The Intersection of Running and Community
Community is a pillar for human wellness, and in many ways is a cornerstone of the flourishing nature of the species as a whole. From an evolutionary perspective, humans have relied on each other for support from the earliest of days. Being part of a community has been crucial for both survival and mental and physical well-being. Today’s world, however, is set up to compete with this innate pillar of humanness. With political fragmentation, more electronic distractions, and a hustle culture that rewards climbing the ladder, a sense of community has slipped from many people’s lives. Additionally, a global pandemic worsened the problem through the loss of places humans congregate, and a period of time where isolation was required. What community brings in providing a sense of purpose, seenness, and a sense of belonging are no longer commonplace. In Sebastian Junger’s book Tribe, he eloquently frames the issue:
“Humans don’t mind hardship, in fact they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary.”
He goes on to say how it is not uncommon for people to have fond memories of disasters that force a community together. Junger points out that some have found more belonging being at war compared to living their normal lives; that “disasters create a ‘community of sufferers’ that allow individuals to experience an immensely reassuring connection to others.” Dr. Geoffry L Cohen PhD, professor of psychology at Stanford, has dedicated much of his work to the idea that the need to belong drives nearly all of human behavior.The underlying theme is that we need to cultivate community in order to be our best selves. Community allows us to contribute to a greater good, as well as to receive the benefits from being in a group; it’s a reciprocal relationship. For our purposes here, I’m going to talk about running being a catalyst for community strengthening, but many of the principles apply to any sort of community building.
In my own running experience, as a kid, the community is organized for you for the most part. Being a part of a high school or collegiate athletic program can offer an incredible community. Of course this still requires buy in and contribution, but if you are lucky enough to be on a team, invest in the relationships around you to form deep, meaningful connections that strengthen the community in place. This has to come from a place of authenticity to work best. This could simply be showing curiosity in your teammates stories, committing to spending time with each other outside of the construct of sport, or being present with teammates when things aren’t glamorous. High performance may even come as a byproduct of this. We are always able to do more when we have more than the interest of ourselves in mind. When running for a team that has forged a strong sense of community, we’re able to find a little bit more during races, and push a little bit more in training. Furthermore, when you have a strong sense of belonging in your community, you don’t spend time chasing status. In a running context, this can free you up to take calculated risks in your racing. Instead of racing to not lose and embarrass yourself, you are secure in your place in the community, and know that your belongingness does not depend on the result of a race. This is a common crutch that I’ve seen in many high performance settings. Your identity can’t be directly tied to your performance. It requires internal work, and work in the relationships around you, but could have a huge impact on performance, and overall well being (this could be an entire separate blog post).
If you are past the point in life where you are lucky enough to be thrown into a team that can act as a community, it is one of the greatest commitments you can make to yourself to join with others. In the world of running, there are many options, but you must genuinely prioritize and invest in this for it to make a real impact. In my eyes, the community aspect of running is one of the most beautiful things about the sport. The nature of running lends itself to authentic connection and deep understanding which are pillars of community building. Sharing miles, and oftentimes suffering, with others creates an inexplicable connection. I have even heard (although I can’t remember where, so you’ll have to trust me) that running, or walking, side by side leads to more natural conversation. Rather than being face to face, you are comfortable with natural pauses in conversation, and feel less pressure to kill time making small talk. This certainly doesn’t mean every run you have to discuss the meaning of life, in fact most runs I’ve had with people are pure BS-ing sessions. But when conversations on runs take a turn to more serious topics, the ebb and flow of conversation can come more naturally and authentically.
There are so many ways to build community within your running, and there is no one way to do it. Whether it’s finding a training partner, joining a run club, starting a training group, or calling your friends to talk about your training and racing, these all will have immense wellness benefits , and also support better performance. I encourage people to find some semblance of a running group, big or small. This could be getting together with your friend to share some miles on a Sunday morning, or meeting a large run crew a couple times per week for workouts. If you live in a relatively large city, odds are there is a great group (or lots of great groups) that you can connect with. Overcoming the fear of being the odd one out and committing to going the first time, can have benefits beyond what you may think at the moment. (Pro tip; bring a friend the first couple times you go.)
I also want to acknowledge that for many, running provides a sense of solitude and acts as an individual journey; even if this is the case, there are still ways to cultivate community. Sharing your story on Strava, or seeing the same people out on your favorite routes, or talking with others about their running journey, are some ways that even solo runners can connect with what community means to them.
I have had the chance to see and be a part of many amazing communities. From my high school cross country team to working at Mill City Running to working in community for On, the principles are all the same. Invest in your community, and it will invest in you. These are the big things that often go overlooked in life, but can simultaneously act as a self improvement mechanism, and a way to serve. At the end of the day (and although I do believe community can be a key to performance), people will forget how fast you ran, or what you won. But they will remember how you made them feel.
