The Subculture of Running
Michael Havrda
Introduction
There are so many fascinating subcultures in existence that it certainly is hard to
pick just one to study, but in the end I decided to study the subculture of people who
participate in the sport of running. Runners intrigue me because they possess a level of
fanaticism for their sport seldom found in other recreational athletes, and have developed
a unique subculture of their own.
In this ethnography I’m going to present my findings on their subculture based on
my observances in the field. All of the information presented is based on either interpersonal exchanges I watched between runners or on observations of runners performing
rituals. First I’m going to explain the methodology behind my research in order to
demonstrate how the information was specifically obtained, as well as my background in
this particular field. After explaining my methodology, I will present the actual
information I obtained during the course of this study, and then provide my concluding
thoughts.
Methodology
I chose to observe the subculture of runners at two different events, in order to see
how their culture works in the two main aspects of running: training and competing. I felt
that a holistic approach was the best way to accurately view their subculture so it was
necessary to observe both events. To observe the culture expressed during training I
participated in a group training run hosted by the Seattle Running Club on the White
River course at Crystal Mountain, Washington. To observe the culture of runners during
competition, I attended a Summer All-Comers Track and Field Meet hosted by Club
Northwest at Shoreline Stadium in Shoreline, Washington. It is important to note that at
the All-Comers Track and Field Meet I only observed the running events, as the field
events are separate and have a subculture of their own that is distinct from that of
running, thus they are excluded from this ethnography. At the training run I was an active
participant as I chose to run with the group, whereas at the track meet I was just a
spectator.
I came into this study with a fair bit of experience in the field of running. I myself
participate in the sport as a runner and also manage the cross-country meets for Seattle
University, so I would consider myself an educated observer. For the point of this study, I
attempted as best as possible to ignore any thoughts or conclusions that I would arrive at
based on my experience, and instead tried to view events and interactions as if this was
my first introduction into the subculture of running. My goal was to observe runners in
the two most common environments in which their subculture is developed in order to
learn what their rituals and artifacts are, how those rituals and artifacts are developed, and
the impact they have on the subculture. I identified three main phases to the interactions
occurring around an event, which I’m dividing into three different sections: before the
run, during the run, and after the run.
Before The Run
Prior to the actual event taking place, either the training run I participated in or at
the track meet, the focus of the group is mainly on socialization and preparing themselves
for the run or race. The group congregates around an area, in which they have both
individual conversations while still maintaining participation in an overall group
conversation. Small talk is made, usually by one runner asking another how they’ve been
or what they’ve been up to, in regards to their personal life and not their training: talk
about training is seemingly a longer discussion that is typically discussed at more length
at a later phase of the event (which we’ll get to later). We also see the introduction of one
of the main topics of conversation in this subculture: food. Someone brings up what they
had for breakfast (a Hostess Apple Pie) which sets off a chain reaction of the other
runners all recalling what they’ve eaten, and the variety is pretty astonishing. It runs the
spectrum from cold leftover pizza to precisely measured and calculated meals based on
formulas apparently derived from scientific studies. Food is a recurring theme in the
conversations between runners and is present in all phases of the event. The conversation
appears very jovial in nature but is also on the rigid side: the talk at this point is slightly
awkward and seems to occur just as an opposition to more awkward silence.
At this point prior to the run we also see the introduction of rituals. At both the
training run and track meet, some runners will start to stretch their limbs while in the
aforementioned conversational circle. Some of the runners will tie their shoes a specific
way and recheck them to make sure it’s correct. There is a slight difference to the rituals
performed at the track meet, being that it is a more formal event and requires more. At
the track meet I observed runners using this pre-run occasion to make sure the spikes in
their shoes are correctly adjusted and also use safety pins to attach a set of numbers
(called a “bib”) to their singlet. The runners about to race also have a short pre-race run to
accomplish in order to warm up; the average length of time for this warm-up run appears
to be around 20 minutes.
After the group has fully assembled and everyone is ready, the runners move onto
the next part of their event, the run itself.
