chat and some stretching prior to their run on a recent weekday morning, in Tokyo's Nakameguro district. | ELIZABETH BEATTIE

Nov 2, 2026

On a sun-drenched morning in Tokyo’s Nakameguro district, a group of runners gather, form a circle as they stretch and respond to a crucial ice-breaking question for any runner: What is the best post-run indulgence? (Coffee, beer and smoothies are popular picks).

The group is called the Meguro River Lazy Runners, although that’s a bit of a misnomer for people who may be casual runners but are nonetheless getting their cardio in at an early hour.

“We’re not training for a marathon. … It’s very casual,” says Alice Gregg who formed the group around three years ago after sampling other running clubs across the city and finding many to be intensive, training-focused and “quite hardcore.”

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