Changing the Running Conversation
NOTE: Everything in this blog post are solely my opinions and are not based in fact. Just please remember to not bring these topics up next time we talk! :)
As someone who spends a considerable amount dealing with the sport of running—whether it be logging miles myself, coaching others, creating running plans, or researching, I also inevitable spend a lot of time talking to others about running. Neighbors who see me running every day (usually with my golden retrievers), clients who are interested in working together, or friends who know I am training for a race, or even strangers who I may be chatting with about an upcoming running event or complimenting on running shoes; the topic comes up frequently in my world. And while most of these conversations are light-hearted and most people mean well (particularly those who do not run themselves and are usually feigning interest), there are several subjects that are triggering to me... and can potentially foster toxicity in the running world.
These three subjects/questions are:
Don’t you ever get bored running all the time?
Have you run all the world majors?
What did you run that race in?
While these questions may seem innocent enough, they carry weight behind them that can be triggering, and today I am here to explain why these particular inquiries make me want to SCREAM! (No offense to those of you who have asked these questions before—just here to educate!)
DON’T YOU EVER GET BORED RUNNING ALL THE TIME?
This is a loaded question and also one that, some days, I want to answer an emphatic “yes” to. Of course running is boring. It’s a grind, it’s tedious, it’s hard, and many days, it’s a very lonely sport. Anyone who says they get up every morning and can’t wait to run is lying! Running does, in fact, get boring, and it is very okay to admit that. The problem with this question is that if the boredom outweighed the benefits of running for me, I wouldn’t be doing it anymore. When I plan my own runs, or my runs for my clients, I try to keep things fun and interesting to avoid getting burned out. I throw in mid-week speed or hill workouts for my runners, I add in tempo work to long runs, and I frequently change my running routes to find new places to explore and sights to see.
My issue with this question is the stigma among the non-running population that distance running is a boring sport, when this couldn’t be further from the truth. If you’re finding that running is getting tedious, change something! Maybe set your sights on a different distance (getting tired of running 20 miles on Saturdays training for marathons? Focus on speed and sign up for a 10k or a half!) Sick of running the same route around Boston everyday? Take the T to Newton and do some hill work on Heartbreak Hill. Invest in a pair of trail shoes and try a short trail runs on a New England mountain. Or even run your usual running route backwards—you’ll be surprised at how different this makes an ordinary route feel so much different!
On a personal note, and one that I hope will resonate with some runners having the same thoughts I have this summer, this will be the first fall in almost 15 years that I will not be running a full marathon in the fall. I was signed up for both Chicago and the Mt. Desert Island Marathon in Maine, and ended up deferring both. I have spent the majority of the summer running distances that spoke to my body while training for a powerlifting competition in October, and chose to run shorter long runs on the weekends (focusing on 10-12 miles at a time and averaging 20 mile weekends) to allow me to maximize my time balancing family time and work. I have never felt better physically, and was honest with myself about starting to feel a little burned out from going right from an ultramarathon in June to jumping into marathon training right away. And this is totally okay. We are runners no matter what, and are not defined by our next races or our next distance. If training is boring you and not bringing you joy, take a step back and embrace a little break. I just know this will make winter training for Boston more enjoyable!
HAVE YOU DONE ALL THE WORLD MAJORS?
Ahhh, the timeless classic. The first follow-up question from 9/10 people when they find out I am a marathon runner (I know you have all been asked this question before). Why is this so triggering to me? Hot take, but the notion of the world majors as the “gold standard” of marathon running is, quite frankly, bullsh*t!
Let me explain. The Abbott World Marathon Majors is a money grab: they created the majors as a way to hype up certain races and their marketing is on point. Most marathon runners—especially runners newer to the sport—think that they have to run most, if not all, of the majors to be seen as “legit” in the distance running world. This could, quite literally, not be further from the truth.
No, I have not run all the majors, but I have done Boston, Chicago, New York, and Berlin, and that is quite enough for me. With the increased popularity of distance running in the last few years, the cost of these races has absolutely skyrocketed. Not only is it expensive to sign up for the race, these cities are capitalizing on the sport by jacking up costs of travel, airfare, hotels, even restaurants (read: good luck finding a reservation at any decently-priced spot in the vicinity of these races in the days leading up to these races!) Full disclosure; part of the reason why I personally decided to defer my Chicago race this year because for me to fly there solo and stay for one night (fly in Saturday morning, fly out Sunday night) would cost me thousands of dollars. Thousands! And this doesn’t even budget the cost of food and the swag at the expo that is impossible to pass up.
And all of this is if you are even lucky enough to snag a spot in the lottery, fast enough to land a qualifying time, or commit to a high enough minimum to land a coveted charity spot. Runners are multiplying in numbers dramatically and getting collectively faster; while this is great for these world majors, it is extremely defeating to the millions who will never have the opportunity to run these races.
So NO, running all the world majors does not make you a better runner or more qualified—it just makes you faster, more connected, or lucky enough to be able to travel all over the world to run. While running all these majors is a great achievement, it is not the standard by which so many should use to gauge whether or not they are a legit runner.
In fact, I find it way more impressive to run a marathon (or any chosen distance!) at a smaller, more local race. Not only does this pump money into local businesses, it also really tests your mental toughness as a runner. Yes, running courses packed with runners and spectators is fun and very much a vibe, but I find some of the best races (and most challenging) to be the smaller races with long stretches of just you and the road. You learn a lot about yourself when you are your own biggest (or only) hype person.
[NOTE: Some of my favorite non-major marathons—some of which aren’t small at all: LA Marathon, Providence Marathon (hopefully will return as an event in 2026), Scottsdale AZ Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, Niagara Falls International Marathon, Kiawah Island Marathon]
WHAT DID YOU RUN THAT RACE IN?
If I could, I would love to start a movement in which we ban asking runners their time on any race!
As a recovering pace-addict, I find this question to oftentimes be very triggering and sometimes even traumatic. Running a race, or even finishing a tough long run for those who aren’t into the whole racing scene, is something to be celebrated no matter what, not just based on paces and the clock at the finish line.
Unfortunately, as discussed before, with marathon running soaring in popularity, and qualifying and cut-off times for world majors getting tighter and tighter, the conversation around finishing times is only getting louder. This troubling for two reasons: 1) it can be defeating for those who set out to run a certain time and had a disappointing race, and 2) it fuels the notion that in order to be a good runner, you have to be a fast one - something that is simply not true.
There have been plenty of races I have trained long and hard for, and on that specific day, my A goal (and sometimes B goal too) were out the window. This happens to the best of us: running is a very imperfect sport, and bad races happen. However, being immediately asked what your time is right after a bad race can set you up for an emotional spiral. Instead, let’s celebrate simply congratulating a runner for finishing, not by asking them to volunteer very personal information about their performance that day.
Also, for newer and the more “party pace” demographic of runners, being asked for your time implies that you should always have a time goal—when in reality, the majority of runners I coach are just looking to finish their chosen distance, and truly don’t care about what the time clock says. This is the mentality that we all should be rocking!
This is not meant to shame anyone who asks runners these questions; in fact, kudos to you for a vested interest in the sport, whether or not you are a runner yourself. However, I believe that the entire running community needs to actively change the conversation. Instead of asking about world majors, paces, and why someone chooses to participate in a seemingly boring sport, let’s normalize asking things like:
How are you feeling after your race/run?
What was your favorite part of that course?
What are you most proud of about your race?
And, my personal favorite:
DID YOU HAVE FUN?
Xo
Coach Kelly