Non-Runners Don’t Get It…But That’s Important To Remember.

Most runners will have read by now the recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal by Chad Stafko entitled, “OK, You’re a Runner. Get Over It.” The tagline of his article states the thesis of his piece: “Running a marathon is hard enough without patting yourself on the back every step of the way.” This article has been passed around the country by indignant and often irate runners by e-mail, through social media, and on countless blogs. Many runners have lashed out at Mr. Stafko. A few more patient running advocates have invited him to join the running culture hoping to change his somewhat bitter tone. With apologies to the Bard, I come not to bury Mr. Stafko, but to understand him.

One of the premises of his piece is that runners do what they do in order to draw attention to themselves and their accomplishments. Stickers bearing the numbers 26.2 and 13.1 or t-shirts bearing the name of some completed race serve to announce to everyone that, “I am a runner. Look at me!” Mr. Stafko is even annoyed by the mere sight of runners out on the street. Their very presence, and possibly their very existence, is enough to, well, cause him to write to the Wall Street Journal out of frustration.

I am not going to go through a point-by-point rebuttal of his article. There are enough of those responses already in print and on the web. (My favorites are from Dane Rauschenberg, Lauren Fleshman, and Mario Fraioli.) My point is not that Mr. Stafko is wrong (he is wrong about runners and their motivations with almost every word). My point is to understand why he thinks the way he does. Why does Mr. Stafko (and the countless others like him) hold these opinions about Runners?

If we stop to think about it, we all surely know someone like Mr. Stafko. We all have someone in our lives who does not understand why we run: the curmudgeonly co-worker, the rankled relative, or the fractious friend. They are the ones who call us “crazy.” They are the ones who say we will ruin our knees. They are the ones who just don’t get it. And no matter how much we show them how much fun we are having or how good it feels to run, all they can see is how early we have to get up or how far we make ourselves run or how much we sweat. They are the ones who “tried it once and didn’t like it” or the ones who claim “I could never do that.” And no amount of persuasion or argument will get them to see otherwise. They are the Permanent Non-Runners.

Another faction of people out there are the Former Runners. These are people who, for whatever reason, have given up running. Some have chosen another means of exercise; some have been injured and can no longer run; some have simply given up or given in. The attitudes of Former Runners may vary. They may remember with fondness the feel of the road under foot. Or they may carry resentment toward Runners who continue to enjoy what they no longer can.

Every so often among the throng of Non-Runners you will stumble across a Future Runner, a current non-runner who is open to the idea of running as a form of exercise and part of a healthy lifestyle. These people may not even know that they are Future Runners. I certainly didn’t know it 15 years ago. These people need encouragement to get out there and hit the pavement or trail, to commit to making themselves healthy, to become Runners.

We must walk a fine line, we Runners. Runners, like everyone else, need motivation and crave encouragement. We like to congratulate our fellow Runners on their accomplishments. We encourage our fellow Runners when they feel like giving up. Every now and then we need to hear kind words from a fellow Runner when we are discouraged and feel defeated. And we should mentor those Future Runners who look to us as an example of what it means to be a Runner. We can and should be inspirational.

But we must also realize that there are those who don’t get it, those who will never get it, and those who do not want to get it. We should be mindful that there are people for whom a 26.2 sticker is a reminder of their sedentary lifestyle. We should remember that Facebook posts about training runs and PRs go out to our Runner and Non-Runner friends alike. We should take into consideration that there are people who may react negatively to the very things which you find so positive in yourself.

How then should we proceed?

• Encourage your fellow Runners. Celebrate their accomplishments as they celebrate yours. Keep them motivated.

• Inspire the Future Runners in your life. Help them to fulfill their potential and to reach their individual goals.

• Be patient with Former Runners. They still get it (or did get it at some point). Maybe through your encouragement they can be coaxed back into the game.

• Be understanding with Non-Runners. Be prepared for negative reactions. Be ready for unrequited enthusiasm. We can peacefully co-exist with the Chad Stafkos of the world. 

We can do anything. After all, we’re Runners.