Episode 109 - Is the Running Boom Bad for Running?

Send us Fan MailIs the Running Boom Actually Bad for Running?Running is booming.More people are joining running clubs, entering races, chasing marathon places and turning up to parkrun than ever before.Surely that's a good thing?Mostly, yes. But a recent situation at Weymouth parkrun, where events were temporarily suspended following concerns around overcrowding, overtaking and participants being barged or tripped, raises an interesting question:Is running becoming a victim of its own success?In this episode of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast, I look at the other side of the running boom.We discuss:What happened at Weymouth parkrunWhether some events are simply becoming too busyFaster runners versus slower runners — and why both have responsibilitiesWhy your PB doesn't give you priority over somebody else's safetyThe importance of running and parkrun etiquetteWhether Strava, Garmin and social media have made recreational running too competitiveThe forgotten role of volunteersThe increasing pressure on major races and marathon ballotsWhy inclusivity doesn't mean abandoning common senseHow running can continue growing without losing the community that made it successfulThe problem isn't that more people are running.That's something we should celebrate.The challenge is making sure the infrastructure, etiquette and culture of running grow with it.There's room for the 15-minute 5K runner and the 50-minute 5K walker.Neither has more right to be there than the other.🎧 Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Support the show