"Does This Really Work?"... MZ Generation Runners Take Off Holding 'This'

Making Butter on the Run: The "Butter Run" Challenge
Started on Overseas SNS, Now Captivating Runners in Korea

Recently, an unusual challenge that involves making butter while running has become a hot topic among running enthusiasts.

On March 6, posts with the hashtag "Butter Run" continued to appear on social media. The Butter Run is a challenge where participants run while shaking a bag of whipped cream—typically in a zipper bag—to make butter as they go.

Butter is made by continuously churning whipped cream to separate the fat from the liquid components. When whipped cream is agitated rapidly, the fat molecules clump together to form yellow butter, while the liquid buttermilk is separated out. Carrying a bag of whipped cream while running causes similar repetitive shaking, which leads to butter forming through the same principle.

Running influencer Libby Claire showed how to make butter from whipped cream while running on February 26. Instagram

"Two birds with one stone"…'Butter Run' posts go viral

On social media, videos and posts documenting the process of making butter while running are being shared. There are also photos and videos showing people spreading the freshly made butter on bread after finishing their run.

Some users are posting their experiences, saying things like, "After running a few kilometers, I really got butter," and, "It's a two-birds-one-stone challenge—exercise and butter-making!"

The Butter Run started gaining popularity after an overseas influencer posted content on social media, experimenting with making butter by running with whipped cream. Running influencer Libby Claire posted a video on February 26 showing herself making butter from whipped cream while running. In the video, she placed whipped cream in a zipper bag, put it in her backpack, and went for a run. The video attracted significant attention, with 9.63 million views and 670,000 likes.

The Running Boom…10 Million Participants in Korea

Running has become a mainstream sport among Millennials & Gen Z, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to industry sources, the running population in Korea is estimated to be around 10 million. Interest is so high that registration for major marathon events, such as the Seoul Marathon, closes as soon as it opens.

As the number of runners increases, the related market is also expanding rapidly. For example, the running shoe brand HOKA saw its domestic sales surge from 10.5 billion won in 2023 to 30.6 billion won in 2024, thanks to the running boom. In the first half of 2025, it achieved sales of 18.8 billion won and an operating profit of 2.8 billion won. Skechers Korea also recorded sales of 405.5 billion won last year, growing about 19% compared to the previous year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.