On Wednesdays, we run wild. That’s the philosophy behind NYC Bridgerunners, an innovative running crew that hasn’t missed a beat since Mike Saes founded it some two decades ago. With interest in run clubs at an all-time high, Bridgerunners is now spotlighted by Klarna, the global tech company reimagining how we spend and save. From splitting a round of pre-run coffees to covering post-run recovery sessions in four, this collective is proof that movement, culture, and community all benefit from a little flexibility.
Not only is the collective unique because they run without a route—and sometimes, even without a destination—but they also hold the distinction of being the world’s first run crew. Ever. Sure, there were running groups before Bridgerunners, but they didn’t resemble the social-club-meets-urban-exploration hybrid that characterizes a crew.
“A crew is really just non-running runners getting together, and looking at art, and trying to learn about the best place to eat pizza or tacos in New York,” Saes explains. “Because we were kind of the first to do that, we became a verb, and now we're just Bridgerunners—as in, we bridge runners together.”
Like most great inventions, it all came about by accident. “As legend has it, I was late picking up my son from nursery school. And after eating lunch at Peter Luger, I had to run across the bridge,” the founder recalls. “Later on that year, people saw me running and decided to follow me. It became a late-night kind of thing to do because it was a super hot summer, and you couldn't run in the daytime.”
From day one, Bridgerunners was about more than just making miles. Saes and his cohort have been supporting local businesses since the start, introducing the crew’s rotating and ever-expanding cohort to the city’s hidden gems and underappreciated hangout spots. “Basically, places that people don't know about, we love to support. That's kind of our thing. Forever,” he says. Thanks to the Klarna App, the crew can split purchases into four installments and continue shopping locally without breaking members’ budgets—or their strides.
On Wednesday nights, a favorite route kick-off point is coffee-shop-meets-listening-room, Silence Please. The Lower East Side locale plays vinyls out of bespoke speakers built by a friend of Saes’s, creating an elevated listening experience that’s audiophile-approved, combined with the drinks and treats for perfect pre-run prep. While it’s not on every week’s running path, “it's definitely a place where I bring people when they come to New York,” Saes explains.
Another must-visit? Awake NY, the go-to gear shop for Bridgerunners members and anyone else looking to hit the pavement. Not only have Saes and company stocked up on the streetwear juggernaut’s caps and tees with Klarna’s Pay-In-Four interest-free offering, but they’ve also taken pauses to admire the store’s art installations—from eye-catching painting series to photography exhibits themed around Jordans.
With art appreciation at the center of Bridgerunners’ identity, Awake is not just a gear stop but a “culture stop” for the crew. They’ve hosted block parties with the downtown hub on Orchard Street, effortlessly syncing both brands’ missions towards cultivating community, creativity, and connection.
Just a few blocks north, the club hits Essex Squeeze, a juice bar from Essex Market. “It’s run by ‘true Yorkers’ who grew up in New York and are from the neighborhood,” Saes shares. One of the Squeeze’s partners is his Bridgerunners co-captain, Cedric Hernandez, a marathoner who started the juice business to keep himself and the crew on the healthy side.
“We try to balance our lifestyle: party hard, train hard, and hopefully, recover hard. And part of recovery and pre-covery is a really good juice,” Saes says.
Even when the run is over, the night goes on. The final stop on the Bridgerunners’ typical trek is Russian & Turkish Baths, the East Village haven for saunas, cold plunges, and other R&R. Saes has been visiting the locale for decades, and catches up with old and new runner friends there. “The cold plunge is perfect post-run for anti-inflammatory, and the ice-cold beer is the perfect carb load after those things, too,” he explains. “It's a great place to bring guests from out of town because it's a true New York staple.”
When it is Saes or another captain’s turn to be tour guide for visitors (in one of the world’s most expensive cities, no less), Klarna’s flexible tools make it easy to pick up the tab or grab post-run refreshments without stressing the cost. “It's good to have some help with Klarna to be able to pay for those drinks or pay for that schvitz. It really helps me personally to be a leader in the movement, when people ask for their check and I'm like, ‘It's on me,’” Saes says.
Bridgerunners and spin-off movement Bridge The Gap—a global network of urban running crews that meet up, log miles, make art, or just have fun together as a community—inspire members to take advantage of one of the best parts of the city: being outside. While running in the great outdoors is free, Klarna makes it easier to say yes to the local spots, the people, and the moments that make these miles matter. That way, protecting your savings isn’t a barrier to finding your people and bridging the gap between you, one Wednesday at a time.
Download the Klarna app to get in on the action and shop local.