During the Run
Everyone starts out together on the group training run but within ten minutes
smaller groups of runners have formed due to differences in pace. While still technically
a group activity, the runners will become separated into smaller groups (usually of around
2-4 runners) simply because not everybody can run at the same speed. The gaps between
the groups can be as small as 100 feet or so great that the runners are not reunited until
the end of the run.
During the training run, conversation continues but something interesting
happens: the conversation becomes more natural and less awkward than before the run,
and the depth of the topics also becomes greater. The runners now start to talk at length
about their training, their personal lives, and basically anything else people would talk
about while not running. The conversation is very humorous and there is a lot of joking,
playful teasing, and laughing. Once again food is another topic discussed, especially
towards the end of the run as the runners become hungrier. Another topic discussed at an
ease not normally found in the general culture but is talked about without any sense of
embarrassment by the runners is that of the bodies “elimination systems”. Used to
thinking of their bodies in a more scientific, almost mechanical way, this topic doesn’t
hold the same taboo as it would in the mainstream culture: bathroom stories were a topic
of much humor to the runners.
Another observation I made was noticing the correlation between the clothing
worn by more established, experienced runners and those of the newer or more
recreational runners. The newer or more recreational runners tended to focus more on
their appearance than the experienced competitive runners: this manifests in new
“outfits” with attention paid to wearing matching brands and colors, whereas the
established runners dress in a way that was referred to as the “runner’s shabby chic”
consisting of older, mismatched clothes. Brought up as a topic of discussion, some of the
runners believed it was this way because the newer runners are trying to impress the other
runners, whereas the runners who are already established do not feel the same need to
prove themselves.
There is a very clear distinction I need to make between the training group
interaction and the interaction of the runners participating in the track meet during this
phase of the event. Whereas the interaction on the training run is constant, there is very
little interaction between runners during a race at the track meet. During a race, the only
interaction between runners other than trying to outpace each other is a very rare quick
comment about something occurring at the moment, such as a split time or instruction
given. Even though I know a tough race between competitors can be a bonding
experience, that observation would be based on my experience and not something I could
observe at the track meet and thus I have excluded that from this ethnography. Therefore,
this section of this ethnography focuses solely on the group training run.
After the Run
Once the run or race itself has been completed, the third and final phase of the
event occurs. It is very similar to the first phase in that it is based on conversational
interaction between the runners, except that now the more relaxed atmosphere created
during the run has continued and the conversation is less rigid and formal. Runners focus
on congratulating other runs on a good run or race, ask how they felt, and may offer
advice if it seemed warranted by the other runner. Once again, food is discussed but is
now definitely the dominating topic as the runners are all collectively hungry. They
discuss in great detail the types of food and quantities they are craving, regardless of
whether or not that is what they will actually end up eating. It should not be surprising
that most of the foods discussed were of the less-healthy variety as the runners have just
spent several hours talking and daydreaming about food.
In addition to another group discussion, more rituals are practiced. Stretching
occurs again but at a higher level of inclusion than prior to the run. A fair number of the
runners have descended down to a nearby river to soak their legs: this ritual is a common
practice as it mimics the healing effects of ice baths and helps to reduce inflammation in
the runner’s leg muscles. Some runners change into special clothes that are supposed to
aid in their recovery by using compression. While the specific details may all differ
slightly, it is clear that every runner has a ritual the practice after the run that focuses
around the theme of recovering their body from the run.
Conclusion
After observing two different running-related events, it is clear to me that running
has a very unique and well-developed subculture of its own. While a fair amount of this
culture is developed by interaction between the runners before and after the event, the
majority of it is certainly developed during the run as this is the time when the runners
feel most comfortable and the discussion reaches its pinnacle of depth. There is also a
very wide range of rituals that are practiced by the runners, and although the rituals may
be carried out differently they all have the same goals in mind. As an observer, it was
very fascinating to see how an individual sport can become a group activity and be
carried out as individuals acting with a collective group mindset; it certainly is an
intriguing subculture to be involved in. Further observation would be required to learn
more about the subculture in-depth, including more details about the role of artifacts, the
impact of competition on the group dynamic, and observing how conflict (either interpersonal or intra-personal) would be handled by the group, but as a starting point this
ethnography should demonstrate the basic foundations that help to construct the
subculture of runners.