LR Fanboys: Hobby joggers and trend-following psuedo-runners are clueless fools that should have no say in the sport and just go away.
Also LR Fanboys: Boo-hoo there's not enough money in our sport and making it as a professional runner is impossible -- where are all the fans? We do everything to welcome new runners and still they ignore us.
I go back & forth with how I feel about this. I kinda hate the influencer-grifter bunch that are selling their bs content (diet, gear, and heaven forbid training plans).
but also hard to not support anyone getting in more exercise than they did before (and even better if it’s a social thing at run clubs - we have way too many lonely people).
I’m in my 30s and just started running more seriously again for the 1st time since high school. I’d be lying if my comeback wasn’t somewhat inspired by seeing an uptick in running popularity (and wanting to dust all these hobby joggers at the parkrun 5k).
The runfluencer stuff is kinda dumb but at least running is more popular than it has been - though viewership of pro track in the US is struggling, it seems.
Therein lies the problem. Runfluencers are all bubbly, inspirational, and on happy pills 24/7. Then, someone stumbles across a televised track meet where the athletes run amazing times (Now I feel bad about myself because I am slow and fat.) and those athletes have virtually no personality (Elites are sad people! They don’t have joy in their lives because they are too serious unlike my fave influencer.)
The result is “fun” races are sold out, gear gets more expensive, and “serious” athletes are now even bigger geeks/losers than ever because they obsess over times and body composition. I see this at local races when selfie stick and fun runners line up at the front, get asked to make room for local studs, and then refuse because “I have the right to line up at the front because I paid to enter like you did! Stop being such a serious jerk!”.
This, 100%. If you tell someone you ran a sub 4:10 mile now they’ll think you’re a legend.
But seriously, how can this be anything but good for the sport? People on this board are constantly complaining that track has no fans and pro runners don’t make any money. Running getting more popular is good for all runners
But 97% of them don't care about T&F. It's a participation activity for them. Like doing yoga. It's not a sport to them. Some don't go beyond following Kipchoge and his sub 2 stunt.
No one cares about T&F. That the participation part of running is doing great while “Elite” running is dead is what bothers “Serious” runners.
If you're a serious runner, you're either racing primarily on the track/XC course, or you're a marathoner and you're getting your entries comped. If not, you are not serious enough to be bothered by hobby joggers. In fact, you are one yourself.
I feel like it's a good thing that people are getting out and exercising more, and I am happy to see so many people running in the parks and trails around my city. On the other hand, tons of races have gotten super pricey and hard to get into. The runfluencer culture that has popped up in the past couple years is also very grating.
Wait, running has become trendy? Really? I hadn't noticed. I am being serious. As far as pricey races go, I don't enter those races that allow anyone and everyone, including their dogs and babies in strollers, to enter. I limit myself to serious, USATF sanctioned events.
I appreciate running becoming popular in the general public, but I do miss when it felt like amateur running/endurance sports were an activity catered mostly to misfits.
Beach to Beacon sold out in under 24 hours - maybe under 12, I didn't check last night. I got in, but anyone who didn't track the registration date did not. They upped the price to $90 for a year. For a 10k. Though, its still cheaper than the cost to run a BU meet as an unattached athlete.
It's not at all trendy. I'm 68 and that happened in the 70's with Bill Bowerman's book on jogging and Jim Fixx's book on Running and Frank and Bill Rogers killing marathons. OMG anybody and there mother was out jogging, it was a status symbol and the cool thing to do. A famous phrase was "do you marathon". And then major TV caught on and all of a sudden the NY City Marathon was TV gold esp with Alberto Salazar. Even President's of the United States started inviting marathoners to the White House and State dinners , Carter for Rogers and Reagan for Salazar. Reporters even asked Salazar in Reagan's presence about the economy and he said loud and clear "Stay the course". No ,running is no place near trendy now compared to the late 70's an early 80's!
Yes, running is just part of the culture now...
Back then it was the new, cool thing to do... Probably had about an six or eight year window from about 1978 until the mid '80s. By the early to mid '80s... "going to the gym" started to be the thing social thing to do because gyms started attracting women and their tights and leg warmers. ... and cycling and triathlon started to be more trendy for people who wanted to show off how much money they had. Then yoga and stuff like that came in.
Before running became hot... martial arts was kind of the big thing... there were karate, judo and every other form of martial art style going in the 1970s.
I feel like it's a good thing that people are getting out and exercising more, and I am happy to see so many people running in the parks and trails around my city. On the other hand, tons of races have gotten super pricey and hard to get into. The runfluencer culture that has popped up in the past couple years is also very grating.
It will decline again soon enough when people get bored. It's a passing phase.
I appreciate running becoming popular in the general public, but I do miss when it felt like amateur running/endurance sports were an activity catered mostly to misfits.
That's what the internet used to be like.
More and more I feel like moving to a developing country and away from the western world.
I feel like it's a good thing that people are getting out and exercising more, and I am happy to see so many people running in the parks and trails around my city. On the other hand, tons of races have gotten super pricey and hard to get into. The runfluencer culture that has popped up in the past couple years is also very grating.
It will decline again soon enough when people get bored. It's a passing phase.
It's showing any signs of slowing down any time soon, unlike average finish times.