Los Angeles saw its first-ever bakery half marathon walk on Saturday, as 50 participants embarked on a seven-hour pastry crawl through Pasadena and Highland Park. Organiser Irene Chang, 25, had prayed for good weather after days of uncharacteristic storms, and was relieved to wake to clear skies.
Chang, who works in tech, was inspired by a bakery run in New York City last October. She wanted to create a community-focused event, prioritising walking over running, and selected small bakeries with strong neighbourhood ties. Participants stopped at venues including Modu Cafe, Little Flower, ID-Eclair, Neighbors & Friends, CAR Artisan Chocolate, and Fondry, sampling smaller portions of signature pastries.
Chang gauged interest on TikTok, where views soared from 1,500 to 50,000. Over 1,600 people applied for the 50 spots, which were allocated randomly. She described working on the event as a full-time job. Jiyoon Jang, owner of Modu Cafe, said she participated to support a young entrepreneur and highlight Highland Park's diversity.
Participant Camille Nichelini, 29, said she made new friends at the event. The walk is part of a trend of social media-to-real-life activities aimed at combating loneliness, particularly among Gen Z. In 2023, former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy described loneliness as a public health priority on par with obesity and substance abuse.
