AmUp Success Stories: Real People, Real Connections

The clearest argument for what AmUp does is not a feature list or a philosophy — it's the stories of what happens when people use it. Here are real stories from AmUp users across Dublin, Vancouver, and other cities where the app is active. Names have been changed for privacy.

"I Now Have a Running Crew I'd Never Have Found Otherwise"

Marco moved to Dublin from Italy for a job in tech. He arrived knowing no one and had always been a keen runner, but running the same parks alone every morning felt particularly lonely. Six months in, he posted his first AmUp event: a Sunday morning run in Phoenix Park at an easy pace, aiming for about 10km.

Three people requested to join. He approved all of them. The run was good, conversation was easy, and they agreed to do it the following Sunday. Within a month they had a group of eight regular runners. Eighteen months later, the group has run two half-marathons together and meets for coffee every Sunday after the run. "These are some of my best friends in Dublin now," Marco said. "I never would have found them any other way."

"I Was Only Visiting for a Week"

Priya was in Dublin for a week for work and arrived on a Friday with nothing planned for the weekend. She posted on AmUp: "Visiting from London for the weekend, looking for a hiking companion on Saturday — I know nothing about Dublin's hills but I'm reasonably fit." By Friday evening, she had two responses. She hiked with a local couple on Saturday and ended up spending the afternoon exploring the city with them afterward.

"They showed me parts of Dublin I'd never have found on a tourist itinerary," she said. "I've been back twice since and met up with them both times."

"The Football Group That Became a Second Family"

Tariq had played football all his life and was frustrated that he couldn't find a casual game in his neighbourhood. He posted a Wednesday evening kickabout on AmUp — "looking for 10 players, casual level, all ages welcome, Herbert Park" — and was astonished to get 14 join requests in three days. He had to turn four people away.

The Wednesday kickabout is now in its second year. The WhatsApp group they eventually created (for casual chat, not coordination — they use AmUp for that) has 23 people in it. Three of the original players now also play in an organised weekend league together. "It started with one post," Tariq said. "Now it's one of the best things in my week."

"AmUp Got Me Through My First Year as an Expat"

Lin moved to Dublin from China for a master's degree. The social isolation of the first few months was significant — the university offered plenty of organised events, but they felt formal and didn't lead to genuine friendships. She started using AmUp to find running partners and hiking companions.

"The activities gave us something to talk about that wasn't 'where are you from' and 'what do you study'," she said. "You're just two people running. And then you're two people who ran together, and that's a better foundation for friendship."

By the end of her first year, she had a regular Sunday hiking group and a weekly running partner. When she graduated and had the option to return home, she stayed in Dublin partly because of the community she'd built.

What These Stories Have in Common

The details differ, but the pattern is the same: someone new to a city (or new to a phase of life) chose an activity they already cared about, posted it or joined someone else's post, showed up consistently, and built genuine connections through the activity over time. No grand plan, no social strategy — just the willingness to do the thing they loved, with other people.

That's what AmUp is for. The community it enables is the one you build yourself, one activity at a time.