Jan-15

The Diversity of Running
As we move into 2015 I thought it was a good time to reflect on our chosen sport and
celebrate its diversity.
We all regard ourselves as runners, but what does that mean I suspect it means something
different to each of us, some of us have been running for many years, some of us have only
been running for a few weeks, yet we all do the same thing, we run ! Some runners are
content to just run socially, some are happy to just do park runs, others run massive ultras,
but fundamentally we still all do the same thing, we run !
Those who are fairly new to running may not yet have tried all forms of running so I thought
I’d have a go at defining the different types of running out there. But first, I’d better declare
an interest, we all have particular favourites and mine are Fell and Trail. I’ll try and not let
that cloud my impartiality in the descriptions but I can’t promise! I have added some facts
along the way but fundamentally this should be read as my personal opinions rather than a
series of facts, that is certainly how I’ve written it.
Road Running
The majority of us probably start by running on the roads, I know I did, it seemed the easier
way to start. In winter it does become a necessity for all but the dedicated head-torch
runners but some people really love the roads and actually run on them through choice!
Road running certainly helps you to maintain your pace, I know I find that if I don’t run at all
on roads that I start to get slower. A lot of people think roads are safer but I don’t think it is
as clear cut as that, there are hazards i.e. cars, to contend with, and I think the more regular
cadence can lead to some of the more common running injuries but it is true that you are
less likely to fall over and injure yourself that way. Horses for Courses I reckon on the injury
front. For a few years I avoided roads all together but I think I have gradually returned to a
love/hate relationship with them which I know will be sorely tested over the coming months
as my London Marathon training will mean me spending far more time on the roads than
usual. There are a lot of road races out there and the majority are measured in fairly
standard lengths, 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, Marathon etc. , for that reason PB chasing is a lot
clearer than in other forms of running. Road races are generally run under England Athletics
(or more widely UK Athletics) license and the competition license you get when the club
register you with England Athletics gives you insurance on race day, that is why unattached
runners pay more on the day as that goes to fund their race day insurance.
Fell Running
A lot of people think that Fell Running is harder than Road Running, I don’t think it is harder,
it is just different. I was always in awe of people who could actually run up on to the top of
the fells, one of the first things I learnt when I entered a race is that very few people actually
run all the way up, most people walk the steep bits, some just walk them faster than others.