Company Running Group
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Physical Activityunder €100half a day

Company Running Group

Workplace running groups are one of the most robust formats in BGF – not because running is particularly trendy, but because a fixed group with a fixed date creates the strongest form of social commitment a sports offering can provide.

Why people run more with others than alone Someone who has arranged to meet colleagues on Monday will show up even when they're tired. That's not an act of willpower, but social psychology: nobody wants to be the one who's missing. This mechanism is what makes running groups so durable. Add to that the preparation for concrete events – company runs, city races, charity runs – which keeps a group together for months without anyone having to actively promote the offering.

How to build a group that doesn't fizzle out The most common mistake with workplace running groups: starting too ambitiously. A group that plans for an hour three times a week is cut in half after four weeks. A group that runs 30–45 minutes once a week often lasts for years. What matters is a leader – not a manager, but someone who simply starts running and takes others along. This person doesn't need training, just reliability.

How to put it in place

  1. 1
    Determine interest via a short survey or notice
  2. 2
    Set a fixed running time + meeting point (e.g. Tuesdays 5:30 PM from the parking lot)
  3. 3
    Plan routes: 3 km (beginner), 5 km (intermediate), 8 km (advanced)
  4. 4
    Create and share a registration list
  5. 5
    Organize a kick-off run: relaxed, no performance pressure
  6. 6
    Set up a group chat for reminders and motivation
  7. 7
    Fix weekly running days for 8-10 weeks

What you need

Effort
half a day
Cost
under €100
Duration
8-12
Setup
120 min
  • Shared goal
  • Visible externally
  • All fitness levels
  • Sense of community

Eligible for funding: up to €600 tax-free

As part of a structured workplace health process, this measure is tax-free under § 3 no. 34 of the German Income Tax Act (EStG) up to €600 per employee per year — BGF-Kompass supplies the process. Certified offers (e.g. from Upfit) are additionally subsidised by statutory health insurers under § 20b SGB V.

Health-insurer funding & tax: how to apply →

Adopt it for your company

Register for free — and the measure is ready to go in your cockpit: invitation, feedback survey and appointment are already set up. First cycle, first numbers for the boss.

Start for free now

Rather take a look first? To the live demo →

Contributes to

Expand movement offeringsOrganize team events

Measure the impact with

GPAQ – Bewegungsverhalten (WHO)

Related best practices

Not sure where to start? 5-minute self-check →

BGF-Kompass covers German workplace health promotion (BGF): funding paths, figures and legal references (e.g. § 20b SGB V, § 3 No. 34 EStG, the statutory-health-insurer prevention guidelines) apply to Germany.