I don’t like running; I love running.
I always have, since discovering it in my formative years as a teenager, I’d often keep the money meant for my school bus pass and run the 3.7 miles back home to my village (that’s roughly 5k and a bit for you ardent kilometre-speaking folk out there).
I couldn’t get enough of testing myself on foot around the outskirts of my town, which was a delightfully running-friendly environment with clean air and green pastures all around.
Hell, I’d even run while hungover without a struggle (I can’t anymore).
However, in my 30s, I fell prey to hedonism (I’m not sorry, mostly), and the result was me becoming pathetically unfit. I wanted to change that, and the only way I knew how to fix it was to lace up and pound the local pavements with 5K runs every day for a month until it became easier.
It reignited my passion for one of my first loves, and it reminded me how divisive it can be, as some people genuinely hate running, so I got curious as to why that is the case and tried to tie down the reasons why I say “I love running” so enthusiastically, while others find it hell on earth.
Why I Love Running
Running. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways, of which there are 15.
It may help running haters to understand the hype. I feel it’s often misunderstood because people haven’t had much experience running on their own terms, and there’s also a lot of misinformation about running.
I write this not to proselytise, but to express and unpack all the reasons why I love running so much.
1. Running Makes Me Feel Alive
Starting off on a cheesy note, but running simply makes me feel alive. The freedom to move my body against gravity, as my heart rate increases and my legs tire, feels oh-so deliciously primal.
Especially if I run outdoors, which I do 90% of the time. Treadmills are a necessary evil for me when I am not in a running-friendly environment or short on time. Running outside helps me reconnect with my body and the outside world, with a sense of alertness and energy, in a way that, if you could bottle this feeling, I believe it’d be a billion-dollar product.
2. Transmuting Negative Emotions
Anger is a misunderstood and complex emotion.
Of course, if you become a slave to it and allow it to control you, it is indeed toxic, but if you learn to transmute it (direct that energy elsewhere to something positive), it can become a weapon for good and the thing that helps me get there the fastest is running.
I have had personal bests when pissed off on a couple of occasions, and I almost always feel better after a run.
This rings true for when I’ve been feeling depressed, hopeless, hurt or flat. It is admittedly harder to get out the door for a run at these times, but every time I power through it, the runner’s high balances me out.
My problems are still there after a post-run shower when the real world comes back at me, but I feel in a better mental headspace to face them.
After spending thousands of pounds on therapy throughout my life, I’ve found that running helps me far more than anything else.
Running Fact: A study of Spanish amateur runners found that the primary motivations for participating in races include fun (30.9%) and health combined with fun (17.7%). This highlights the importance of enjoyment and well-being as driving forces behind the commitment to running.
3. Running Brings Me Gratitude
The above quote by Socrates inspired me to enjoy lifting weights, something I never really looked forward to as much as running, but this reframing helped so much.
Imagine being fully able-bodied, devoid of any serious conditions or ailments and then whining that you have the opportunity to make it stronger… absolutely ridiculous.
With my newfound appreciation for strength training, my love for running expanded. I get to do something I love, and for as long as I am lucky enough to say this, I will aim to remember to show gratitude on whiny days.
4. It Builds Mental Toughness
When you’re running with discomfort, unless you have a severe condition or injury, most of the pain you’re going through is in your mind.
Physical pain is a big part of it, of course, and we all have a ceiling on our potential, but developing the ability to push through high pain makes you mentally stronger. Overcoming mental barriers transcends into life issues, building resolve and perseverance.
Pushing through that stitch to finish that race, or getting your personal best when you’re exhausted, will train your brain to get through harder times. Life is rarely easy, and some days are less easy than others. Running can make you become more stoic and stronger as a person if you do it often.
5. Running is Not Cool Anymore (Again)
I’ve noticed that the louder voices online get away with saying a lot of nonsense because they have a large following that tells them what they already want to hear, and I doubt there’s any niche more guilty of this than the online fitness community.
Fats were the devil in the 90s, now they’re going after carbs. Smart people now know the difference between a good carb and a bad carb, and the right amount of fats is important for hormonal balance, while the rest are still left howling into the void, selling their latest shitty PDF.
A few years ago, something happened that I never thought would be possible. Running was almost accepted as cool. A new breed of “hybrid athletes,” comprising big muscular men like Nick Bare who still lifted heavy weights, but ran sub-3-hour marathons and shredded, record-breaking screaming loonies like Dave Goggins, helped pave the way for running to finally get its time in the sun.
Elite endurance athletes like Eliud Kipchoge were rightly celebrated for their superhuman achievements.
I thought the runner’s time at the cool kids’ table had arrived, but it was short-lived, and now we are back to the binary myth of running being “bad for your knees,” or that walking burns more calories than zone 2 running (it’s more nuanced than that), alas, running has been put back on the non-cool table with the weirdos.
Well, f**k the cool table, I say. We never asked to sit there anyway. Besides, I’ve always had a soft spot for the underdog. That chip on my shoulder? Good fuel.
6. It’s a Better Addiction Than My Previous Ones
Out of respect for any reading family members, I will leave out the specifics, but my close friends know I have been addicted to way more unhealthy and destructive things in my life. I have a type-A personality, and I am extremely dopamine-driven, and the devil has tempted me with worse things than lacing up and going for a run.
That said, running 200km in one weekend in the blistering heat of Thailand could qualify as me needing an intervention, or running “The Toughest Footrace on Earth” in the Sahara Desert, then doing it again in Mauritania, should maybe have had me institutionalised.
7. It’s Cheap AF
A slight caveat: if you get into ultramarathons, they can get costly. But if you’re running a 5k most days, or even up to a half-marathon, you just need decent shoes and, at worst, a glove and hat or sunscreen depending on the weather.
