An ABC Asia Pacific Instagram reel on South Asian-led running clubs has triggered a heated online debate, with critics branding the groups “segregated” and questioning why the national broadcaster promoted them.
The reel, fronted by reporter Angelica Silva from the ABC Asia Pacific Newsroom, was posted just three days ago. It spotlighted the rise of South Asian community-run fitness groups in Australia, describing them as a way of building connection and belonging.
The reel itself was adapted from an earlier ABC News article published on 19 February 2024, which profiled the growth of community-led run clubs across the country. That broader feature highlighted how social media has fuelled a boom in social running groups, from women-only collectives to clubs branded around migrant communities.
The timing has sharpened comparisons with another ABC story—first published on 3 August 2024—which investigated extremist “Active Clubs.” At the time, security analysts warned these groups, linked to white supremacist movements, posed a “significant threat to social cohesion” and were designed to recruit young men into extremist ideology.
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While the ABC’s 2024 feature highlighted extremist “Active Clubs”—linked to white supremacist networks—as a significant threat to social cohesion, the Asia Pacific reel presented South Asian clubs as safe, inclusive spaces. That contrast has become the focus of online commentary. The account What’s News!?, which brands itself as “Christian Ethno-Nationalist,” shared the reel with the caption: “If this is being promoted, does that mean whites can have their own segregated communities too??”
Clips from the ABC segment showing participants talking about “feeling safe” and seeing “a lot of brown people” were intercut with mocking commentary telling them to “go back to Asia.” The post has been shared widely in social media platforms, reigniting debate over whether diaspora-focused clubs represent cultural affirmation or social division.
Supporters of the run clubs argue they are open to all but create a culturally safe environment that encourages newcomers to take part in running. They point out that Australia already has many clubs organised by gender, sexuality, or social theme, and that cultural identity is no different. Critics insist they represent a form of self-segregation.
South Asian Australians remain one of the fastest-growing populations in the country, and diaspora-led running groups such as Melbourne’s Melanin Run Club or Brisbane’s Chasing Chai Run Club are part of a global trend that blends fitness with community.
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