Running is often described as an individual sport, and it certainly can be. There are few other sports in which an athlete can pit himself or herself against the entire field as well as against other individual competitors. More often than not, however, runners toe the starting line to compete against only one other person -- themselves. Most runners do not compete against other people; they compete with them. Increasingly, running is becoming a team sport. This is true nationally and locally.
The day before the Mercedes Marathon, I watched the Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles as eventual winner, Amy Cragg, worked hard to keep her friend and teammate, Shalane Flanagan, by her side as the race came to a close. Flanagan was fading, but Cragg refused to let her slow down or quit. Only when it was clear that Flanagan would finish in the top 3 to make the Olympic team did Cragg take off on her own to break the tape and claim the victory. At the end, Cragg was there to catch Flanagan in her arms as she collapsed across the finish line. Teammates, not individuals.
Locally, there has been a recent increase in the number of people banding together to run. The number of local Group Runs in Birmingham has increased. Groups like the Birmingham Ultra and Trail Society (BUTS), the Village Runners and BRATS can become more family than friends. More and more people are signing up with running coaches such as Cadence Run Coaching, Resolute Running, and Run University. Runners get more than coaches when they sign up; they also get teammates. These teammates can help each other tough out a long run. They can help each other complete a speed work session they never thought possible. And they can help each other get through a difficult race.
When you become a teammate, you come to appreciate the give and take, the reciprocal nature of the relationship. In the times that you need help, someone is there to lend a hand. In the times you reach a goal, someone is there to celebrate with you. But in those times when a teammate is striving or struggling, you can be there to offer support and encouragement.
One of my recent weeks of running could not have been more emblematic of this dynamic. On Tuesday, our team had speed work at the track. The morning was unusually warm and humid for this time of year. No one was hitting their paces, and almost everyone was struggling mightily. But, through encouragement and laughter, no one quit or gave up. We got through it together. On Thursday, I joined several teammates for a trail run at Red Mountain Park. I was still feeling the effects of the speed work session from two days before, so I was not feeling my best. Within our small, merry band of trail runners were three people who had run or qualified for the Boston Marathon. For the record, I have not in the past nor will I ever even dream of qualifying for Boston. These faster and more gifted runners ran alongside the rest of us. They never complained about our “moderate” pace. They took turns dropping back to make sure our slowest runner never felt alone at the end of the pack. Teammates, not individuals. On Friday, the following day, I had the honor of paying it forward for a friend who is trying to get into running. He is attempting to run his first 5K without walking. We met for his scheduled training run (short for me, but long for him). Just as my teammates had done for me the day before, I slowed my pace to match my friend. I tried to make sure he had the best experience possible. He persevered through a tough run, and I had the best of times. And I’ll be there by his side on race day.
Running so often crystallizes the human experience. There are those who are fast and those who are slow, but we all run the race. We achieve more than we ever thought possible by following those who have done it before. The process is more manageable together than alone. We receive the most joy in helping others. Teammates, not individuals.
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