A conversation with Felipe Perdomo of Midnight Runners on what performance actually means, and why joy is the only metric that matters.
This is part of Performance Rewritten – conversations with the people and communities changing what it means to move. Each installment looks at the same questions from a different angle: What is performance? What keeps people consistent? And what does it mean to build something that lasts?
Most running groups are built around pace.
Finish times. Training plans. Strava segments. The implied contract is: show up, work hard, get faster.
Midnight Runners operates on a completely different premise. They use running as a vehicle, not a destination. And the results, it turns out, are far more durable than a PR.
We sat down with Felipe to talk about what performance looks like when you take the stopwatch out of the equation.
What Is Midnight Runners?
At its core, Midnight Runners is a non-profit, volunteer-based community that uses group running to help people explore their cities and connect with something bigger than themselves. Their slogan – Never Just Running – is doing a lot of work in three words.
“We prioritize building authentic human connections, and running is simply the medium we use to achieve that.”
It’s a distinction that matters, because it changes everything about how the organization operates. The run isn’t the product. The connection is.
That framing also helps dispel some persistent misconceptions. Midnight Runners isn’t a group of athletes looking for training partners. It isn’t a fitness brand in disguise. And despite a global footprint that spans dozens of cities, it isn’t a well-resourced multinational.
On accessibility: Events are designed for everyone. Walkers are welcome. The pace of the event is secondary to the experience of it.
On fitness goals: There’s no structured training. If people get fitter, that’s a byproduct, not the point. The time before and after the run is treated as just as important as the run itself.
On disruption: Large groups can be noisy. Midnight Runners takes that seriously, investing in crowd management and route optimization to minimize impact on the cities where they operate.
What Does Performance Mean Here?
This is where Midnight Runners diverges most sharply from conventional fitness culture.
Performance, in Felipe’s framing, is measured by joy.
“We measure performance by the level of joy and excitement our members feel.”
That’s not a soft metric dressed up in softer language. It’s a deliberate philosophy, one that flips the usual calculus of what makes a community successful.
In most fitness contexts, performance is external and comparative: how far, how fast, how often, how you rank. At Midnight Runners, performance is internal and qualitative. Did it feel worth it? Did it excite you? Do you want to come back?
The only commitment the community asks of its members is to respect the values and enjoy themselves. Which, if you think about it, is a pretty high bar, because enjoyment that’s genuine is harder to manufacture than a training log.
What Actually Keeps People Coming Back?
Consistency is one of the most studied and least solved problems in fitness. People start. People stop. The gap between intention and behavior is the entire business model of January gym memberships.
Midnight Runners has found something that closes that gap, not through accountability structures or gamified streaks, but through purpose.
“A phrase we often hear is, ‘Midnight Runners changed my life.’ When people experience that kind of impact, they want to share it with others.”
That’s the engine. Not habit. Not obligation. Transformation, the kind that makes people want to bring their friends in.
The desire to share an experience is a fundamentally different motivator than the desire to hit a goal. Goals end. Transformative communities create their own momentum.
When Running Becomes a Lifestyle
The most striking thing Felipe describes is what happens when the community really takes hold. It doesn’t stay in one lane.
“The biggest change I see is how the activity begins to permeate all aspects of a person’s life. Suddenly, your social life, habits, and even professional opportunities become linked to the community.”
This is the compounding effect of belonging. When your social network, your identity, and your weekly rhythm all intersect around the same community, the activation energy required to show up drops to nearly zero. You’re not going to a workout. You’re going to your people.
Felipe describes it as a lifestyle — one that supports people as long as it continues to inspire them. There’s no pressure to stay past the point of genuine excitement. The expectation is authenticity, not loyalty.
That might sound like a fragile model. In practice, it’s remarkably resilient — because the people who stay, stay for the right reasons.
Midnight Runners runs events in cities around the world. Events are free and open to everyone.
Follow them at @midnightrunners or find your local chapter at midnightrunners.com.
