Running Sucks, and This is Why We Do It.

Nothing about running is supposed to be enjoyable on paper. And yet people keep coming back to it. It's uncomfortable, it's relentless, and on the wrong day, it will humble you completely. So why do people all around the globe keep running?

We sat down with Raziq Rauf, author of This is Running (Batsford, 2026), to understand why. His answer cuts through a lot of noise:

“Running is the most human of activities. As soon as a baby can walk, they will try to run, and we never stop thinking that way. Runners explore at pace. We connect deeply with our environment. We truly see the people around us. If culture is defined by how humans interact with their surroundings, running is the conduit to understanding this world in glorious technicolor.”

And by that definition, running culture is one of the richest on earth.

The Rarámuri of northern Mexico have run canyon distances that most GPS watches can't even map. They don’t do it for sport. For them, it’s a ceremony, connection, and identity. 

In Japan, the ekiden isn't just a relay race; it's a communal act. Towns and schools bound together by a tasuki passed from person to person. 

During the World Marathon Majors, runners from every corner of the globe push the edges of what a human body can do. And last month in London, two runners finally broke two hours.

And right here in Tennessee, the Barkley makes history every year as the race that eats its young.

In big cities like New York and LA, run clubs are filling that same role — a reason to show up, move together, and actually talk.

That last part matters more than it might seem. There's something about running at a pace where you can still hold a conversation that allows for genuine human connection. You learn what your neighbor is going through. You find out who gets up before dawn for the same reason you do. A support system forms that is built, like running itself, on showing up when it's hard.

“There’s something truly radical about running. Yes, running can often suck, yet we persevere, because by doing difficult things, we learn that we can overcome challenges. Running gives us confidence that we can take into other parts of our lives. We understand and move through the world differently after a run – more kindly to both ourselves and those around us, perhaps – and that’s a beautiful thing.” Raziq Rauf

Not because of the miles, but because of what it asks of you. To be present. To be outside. To adjust when the weather doesn't cooperate, when the legs are heavy, when the motivation is gone. You learn to keep going anyway. And that habit doesn't just stay on the roads and trails, it changes how we go through life.

What we're celebrating this week isn't just a sport. It's the way running has become a language that people share across continents, cultures, and finish lines.

Cheers to a way of being in the world together,

Happy Global Running Day.

Raziq Rauf, author of This is Running and Running Sucks