In an innovative blend of fitness and culinary exploration, Los Angeles witnessed its first-ever bakery half-marathon walk this past weekend, bringing together fifty sweet-toothed participants for a seven-hour pastry adventure through the city's neighbourhoods.
From New York Inspiration to LA Reality
The unique event was masterminded by Irene Chang, a 25-year-old Los Angeles native who works in technology. Chang conceived the idea after experiencing New York's Bakery Run during a work trip last October. While participating in her own personalised walking half-marathons had been a longstanding hobby, the organised New York event sparked something more ambitious.
"I'll just walk half-marathons in Santa Monica, or I'll plan my own itineraries and hit up multiple different spots that I've been wanting to try," Chang explained, noting her previous walking adventures included traversing all five boroughs of New York.
However, Chang envisioned a distinct approach for her Los Angeles version. Her primary goal shifted focus from running to community building, carefully curating small neighbourhood bakeries with compelling stories rather than simply selecting popular spots.
Overwhelming Community Response
When Chang began gauging interest through TikTok posts, the response exceeded all expectations. Her views skyrocketed from 1,500 to 50,000 within days. Upon opening registration, more than 1,600 applicants competed for the fifty available spots, forcing Chang to randomly select participants.
"I've been working on this as if it were a full-time job," Chang revealed, describing the intensive two-month preparation period that involved coordinating logistics and finalising bakery partnerships.
The selected bakeries along the Pasadena and Highland Park route included:
- Little Flower
- ID-Eclair
- Neighbors & Friends
- CAR Artisan Chocolate
- Fondry
- Modu Cafe
Each establishment prepared smaller portions of their signature pastries specifically for the event participants.
Combating Modern Loneliness
Chang's bakery walk represents the latest example of social media initiatives translating into real-world community experiences. This trend capitalises on the growing popularity of group activities like run clubs, dance classes, and book clubs addressing what former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy declared a public health priority in 2023.
Murthy emphasised that loneliness required attention "on par with tobacco, with substance use disorders, with obesity and other issues that we know profoundly impacted people's lives". For younger generations particularly, the Covid pandemic disrupted crucial relationship-building years during adolescence and early adulthood.
Participant Camille Nichelini, a 29-year-old Pasadena resident and self-described introvert, initially felt intimidated about attending alone but found the experience transformative.
"I left the event with some new friends. We exchanged Instagrams and everything. So that was really cool," Nichelini shared, describing how what began as mindless scrolling evolved into both fitness achievement and social connection.
At each bakery stop, Chang conducted brief interviews with representatives who explained their pastries, business missions, and culinary philosophies. For Nichelini, the vegan bakery ID-Eclair stood out, particularly its creamy pistachio éclair and owner Romuald Guiot's evident passion.
"Honestly, I've never had a vegan treat that I've enjoyed so much," Nichelini remarked. "The way that the owner was speaking about the food, you could tell how passionate he was about it."
Local Business Enthusiasm
Jiyoon Jang, owner and head chef of Modu Cafe, enthusiastically participated in the event, recognising parallels with her own entrepreneurial journey from home-based pop-up to brick-and-mortar establishment.
"I started as a pop-up myself, baking from home and doing all of that before launching into a brick and mortar," Jang explained. She saw supporting Chang's initiative as both encouraging young entrepreneurship and showcasing Highland Park's diversity.
"I'm really excited that people are going to be able to sort of experience Highland Park," Jang added, highlighting the community-building aspect of the event.
Future Expansion Plans
Despite still recovering from Saturday's extensive walk and the intensive preparation involved, Chang already envisions broader horizons for her bakery walk concept. She hopes to establish the Los Angeles bakery half-marathon as an annual event while contemplating expansion to other cities.
"I would love to see this expand to different cities," Chang confirmed, suggesting the model could successfully translate to urban centres worldwide seeking to combine physical activity, local business support, and community connection.
The event's success demonstrates how simple concepts—walking, eating, and talking—can effectively address complex modern issues like social isolation while celebrating local culinary craftsmanship.
