What Defines a Runner?

What Does It Mean To Be A Runner? This is a question that has been thrown all around the running world. You might be surprised how many people like to believe they’re not a real runner if they can’t achieve specific times or achievements. They believe they have to hit faster paces or run higher mileage in order to call themselves a real runner. Even people who have run multiple marathons don’t believe they’re a real runner. When it comes to the “why” of running, everyone may have a different answer. It could be for trying to shed some weight, trying to maintain their fitness, or even just to cope with their stressful lives. The good news is that the only requirement in order to call yourself a runner is to just run. It’s that simple. Nothing else matters. Discovering your “why” can help you reunite with running more than anything else and give you more of a purpose. It may even give you a boost of motivation to really get after that next run. So, what does it mean to be a runner? The answer may be different for everyone. I remember at the beginning of my running journey I never thought of myself as a runner even though I was accomplishing things that many veteran runners haven’t done. It took a long time for me to be able to define myself as a runner. Once I became more comfortable with the name, I finally began to understand that being a runner has nothing to do with what I’ve accomplished. It’s actually a mindset. It’s a feeling. It’s a thought process. It’s a sense of connection with other runners. It’s something you sense when you pass by that same runner each day on your local trail and say, “good morning.” You can just feel the energy bouncing right of them and back to you. It’s also that feeling you get when you’re driving and see a runner and you hit the horn for some extra encouragement. You know it’s something that would help you pick up the pace when things were getting tough. You’re just returning the favor.

It’s also that feeling you get whenever a World Major marathon rolls around. It inspires you to want to crush your next run. You become a runner when you realize that, in your own training, the main driver that motivates you to get out there for a run, is much more than just crossing the finish line of a race in a certain time. It’s so much more than that. At the very least, each person who runs does so because, deep inside them, they want that internal battle against their self doubt. That each time they throw on a pair of running shoes, and push themselves against this self doubt, they win the battle. It’s a feeling of accomplishment. It’s when we reach the point of when we see another runner out there on the trail putting in the work, you understand the feeling they get when they win their battle against their self doubt. It’s a special connection. It’s the feeling of being out there on the roads all by yourself but knowing that other runners are out there somewhere fighting against their own battle. We know they’re thinking and feeling the same thing. It’s a mindset. There’s that saying that if you ever question the humanity of the world, just go watch a marathon. The energy on the course is so much more than from the race itself. It’s the sweat, blood, and tears that went into what it took to get to that point. The race itself is just the celebration. To me, this is what it means to be a runner.