Why running is always worth it.

A few weeks ago, Slate published an article with the pointed title, ‘Don’t run a marathon. You have better things to do.’ While this is a pretty classic case of Internet click-bait, and I would really rather not give Daniel Engber the satisfaction of increased web traffic and comments on his provocation, I have to admit: I opened the link. As a runner who, just last month, signed up for her first marathon, I couldn’t help myself… The click-bait worked.

But it didn’t work simply because the mere title of the article got me riled up and defensive; no, it was also because, as much as I hate to admit it, I understood where the author was coming from. It wasn’t the first time that I had thought about “all the other things we could accomplish in those hours spent in training.” I had already pondered the inherent selfishness of endurance running; the seemingly futile monotony of putting one foot in front of the other for hours on end. As an archaeologist, I have often thought about what ancient peoples would think about this sport; how did life get so sedentary that we move just for the sake of moving? I doubt that many people in the past would have had time for such a luxury (if a luxury is what you consider it to be). After all, ancient games such as the Olympics were rooted in religious tradition, and the first marathon was hardly a leisurely endeavour. In the small modern villages of rural Greece where I conduct my field work, the ongoing joke directed at rare runners such as myself continues to be, “What are you running from?” The benefits of such an activity are lost on many…

Yet despite my own questions and hesitations, I knew that the author was wrong about running.

I cannot speak for all runners, but I can certainly talk about why I run. Quite simply, I run because it helps me to be a better person. I’m not simply referring to the sport when I say this, though I love the physical and mental challenges of running long distances; it is also the people involved in the running community who enrich my everyday life in a way I will never discount, no matter how many hours I devote to this “dash away from common sense,” as Mr. Engber puts it. Runners are some of the friendliest and most supportive people I have ever met. They come in all shapes, sizes, speeds and abilities, yet they respect and support one another, on and off the track (or road or trail or treadmill). The examples they set extend beyond the world of running, and I am continually inspired by the inclusivity and selflessness of these athletes whose sport is too often perceived as a selfish one. I highly doubt that any runner would tell you that they completed a race or a goal entirely on their own; every runner has a support network, and it is for and thanks to that network that most of us run.

Again, I can’t speak for all runners or all people, but for me, the physical and mental endurance needed to run is a reminder of the incredible power of determination and perseverance. It sounds cliché and corny, but you are stronger than you think, and running will prove that to you, even if it has to drag you along until you believe it. It is completely true that positive thinking and the ability to meet challenges head-on transcends athletics and spills over into other areas of life. With this newfound confidence, healthy lifestyle, and your reciprocally-supportive social network, you’ll be more ready than ever to take Mr. Engber’s advice and learn Arabic, volunteer in a soup kitchen, or utilize your increased fitness level to “fortify dikes” (really??). As for the health concerns, well, that’s why marathoners train. Of course there are risks, but the same goes for driving a car, chopping vegetables, climbing a ladder, or crossing the street. I refuse to live in a bubble, so instead, I run.

Believe me, Mr. Engber, I know where you’re coming from. I write this as I sit in an airport, waiting to board a flight so that I can spend my summer poring over the minute details of pottery sherds and figurine fragments in the name of archaeological science; I know something about what it is to question your use of time… But just like my archaeological work, I have given my running addiction a good hard think and have come out more assured of my choices than ever. Life is not a race. It is simply one long training session to become the best person that you can be. It is the lessons you learn, the people you meet, and the joy you find along the way that make it all worthwhile. Running, no matter the distance, will show you that.