Would You Quit Your Day Job if You Got Paid $20 per Mile to just run?

I wouldn’t for a couple reasons:

- It’s too big of a gap to my current income (~$550K)

- There would always be the incentive to run more, which isn’t always the best thing from a training perspective. For example if I had a race coming up I’d want to be able to focus on taking the right amount of rest to run the best I can vs having to worry about the potential “cost” of doing this

- Too many past injuries makes me worried about relying on running health

It’s interesting to think about what the breakeven point would be for me though - for $40/mile I might be willing to do it for a few years

What ? Even 55 miles a week is 4700/m. That’s a lot of money in Europe, most lawyers or engineers aren’t making that, assuming that’s after taxes.

I would absolutely take it and just run 100 miles a week and never work a day again in my life. Would aquajogging count if I’m injured ? Heck, I would even buy an Alter-G treadmill, to be able to run 20 miles everyday even when I’m old, tired or injured.

Cam Levins likely falls somewhere in this range. So basically the question is do you want to be a professional marathoner.

2 miles every hour for 24 hours when?

No

Partially because it would be a pay cut even if I could run 70 miles per week (my max at my peak).
And mostly because I don’t even run 10 miles per week now. I’d get hurt and be at zero miles.

Yes, I’d retire from my job tomorrow if I could get $20/mile. Alternatively, also give me just $10 per mile walked or hiked too, and that would only sweeten the deal.

I’m 60, and could start drawing a pension plus withdraw from my 401K without penalty (since I’m over 59 1/2). I can’t start Social Security or enroll in Medicare yet, so the running/walking/hiking income would cover the health-insurance gap.

Where can I sign up for such a deal? 😀

I am about to retire so this would be supplimental. To get paid to do something I love! Plus I don't plan on working anymore anyway. In a heart beat.

How do I sign up?

I find it especially funny when I say something I really mean and it gets entirely downvotes. :) There are—easier, more rewarding for me personally, and more productive for the world—ways for me to make much more, so I can’t care to stupidly slogjog to make less risking injury and hair-pulling boredom. OP’s question is interesting only for poor folks.

or maybe we aren’t poor but love running

If you are not poor, you must be stupid to give up more money making potential for less and be forced to change a pleasurable activity that no one is stopping you from doing today into a job where you get paid only by doing the slogjogging work. Surest way to kill all pleasure.

$20 is that all

No. No one can run 40 mph.

Since writing this comment, I took a much better paying job offer in a different country.

My answer is still yes.

I'd still take the $20 per mile over my current (bigger) salary without hesitation.

With the mileage I would be able to handle I would make almost exactly same as in my current job, so no

But I would still want to try it for 2-3 months as a temporary jogger job

It would be exactly the same salary, but you'll get more free hours. So why not take it?

10-15 years ago, yes.

Today, absolutely not.

Along with getting older, my career and earnings got somewhat better. Probably similar for many regulars here.