How Slow Do You Have to Become to be a Hobby Jogger?

We have a new running team in New York, unfortunately you would classify as a hobby jogger. Your times would be very below average and mediocre here in the big city. Maybe try on the west coast like california, or Oregon. Alot slugs over there.

I don't think pace is the difference between a jogger and runner. Its all about the effort one puts into running. There are a lot of people that have demading jobs and young kids that still find time to get out and train. So as of now you do sound like a hobby jogger, no exemption!!!!!!

Right now you are a hobby jogger. I have been both at various times in my life. It is not morally superior to be one or the other. People run at different levels and sometimes those levels shift due to life circumstances.

Right now I'd probably be a hobby jogger but I am working towards changing that. I am not fast even when in serious training but I enjoy trying to get the best out of myself.

Yes once you are out of college you'll go through phases. I'll have a year where I can step up and compete with the better runners in my area on a regular basis, then I'll have an injury, sickness or just end up with a few down months and I'm immediately shot to the back of the pack.

It's a roller coaster dictated by life circumstances.

Your problem is your need to categorize people in this fashion. You need to stop thinking so simplistically.

I knew a guy who didn't take up running until he was in his late 50s. But once he took it up, he did with a vengeance. Trained as much as he could, entered all sorts of races, fought tooth and nail for every place. Kept getting better for almost 15 years. Used to be very hard on himself when he didn't PR. Then when time and age inevitably started to catch up with him, fought tooth and nail to hold it off.

I think his best ever 5k was barely under 20 minutes, 20 minutes slower than yours right now.

Was he a "hobby jogger"?

Just shut up and run and stop worrying about arbitrary, self-imposed categories you used to impose on others to make you feel better about yourself.

obvious correction: "2 minutes slower", not "20 minutes slower"

Speed doesn't matter. It's the reasons why you run that count.

Not a hobby jogger:

- Professional athlete who gets paid to run

- Scholarship athlete

- Runners not quite fast enough to get paid or get a scholarship, but they are still striving to reach that level

- Anyone else who needs to be in good shape for their job(military, police, etc.)

- Anyone who needs to run for health reasons

Hobby jogger:

- People who run for enjoyment (this includes having competitive goals)

This probably makes most of letsrun.com hobby joggers, myself included. Let's be honest, I run for my own personal satisfaction. I enjoy the competition, setting pr's, reaching my goals. I work damn hard at it, but if I stopped running tomorrow, there would be no dire consequences. Unlike a professional athlete whose income is suddenly lost, college kid who loses his scholarship, Marine who will fail his next PFT, or fat guy who needs to keep his cholesterol under control.

If it's a hobby - even one which you are fiercely committed to - then you are a hobby jogger. If there is a some external motivation for why you run, only then are you not a hobby jogger.

What makes a hobby jogger? Fanny Pack.

In all seriousness, it's all a matter of mindset. If you see yourself as a serious runner--even though you're not training much right now--you've differentiated yourself from people who are just trying to finish a marathon.

Captain Spalding wrote:

In all seriousness, it's all a matter of mindset. If you see yourself as a serious runner--even though you're not training much right now--you've differentiated yourself from people who are just trying to finish a marathon.

Yes. One test I like to apply is the 'smile/wave' test. If you are the type of runner who smiles and waves with both hands in the air at a marathonfoto cameraman ten miles into a half marathon, you are a hobby jogger. I don't care how fast or slow a runner is, they should be pushing it hard enough at that point in a race to not even contemplate smiling and waving.

Hobby joggers don't care about time, they care about finishing and being part of an 'event'. Serious runners go to race, no matter how good they are.

I think there is room for a different category here. "Hobby Runner" A person who is striving to improve PRs and race performances, but is not at a professional level. But also not a jogger in any way.

I think we have a winner. I want to think I fit into the "Hobby Runner" versus the "Jogger".

wearing a Fuel Belt for an 8-10 mile "long" run

I want to commend everyone on this post. I checked this thread out because I wanted to see some trolling, or at the very least, rapid deterioration into bickering. But a question was posed, and there were constructive comments both for and against, and a resolve was met.

Hobby Runners actually works very well, and goes a long way to describing probably 90% of the people on this website.

Check plus.

There are a lot more hobby joggers on LR than you think. No worries.

Hobby joggers line up with their friends at a marathon start, even if they plan to finish under 3 hours. Serious runners line up in front of the 3 hour line even if they plan to finish in 5 hours.

Aside from most of the serious runners being annoying as hell at a marathon start line, neither is better nor worse than the other.

Slowdown Sammy wrote:

I used to run 100 mile weeks. I have decent PRs (15:07 5K, 31:05 10K, 1:08 HM). But in the last 4 years my career has been very demanding and I'm lucky to get in 3 runs a week. I also have a young family now (2 kids).

I woke up this morning and it suddenly dawned on me that I am a hobby jogger! I'm 20 pounds heavier than 4 years ago and I don't think I could break 18 minutes for 5K right now.

Am I a hobby jogger? Or do I get some kind of exemption because I used to be a pretty decent runner?

Please help me.

Just kill yourself, if only for your need to start this post.

9min pace or slower

Slowdown Sammy wrote:

I used to run 100 mile weeks. I have decent PRs (15:07 5K, 31:05 10K, 1:08 HM). But in the last 4 years my career has been very demanding and I'm lucky to get in 3 runs a week. I also have a young family now (2 kids).

I woke up this morning and it suddenly dawned on me that I am a hobby jogger! I'm 20 pounds heavier than 4 years ago and I don't think I could break 18 minutes for 5K right now.

Am I a hobby jogger? Or do I get some kind of exemption because I used to be a pretty decent runner?

Please help me.

I go by the definition that unless you are getting financial gain in some way, you are a hobbyist. So, if you ran in college and got some scholarship money, then you were NOT a hobby runner. Once you get out of college though, EVEN IF YOU IMPROVE, unless you are making bank, you are a hobby runner.