If you go to a park on a Saturday in almost every city in the world, you will see people jogging around. Some look like semi-professional athletes with the proper gear, modern headphones, and a watch to match them. And also others, people struggling to make the next step, sweating like there’s no tomorrow – clearly at the start of their running journey.
Over the last few decades, running has become one of the most widely practiced sports in the world, especially among adults. Even though people rarely watch the 10k race at the Olympics, a 10k event in the capital of almost any country is bound to gather hundreds, even thousands of participants. And this poses the question – why does that happen? What has turned running into one of the most practiced sports in the world?
Why Makes Running So Popular?
As you might have already guessed, pointing out only one reason why running is so popular is downright impossible. There are many factors that have helped running increase and maintain its popularity over the years. Let’s see what they are.
Easily Accessible
Statistics show us that there was a 65% increase in running and jogging activities worldwide in 2020 compared to 2019. And it’s likely that number has kept on slowly growing last year as well. And that’s no wonder – once the pandemic hit and gyms were closed, people started to look for other ways to get exercise, and running is a great option because it’s super accessible. People like to say that all you need is a pair of shoes in order to practice the sport, and while that statement isn’t entirely accurate, it’s true that there are fewer barriers to entering running compared to other sports. In fact, running is one of those sports that’s low in media popularity but high in involvement – you will rarely read articles about marathon winners, much less watch their competitions on TV, but the amount of people that participate in races is significantly higher compared to the number of athletes entering Sunday league soccer tournaments or tennis club ones.
Accessibility is one of the main reasons why running is a sport practiced by so many. You don’t need to pay for gym memberships to run, and you’re not restricted to a particular place or time. You can accommodate a quick run, regardless of where you are and what time of the day it is. Furthermore, you don’t need to have previous experience – everyone can become a runner, and everyone knows the basic movement without the need for a coach.
Opportunity to Get Better
Running is easy to track, and progress can be measured constantly. Typically, people tend to focus on their pace – how long does it take them to run one mile? And once you start to look at your time and you do it over the course of a few months, you will be able to notice your improvement easily. This evidence that your efforts are actually making you better and better is what motivates people to continue training and striving for results. Furthermore, the internet is full of guidance on how you can become a better runner, and most of that information is free. You can find a ton of articles on how to eat, training plans to follow, injury prevention tips, recommendations from industry experts, Olympic coaches, ex-champions, and more. Along with that, the tech involved in running has rapidly evolved.
In 1978, Nike released the first running shoes for women. Now, four decades later, crafting running gear is a complex process that involves sporting brands collaborating with large tech companies to create products that are truly the future. Those include 3D-printed running shoes, motion-sense sports bras, and sweat-deflecting shirts. Furthermore, to track performance and recovery, runners can invest in sports bands, smartwatches, and even fitness rings that track everything from calories burned and mile split to how well you’re sleeping, the number of calories you’re burning, and how stressed you seem to be, depending on your resting heart rate. Footwear has also come a long way. Nowadays, running shoes are more personalized than ever before and are made to fit the running style of each person, the kind of races they compete in, and much more. Along with that, brands are looking to take this personalization to the next level, and some have even started to offer shoes made to fit an individual’s foot shape and biometrics as a way to improve running performance further.
Running Culture
A lot of people who play Fantasy football and watch Monday Night Football religiously have actually never stepped foot on a football field, let alone tried to engage in sports as semi-professional or professional athletes. They’re simply people who love the spectacle, who root for a particular team and follow the drama that goes around in the world of professional sports. Those are representatives of what we call the sports fandom – people who love the sense of belonging that it gives them.
Running culture is nothing like that. It’s not about supporting a team or an individual competitor; in fact, most runners don’t watch competitions and don’t follow the scores of elite athletes. Running culture is all about competing with yourself, with your previous best times and achievements. It’s about leading an internal battle to become the best possible version of yourself. With that said, along the way, there are many opportunities to feel like you belong to a community and to create friendships. For example, most big brands in the businesses have their own running clubs – Nike Run Club, Adidas Runners, Asics Frontrunner – all those have one mission in mind – to gather amateur and semi-professional runners together and to create communities. Additionally, in many countries, there are specific run clubs that work sort of like a non-profit organization – organizing races, creating merch, gathering people to train together, and so on. This makes running unique in a sense – you can be part of a team but still train and compete as an individual. That way, you get the bonuses of having people around you – a sense of community and support, while also minimizing the downsides, such as depending on those people for your own competition and results.
Competitions
As someone who has been playing or participating in sports all my life, what I missed most about training as an adult was competitions. Yes, you can play Sunday league soccer with friends or the occasional tennis match, but that’s nothing like competing in tournaments. The thrill, the nerves, the winning feeling – they’re all missing. And what attracted me the most about running was the opportunity to get back to that part of my life – the preparation for races, the constant competition against your past results, the chance to win, to get a medal, to feel like all your efforts were worth it in the end. The most popular sports to watch such as basketball, soccer, and tennis – all lack good amateur leagues and competitions. And even if you manage to find one, you depend on others to participate and compete. With running, it’s the exact opposite – there are tons of races, all over the world, on different surfaces and with varying distances. And it’s all up to you – your participation, performance, everything.
If You’re Not a Runner Yet
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why people take up running, and there are many other factors that get them to dedicate their efforts to the sport long term. So, if you’re wondering what sport to get into – regardless of whether you’re doing it to get in better shape, for health reasons, or just because you want to start a new hobby, running remains one of the best options out there. It’s accessible, anyone can do it regardless of previous experience and fitness level, and it’s also a chance to become a member of a big community and find new friends.
