Why do some runners look down on people with headphones?

airpods wrote:

I don’t get it. Running is good. Music is good. Together...bad? I don’t get the snootitude on this.

Snootitude, at least from me, is your perception only. Why would I care what you do or don't do?

However, in my brain I see those with headphones, sunglasses, and other things I consider gimmicks as a diversion from concentration, mental toughness, finding the line between improving and bonking, traffic-aware, etc. For me, if I indulged in headphones and the other latest, I would get very soft very fast. And I am far too soft already, I don't need a push. Slow as I might be, I am out there to practice & improve some of those toughness qualities that very few outside of hard running know.

airpods wrote:

I don’t get it. Running is good. Music is good. Together...bad? I don’t get the snootitude on this.

Real runners don't need a crutch like music. They can run without it.

airpods wrote:

Why do some people look down on people with headphones?

Because most people with headphones are shorter than 6' 6". No choice, but to look down on them.

RealrunnerThis name belongs to a registered account wrote:

airpods wrote:

I don’t get it. Running is good. Music is good. Together...bad? I don’t get the snootitude on this.

Real runners don't need a crutch like music. They can run without it.

Agree.

For elites there actually is some science behind not listening to music/pdocast. Interpreting that while running requires your brain to use energy that could otherwise be used for the purpose of your exercise.

Now the real reason is as a competitive runner it usually ingrained in you through the American program. My high school coaches highly discourage it. If you are on a college team the expectation is, that it is very rude to your teammates to be listening to music or whatever and you're not being part of the team. So it has become something heavily built in the culture of competitive running that you do not wear headphones when running. Maybe that will change, maybe it already is with the new generation, it's been a while since I was in college.

I never have looked down on runners wearing earphones or ear buds. I just could never stand wearing them myself.

airpods wrote:

I don’t get it. Running is good. Music is good. Together...bad? I don’t get the snootitude on this.

They aren't real runners.

What if a headphone runner beats a ‘real’ runner in a race? With headphones!?

WHO’S THE REAL RUNNER THEN HUH!?

I look down on them (despite the fact I do at least half my easy runs with music) because I know they're listening to ultra lame sh*t! Steely Dan, Journey, Styx, Bob Seger, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffet....It's been 5 decades since some of that regurgitated pablum choked the airwaves. It's a new century for crying out loud. Are you all spending most of your TV time on Mash, All in the Family & Brady Bunch reruns? Don't get me started, it's Christmas Eve. Bah humbug!

A lot of people like to hate on runners that listen to music because they feel they are somehow tougher for going without it.

My opinion is that running 12 miles on a treadmill at 7:00 pace is literally the most boring thing in the universe in every single aspect and that running with headphones especially on solo easy runs is friggin fine.

I like to be aware of my surroundings when I'm out running. Listening to music may impede the ability to hear a car approaching me or backing out of a driveway or Jason from Friday the 13th chasing me down.

On a treadmill, yeah sure that would be cool. Might even be a necessity but I don't know. Haven't ran on a treadmill for almost 30 years.

CopperRunner wrote:

A lot of people like to hate on runners that listen to music because they feel they are somehow tougher for going without it.

My opinion is that running 12 miles on a treadmill at 7:00 pace is literally the most boring thing in the universe in every single aspect and that running with headphones especially on solo easy runs is friggin fine.

True that's why we run outside.

A lot of us come from a time where headphones were tethered to a bulky cassette player.

No way you could run a serious pace with that.

So it was and remains a symbol of not serious runners.

I don't necessarily look down on runners with headphones, but I certainly scare the crap out of them when I pass them on the trail and they had no clue that I was approaching them from behind. Situational awareness is an important life skill that many don't understand. I wonder if there is a correlation between headphone wearing and political philosophy.

Perhaps I am not a serious running but I use a mighty and some wireless Bluetooth headphones on pretty much every run I do.l w/ the exception of track workouts and most TTs. I even used them for a marathon TT recently.

That said, I don’t run on roads really and do all my running very early so I rarely see people.

I would rather be a fake a runner then give up my Spotify playlists.

highhoppingworm wrote:

Perhaps I am not a serious running but I use a mighty and some wireless Bluetooth headphones on pretty much every run I do.l w/ the exception of track workouts and most TTs. I even used them for a marathon TT recently.

That said, I don’t run on roads really and do all my running very early so I rarely see people.

I would rather be a fake a runner then give up my Spotify playlists.

I’m with you. I don’t wear them when I run with friends or race, but for everyday miles? Gimme the ‘pods.

CrispyChicken wrote:. I wonder if there is a correlation between headphone wearing and political philosophy.

Like...lefties look down on them because they are holier-than-thou elitist snoots?

CrispyChicken wrote:

I don't necessarily look down on runners with headphones, but I certainly scare the crap out of them when I pass them on the trail and they had no clue that I was approaching them from behind. Situational awareness is an important life skill that many don't understand. I wonder if there is a correlation between headphone wearing and political philosophy.

So true on situational awareness. Airports, walking, driving, restaurants, workplace -- anywhere idiots congregate, you can be sure there will be an amazing and frustrating lack of situational awareness. Often accompanied by non-stop yacking and other impulsive distractions (headphones).

And yeah, I'd bet those that are more liberal minded politically, wear headphones more often while in public and/or are otherwise engaged.

For me it’s about not being aware of your surroundings and not being able spend some time with yourself without some constant external stimulation.