Bride slammed for hosting half-marathon bachelorette party

Instead of gathering at a bar or embarking on a vacation, Zunick chose to host her bachelorette party in an unconventional way: running 21 km through the streets of Newport, Rhode Island.

The event, named “Allie’s Last Run,” featured 11 women wearing matching pink running outfits and customized bib numbers. A video of the run, posted by her friend Nikki Ziner on TikTok and Instagram, quickly went viral, amassing over 5 million views, Runner’s World reported.

However, the majority of online reactions were not positive. Many felt Zunick was being excessively demanding by incorporating a half marathon into a bachelorette itinerary.

“This is truly my nightmare,” an account commented.

Another user added: “I’d rather have no friends than friends like this.”

Others suggested Zunick should have just chosen a shorter distance, such as a 5km run, arguing that a half marathon is only suitable for regular runners.

Zunick and Ziner never anticipated the video would go viral. The concept initially began as an inside joke regarding the bride’s love of sports before turning into a real thing.

Seven of the 11 participants completed the half marathon. The group maintained a casual pace, chatting while running, resting when needed and successfully crossing the finish line in 2 hours and 28 minutes.

“While we did not take the race too seriously, my non-runner friends did seriously train to be able to run this half and be safe,” Zunick told Canadian Running Magazine.

In response to the online criticism, Ziner emphasized that participation in the race was entirely voluntary. No one was pressured to run, and their roles in the wedding were never at risk if they chose to opt out.

Those who chose not to run still actively participated in the festivities. They drove alongside the running group, prepared snacks and cheered them on.

“As a non-runner, I had an absolute blast cheering on all my friends and was happy to capture this fun and exciting side quest for them,” Ziner said.

Friends of bride Allie Zunick who opted out of the half marathon followed the runners in a car to cheer her on. Photo from Instagram/@nikkiziner

Zunick, who describes herself as a “hybrid athlete” and previously completed the New York Marathon in November 2025, is not the only one incorporating running into pre-wedding activities.

Last year, Connecticut bride Courtney Kitchen organized a light morning run with friends for her bachelorette party. Carolina bride Olivia Paxton hosted a 5km run on the morning of her wedding in January, with a coffee station, cake, a medal ceremony and champagne for the finishers.

In England, Emily Marchant made headlines by competing in the 2025 Brighton Marathon immediately following a late-night outing with her bridesmaids. Dressed in a hen costume and running on just 3.5 hours of sleep, she finished the full marathon in 2 hours, 55 minutes and 45 seconds.

Even elite athletes have embraced the concept. In 2023, Norwegian long-distance legend Jakob Ingebrigtsen famously incorporated a “beer mile” race, which requires participants to drink a beer before each lap, into his bachelor party, completing the challenge in 5 minutes and 22 seconds.