If you run, you’re a runner
October 28, 2026
As the third running boom continues to, well, boom, I feel some separation.
In the past few months, I’ve seen more content reminiscing about running in 2016 compared to 2026 or separating veteran runners from newbies. I’ve heard folks say they are a runner, but clarify that they’ve been running since before it was cool. I’ve heard folks “admitting” to being a COVID or recent bandwagon runner. I’ve heard all the caveats: “I’m too slow” or “I don’t go far enough” or the worst, “I don’t look like a runner.”
All of these labels, distinctions, and classifications are unnecessary or even harmful. Sure, experience is helpful in a sport where cumulative work over years leads to more consistent, stronger results. Yet, if you run, you’re a runner. If you’ve been running since the origin of the split short, great. If your first run since the Presidential Fitness Test was a lap around the block just last week, also great. I also don’t care how fast you run, how far you run, or what you look like. I’m just happy you’re running.
I find a person’s effort and dedication a more telling gauge of their runner-ness. Consistency and dedication are the keys to success in the sport. Anyone who internalizes that concept is a runner in my eyes.
A ways back, there was a trend of folks running a marathon with no training. They run the race, filming the whole way, and then show themselves at the finish, sometimes claiming it “wasn’t too bad,” and sometimes acknowledging the effort they just did. Regardless of how each video ended, I hated this trend. I suppose the people in these videos are runners (they were actively running), but it feels off. I’ll give credit where it’s due – running 26.2 miles, or really any race distance without training is an athletic feat – but this is a recipe for getting injured. Plus, it dismisses 99% of what running and racing is about: the training (i.e., the consistency and dedication that I mentioned before).
Consistency and dedication are great metrics of runner identity because they neutralize pace and distance differences while still acknowledging that running is challenging. I think most can agree that a lot of the magic of running comes from pushing your personal limits. Whether your longest run ever is 3 miles or 30, or your 5K PR is 35 minutes or 15, there’s something extremely rewarding about the process of getting there.
Plus, as with everything, everyone was once a beginner. Perhaps more seasoned runners can take that idea and share some advice with newbies. We don’t start running knowing where every public restroom is located within a 5 mile radius of our home, afterall.
On the flipside, maybe new runners have some tips for those who’ve been running for decades. As a group, runners tend to be pretty stubborn, and I’m sure some of us who’ve been around the block more than a few times are missing out on what could be our new favorite gel, shoes, or even running buddy.
There’s more people than ever who choose to spend time each day putting one foot in front of the other at a relatively quick pace. It’s one of the best ways to move in my opinion, and we really should support everyone in that endeavor. Maybe we’ll all learn something.