Running isn't a sport
Running, often associated with cross country, track and field, marathons, ultra marathons and other sorts of races.
It’s arguably the most popular verb in the english language, well then how come the sport itself isn’t?
It’s weird, people that run cross country, track and field, marathons, even ultras, often times associate themselves as “runners.” Rarely do you hear “I’m a track and field runner” or “I’m a cross country runner” It’s all just lumped into one, “runner.”
It’s a lot to take in for the average lazy person.
Other sports are simple, in football the people that participate are called “football players” in basketball they’re called “basketball players” in tennis, they’re called “tennis players” and so on.
But not in running.
It’s really a complex sport when you dive into it, not the sport itself. Yeah, the sport itself is simple for the viewer, watch one person start at one point and finish at another point, done.
But the marketing of the sport, is the problem. And its had that problem since day 1.
NOTHING IS SET IN STONE
It’s insane. Nobody even knows what to call the athletes. For instance in track and field, do we call them track and field athletes? track and field runners? runners? do we mix them up and call some distance runners and some sprinters?
In a sport where almost every bodies title is in question, how can it really grow in popularity?
Not to mention, the sport is always connected to the word “run” and “running”
Name another sport that is used as a verb in just about every other sport and in many aspects of life.
There aren’t any.
You will never hear someone playing football say “I’m going to go skateboard over that guy”
Skateboarding is its own entity.
Running has a multiple identity disorder.
And that’s just for starters.
Running it self isn’t even a sport.
I just lost most of you with that sentence, that was like nails on a chalk board, like when you tell a republican you’re taking their guns.
It’s not something runner’s take lightly.
But hear me out,
If running is a sport, what is cross country? What is track and field? What is a marathon?
SEE THIS IS WHERE IT GETS WEIRD.
If running it self is a sport and cross country is a sport, that means theres a sport within a sport.
Which frankly, makes no sense at all.
Calling running a sport is like saying dribbling is a sport, when clearly it’s not. Dribbling is something you do within the sport of basketball. But it’s not the sport itself.
It’s all incredibly weird, and the deeper you think about it, the more your head will hurt.
There’s no real answer to any of this. Running will forever be stuck in this void. It’ll never be able to stretch and be it’s own thing, it’ll never be able to live and flourish as it’s own events as long as NFL commentators continue to say things like “He’s running for the touchdown”
Runnings closest comparison is skateboarding.
Skateboarding has many sub categories, as running does as well.
Skateboarding has big air, street, vert, and probably some I’m not even thinking of.
Running has cross country, marathons, track and field, ultras, sky running.
The only difference is Skateboarding is skateboarding, when someone mentions skateboarding peoples minds go to one thing.
When someone mentions running, sure they think of somebody running, but because it’s found in so many daily activities and other sports it’s hard to single on specifically training and racing.
It’s a jack of all trades.
It’s weird, it’s odd, it doesn’t completely make sense, but nor does any of this. Why do humans put themselves into an activity of constantly pounding their legs for sometimes hours at a time? Some go dozens if not hundreds of miles. None of it makes sense.
Running doesn’t make sense, and why should it?
It’s the greatest sport either way.
- Jacob D.L.