ParkRuns are free and fun, too.
The beauty of running is its minimalist aspect. You don’t need to join any fancy clubs, and you don’t need to wait around to use the equipment. It’s a case of lacing up and getting out the door, and it’s a cheap habit to maintain.
8. It Helps You Avoid Danger
I genuinely believe all men should learn how to be tough because the world is a harsh place. I also believe the very best thing to do is to avoid danger altogether if you can.
Running helps massively with that.
You don’t know who the other guy is, what they have in their pocket or what they’re willing to do. It’s just not worth it. Get into sub-40 10K mode and show them your heels, get running, and live to fight another day.
9. I Am Decent At It
I am not particularly gifted in any athletic endeavour, but I am over average when it comes to distance running, and that’s good enough for me.
It’s satisfying to feel you’re somewhat higher on the spectrum than the lower end of a sport. It was good for my confidence when I was younger and lacking self-assurance, and it helped me trade some of my fake male bravado confidence for quieter, more genuine confidence.
If you’re wondering where you fall on the 5K scale, I wrote a detailed guide on what makes a good 5K running time.
10. It Makes Me Smarter
I get it. Anyone who doesn’t love running and who is reading that sentence wants to beat me to death with my Nike Vibrams.
But it’s true.
All of my best writing, business performance and even genuine conversations with friends come after a nice long run. I have a sharper mental edge, think more clearly, and have more focused, yet calm, attention.
This is not just anecdotal; there is scientific evidence for this phenomenon. It is currently the ‘burning season’ in the city I moved to, and running outdoors is a bad idea due to temporary air pollution. I have lost quite a lot of edge in writing, work, and even making decisions, and I’m sure as soon as I start getting back into running, I’ll be back on top form.
11. Running Is Meditation
Real talk – meditation is great, but what a lot of proponents don’t tell you is that meditation is bloody hard. Maybe it’s like running, and some find it harder than others?
I am open-minded to that concept. I know I have to train my brain a lot to get anywhere near a meditative, calm state, and I have tried many forms. But here’s the beauty in doing something you love – that can bring you into a meditative state too.
Cooking is meditative for me, and if I am submerged in hot water, I am also in a state of mindfulness, but there’s something about running – that constant, relentless forward motion while I fall deeply into the present moment, connected with my body – that’s a special kind of meditation that is hard to put into words.
12. It’s a Great & Efficient Way to See a New City
I have lost count of how many cities I have slowly run around, a perfect way to explore before taking more time for a stroll and rigid must-dos while travelling. It’s amazing how quickly you can get your bearings if you go for a slow trot.
It’s more of an immersive experience, as you experience the city’s sights, smells, and sounds firsthand rather than watching through a vehicle window with painful small talk.
Last year, I landed in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, which is a city divided between the Greek side and the Turkish side after a bloody war.
I got my trainers on, threw my bag in my hotel room, and headed out, running 5k on the Turkish side and then 5k on the Greek side. Slowly seeing on foot the two contrasting cultures living on either side of the border.
Some places I wouldn’t run in, though, so I have bags of respect for the massive cajones on Nick Butter, the man who ran a marathon in every country.
13. The Running Community is Supportive
Ask a newbie question in a weightlifting forum, and it’s only a matter of time before some numbskull writes a passive-aggressive comment, belittling you for coming out of your comfort zone as they lie smugly in theirs.
The running community tends to be less like that; they’re a lot more supportive and encouraging, more inquisitive about meeting you at your level and offering advice.
14. Running Humour is Elite
Running seems to attract people on the high end of the neurosis spectrum, and when they come together online to share their love for running and the myriad of thoughts that spin through their chaotic minds, you get a lot of entertainment.
The online running community turns their anxieties, odd rituals, and bodily betrayals into comedy that hits way too close to home. It’s like group therapy, but with Strava screenshots and memes instead of couches and condescending guru voices.
From the Vaseline nipple rituals, stories of chafing in ungodly areas and the pain of injury, paranoia and catastrophising before a race, I’m all for the esoteric humour that it brings.
The beauty is in the self-deprecation; very few take themselves too seriously. It turns what could be a solitary, slightly unhinged hobby into a hilarious global support group.
15. Breaking the Family Pattern
Heart disease, particularly in the male paternal side of my family, is rife. The men have died young or just about survived heart attacks by the skin of their teeth on multiple occasions.
This freaks me out.
I am big on personal accountability, and many (if not all) of these fellas smoked like a chimney (which I do not) and didn’t exercise, so the old nature vs nurture makes yet another tedious appearance here.
That said, genetics is a thing, and some individuals are more predisposed to chronic diseases than ever; thus, I want to make sure I am doing all I can to keep my heart healthy for as long as it’s beating.
Well, that ended on a cheery note! Regardless, these are the genuine reasons why I love running, and I know I’m not the only one.
Want to Improve Your Own Running?
If running has become a passion in your life, too, and you want to push yourself a little further, I ended up turning my obsession with improving into something practical.
After going from struggling to break a 26-minute 5K to eventually running sub-19, I wrote Conquering Your 5K — the guide I wish I’d had when I first got serious about improving my running times.
It breaks down the mistakes, mindset shifts, pacing lessons, and training principles that genuinely helped me get faster without burning myself into the ground.
Click here to purchase/view on Amazon
I also realised that one of the biggest motivators in running is physically seeing your progress over time.
That’s why I created Your Path To Personal Bests, a 15-week running journal designed to help runners track times, mileage, effort, goals, and reflections while staying accountable along the way.
Click here to purchase/view on Amazon
Both are available in miles or kilometres, depending on how you train.
