what place on earth would you get the most stares as a jogger or runner?

binghamton, new york

Saudi Arabia. Also do not run without your shirt on.

That Fiji experience would have been something else.

I got odd looks in Egypt.

THE ULTIMATE......................

NORTH KOREA

Kenya. Everyone would be thinking gee that dude is slooooooow...

Bourne to run wrote:

Well believe it or not I got a lot of stares and laughter when visiting relatives in Ireland in the late 1970s.......although they had their share of world-class runners, the bulk of the population had not yet experienced the running boom so they would look at you running as if you were a freak -- but they were humorous about it. And they reacted as if your nylon running suit was the clothes of a space alien......in five or so short yrs they caught on and were running nuts like us in America....

Nice job. You're a modern-day St. Patrick.

Ithaca, NY

In the late 1970s I drew attention in both rural Maine and in Istanbul. Other people have mentioned Fiji and Peru and I have run in both places without incident.

Probably on any body of water

I'm spending some time in Beijing in October. Anyone know if it will it even be possible (or sensible) to keep some kind of running going?

Currently in Morocco. I get plenty of stares. Public running isn't much of a thing other than for the wealthy or very young and then it's that horribly slow slogging-shuffle. Even when I run in the one place designed for running in Meknes i still get stares bc shorts. There are actually some cool trails through farmland and along the ancient city wall--these are where I get the most intense stares. That said, it's a super safe place.still, not a very good

Also while Morocco is a Muslim country, it is also secular. Many people are non practicing, and the government straddles an awkward position of theocracy and secular democracy but that also has to do with the political dynamics of having royalty.

Bourne to run wrote:

Well believe it or not I got a lot of stares and laughter when visiting relatives in Ireland in the late 1970s.......although they had their share of world-class runners, the bulk of the population had not yet experienced the running boom so they would look at you running as if you were a freak -- but they were humorous about it. And they reacted as if your nylon running suit was the clothes of a space alien......in five or so short yrs they caught on and were running nuts like us in America....

This. I lived in Galway in 2006 (and an additional 5 visit), and despite having a local AC, I was really the only one on the rural roads, running through town, etc. The same nylon space suit jokes were made, got weird stares, and was told to drink more, eat more, and run less. Not much has changed (thankfully). HOWEVER, I never felt threatened, as I'm sure is the case in some of the Middle East locations people are citing.

I currently live in Amish country, and I just feel downright dirty and sinful running my butthuggers past all those conservative folk on a Sunday morning...

real al lity wrote:

I can guarantee that if you went for a run in that attire you'd receive FAR more harassment from "youths" in urban areas than you ever would in a conservative part of the country.

Be kind to the leftists. Don't take their twisted world view away from them. They'll get depressed. Conservatives are bad, and "youths" are their victims.

Some lunatic wrote:

How is Muslim country secular?

Don't Islamic states with other majority Muslim countries.

Secular Muslim countries

Burkina Faso

Chad

Gambi

Guinea

Mali

Senegal

Kyrgyzstan

Kazakhstan

Tajikstan

Turkey

Turkmenistan[53]

Uzbekistan

State of Palestine - West Bank

Syria

Lebanon

Albania

Azerbaijan

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Kosovo

Examples:

The first amendment of the Turkish constitution (99% Muslim) includes separation of religion and state.

The Indonesian constitution guarantees religious freedom (221,000,000 Muslims).

warrior revolution wrote:

In my limited personal experience--India

My very white friend just got back from Burundi and Rwanda and said his running caused quite the stir there, even at 5am.

Basically any developing country. As Americans we often don't realize how hard people across the planet work for survival--running is a luxury that we are blessed to enjoy.

___________________

I don't know. I ran every day when I was in India (at a local park), and people there started running too. Previously, many of them used to walk in the morning. I was there for several months, though. I definitely drew a lot of attention, but most people I met really liked Americans, so they were very interested in what I was doing. Kids would wait for me to run by (laps), then chase behind me for as long as possible.

I get your point about people being focused on survival, but this does not mean they don't ever try to have fun. Cricket was very popular, and even the kids in the slums played Cricket and danced a lot (Bollywood influence).

West Virginia

madarin wrote:

Ronald Kwemoi wrote:

The Vatican.

Not even close. I actually used this example with a liberal runner friend of mine after he tried to tell me that all religions are equally backward and dangerous. I asked him if he had to run a 10-miler wearing nothing but his trainers and shorts, where would he rather do it: Vatican City or Mecca.

He got the point.

In the interest of full disclosure, we're both atheists.

that has to do with political instability and an extremist culture in Saudi Arabia vs. the first world country of Italy. Very little to do with religion. Islam and Christianity are pretty equal. Don't believe me? Go for a run in the Central African Republic, where Christians flay Muslims alive, then tie them to trucks and drag their raw flesh along rocky roads. It doesn't matter what religion - all that matters is the word religion.

that being said, i've gone running in both cairo and dar es salaam (tanzania) and remote tanzanian villages. cairo is by far the most frightening because there are extremists there but still, it's an international city. you get the most stares running with your white chest out in a remote village in the usambra mountains of Tanzania. they never see caucasians becuase tourism to that area is limited, and superstition teaches that whites are spirits come to judge them for their deeds.

johnny langenwooker wrote:

madarin wrote:

Not even close. I actually used this example with a liberal runner friend of mine after he tried to tell me that all religions are equally backward and dangerous. I asked him if he had to run a 10-miler wearing nothing but his trainers and shorts, where would he rather do it: Vatican City or Mecca.

He got the point.

In the interest of full disclosure, we're both atheists.

that has to do with political instability and an extremist culture in Saudi Arabia vs. the first world country of Italy. Very little to do with religion.

Wow, are you off.

Saudi Arabia has had the same family in power for generations. That's the definition of stability. Oppressive, definitely, but still stable.

Also, Vatican City is the epicenter of Christian "extremism."

They aren't equal.