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 parkrun
Whether some events are simply becoming too busy
Faster runners versus slower runners — and why both have responsibilities
Why your PB doesn't give you priority over somebody else's safety
The importance of running and parkrun etiquette
Whether Strava, Garmin and social media have made recreational running too competitive
The forgotten role of volunteers
The increasing pressure on major races and marathon ballots
Why inclusivity doesn't mean abandoning common sense
How running can continue growing without losing the community that made it successful
The 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.
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