People exercise at Benchakitti Park in Bangkok on Feb 2, 2026. (Photo: Petprakai Hansiri)

Social feeds are hitting differently lately, teeming with a younger crowd at parks. Instead of the strobes and neon of a nightclub, the feed is filled with morning mist and the greenery of public parks.

This shift marks a stark contrast to previous generations. Today, you are more likely to find Gen Z hitting the running track at dawn than stumbling out of an entertainment venue after an all-nighter.

While flaunting bottle service at a luxury club once defined social status, the premium lifestyle has pivoted toward the pursuit of physical resilience. Today, a strong body and a clean prescription of health are the new signifiers of wealth. The public parks – once the exclusive sanctuary of retirees and the middle-aged – are now bustling with a new demographic.

For Gen Z, the act of running is more than exercise, yet it is a public display of self-nurture and discipline. In a world of fleeting trends, the grit required to hit the running track at dawn has become the ultimate self-reliant flex.

This wellness flex is captured as content on social media, fuelled largely by the Strava application. This app has transformed raw exercise data, such as kilometres logged, pace, global positioning system (GPS), heart rate and elevation gained, into a form of creative performance, allowing runners to post their grit as a digital trophy. It creates a gamified loop of self-improvement, pushing users to outpace their personal bests to overcome their previous statistics. As this self-love trend dominates the feed, the ubiquitous party check-in, dripping with alcohol and late-night revelry, is rapidly fading into a digital relic.

Financially, the scales are shifting. While thousands of baht might vanish in a single night of bottle service, leaving behind nothing but a fading memory and a morning hangover. The running community are also using their money, yet with a different goal. Investing in high-performance footwear or top-tier smartwatches is no longer seen as an extravagance. It is viewed as a down payment on longevity, strengthening the preservation of knees and joints. Gen Z is treating health as an asset, turning self-care into a high-yield, long-term investment.

Beyond the physical gains, the shift is deeply social. While the traditional alcohol-fuelled network often relies on the blurred lines of late-night revelry, where self-control slips and conversations are often forgotten by tomorrow, instead the running community offers a more grounded alternative. These sweat-equity bonds, forged on the pavement at dawn or after office hours, are built on shared discipline and sincerity. In these circles, the dialogue revolves around physical and mental longevity rather than fleeting, drunken promises. For the modern generations, these morning miles are becoming the foundation for more resilient and meaningful social connections.

That said, the trend has limits. Wellness can be performative, and not everyone has time, safe spaces or funds for expensive gear. The gamification of fitness can encourage unhealthy comparison or overtraining. A fuller reckoning should acknowledge these blind spots.

If longevity is the new flex, we should aim to make it inclusive. Employers, urban planners and brands can support safer, accessible public spaces, community programmes and affordable options.

Celebrate the morning miles, but make sure everyone can lace up.