Trending: What is #RunningManChallenge?
First there was the harlem shake; then came the nae nae. Now, a new dance craze is taking the internet by storm: the #RunningManChallenge.
THE MOST POPULAR ONE TO DATE. Cleveland Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving gets in on the #RunningManChallenge. (Video courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers Instagram feed)
At this point, you may be asking: what exactly is the Running Man Challenge? Here’s a quick rundown of what is currently known about the challenge:
1. It started in New Jersey. According to this article by GQ, the social media dance craze was first seen in New Jersey, when two high school kids posted this video on Instagram.
2. It became mainstream because of the University of Maryland. Or, to be more specific, their basketball players Jaylen Brantley and Jared Nickens. Brantly started posting different versions of the dance daily on Instagram, which soon caught the attention of everyone else on the internet. Pretty soon, everyone was doing it.
3. The steps were adapted from a 90’s dance move. Called the Running Man (click here for the how-to video), it involves, oddly enough, running in place. It’s also done to the tune of Ghost Town DJs’ “My Boo,” which sort of makes it more appealing, since most of the people on social media are millenials.
4. There’s an official Facebook page for it, and it’s for a good cause. Before you ask, visit the Running Man Challenge. It was created in April to raise awareness about muscular dystrophy, a group of diseases that causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass. You can visit runningmanchallenge.org to know more about the cause and donate.
The #RunningManChallenge has not quite breached Philippine mainstream yet, but all it takes is one celebrity or group for it to do so.
Source: GQ declares Running Man Challenge dead, GQ takes back the death of Running Man Challenge, Running Man Challenge on Sports Illustrated
