Actually, the separation itself is often what triggers their realization, not the other way around. Many runners need to hit rock bottom or go through a dark night of the soul before they start piecing things together. They might try dating others (like you mentioned), and that comparison becomes the catalyst.
The awakening usually correlates with them doing their own shadow work, but they’ll probably not use that term because they won’t know what the term is. Most runners haven’t gone through a spiritual awakening yet. Kind of what makes them runners to begin with.