Why do we love to run? Not just to relieve stress – it’s about freedom, achievement and competition, too
- Research suggests a lot of the pressures in ordinary life are also experienced in endurance running, meaning it is not as much of an escape as many think
- Three factors motivate runners to compete, the research shows
Runners often express a romanticised notion of taking to the trails to escape the stress of contemporary life.
People who go one step further to compete in endurance events such as ultra-marathons, obstacle races and triathlons describe a feeling of total, immersive freedom.
But this is only part of the picture, according to a new thesis by doctoral student Carys Egan-Wyer from Lund University in Sweden.
“Most runners say that they run because it is a way to get away from the demands and stresses of their regular life. But my research shows that this is only one side of the story; there are also a lot of demands in ordinary life that are actually reproduced in endurance running. For example, the pressure to be productive, efficient and to measure your achievements are recurring themes,” said Egan-Wyer.
