“Slow Runners” are Still “Runners”: How I Embraced the Title From the Back of the Pack

When I started running, I was pretty sure that crossing the 5K off of my bucket list would be enough for me.

I was never athletic, my childhood had been spent tormented because of my lack of athleticism, and my body had never conformed to what I thought an “athlete” needed to look like.

I had plenty of reasons to assume that I could never be a “runner,” and simply huffing and puffing my way through C25K wasn’t enough to break that mental barrier.




“Slow Runners” are Still “Runners”

Over the years, running became more and more a part of my life. I went from 5K to 10K to half then (finally) full marathon distances. I ran more and more events, both local and distant. I started planning “runcations” to get to far-away races.

I listened to running podcasts, subscribed to runners’ publications, kept up on running blogs (and eventually started my own!).

Can I Think of Myself as a Runner?

Still, I had lingering guilt calling myself (even inside my own mind) a “runner.” “Runners” were fast, I thought. They were gazelle-like and slender, they could easily whip out a sub-10 minute mile or aspire to a Boston Qualifying time.

I wasn’t any of these things, and I certainly didn’t have those feats in me (even in my aspirational projections)… how could I justify telling people I was a “runner” if I couldn’t prove myself in any of those ways?

The things I could do, reliably continue to shuffle along a set track for many miles, weren’t particularly extraordinary. Plenty of people who don’t consider themselves “runners” could probably out-sprint me, so calling myself a “runner” just because I went running on the regular seemed false somehow.

It was like there was some imaginary “runner test” I was afraid I’d fail if someone challenged me on my “runner-ness.”

It wasn’t until I was deep into marathon training for my first 26.2, regularly waking up at 4 and 5 AM to beat the heat for 16+ miles, that I came to the mind-bending though entirely logical conclusion that this was ridiculous.

My wall was bejeweled with race medals. I had been running regularly for two plus years. I had a special app to track the mileage on my running shoes (two different pairs in rotation at any given time). I planned my weekends around my long run. If I wasn’t a “runner,” then who was?

Can I Tell Others That I Am a Runner?

And yet, coming to this realization wasn’t the end of my running identity crisis. It still took a lot of courage to tell people “I’m a runner.” When I first started doing it, I noticed two things:

  1. That the assumption of runner = speed demon was shared by those around me
  2. That shared assumption worked its own alchemy

Those who weren’t runners themselves instantly assumed I was fast, and that since I live near to Boston I would soon be running the Boston Marathon.

Those who were runners either regaled me with tales of their sub-four hour marathon triumph last year or invited me out running with them and their speedy friends (“we’ll take it easy and just do 10-minute miles for the first few, then put in some speed later”).

Just because I had come to the conclusion in my own mind that I was a “runner” didn’t mean these conversations weren’t difficult. I continually re-examined my own logic, returning to my runner affirmations again and again. Lucky for me, it’s hard to argue with a wall full of finisher medals once you’ve seen them for what they are.

Back of the Packers

There was another group of people I encountered in my runner journey. Those who would dart their gaze side to side and say something like “Oh, I run too, but I could never be a runner.”

To these folks, I always asked “What do you mean?” They would, invariably, reply: “I’m just not fast enough.”

Somehow, it’s simpler to spot-check the logic of this argument when someone else says it. It’s much easier to tell that person the truth than it was to accept the truth myself:

If you run habitually, no matter how fast, no matter how often, no matter how many race medals you’ve earned, you’re a “runner” by definition.

Sometimes people argue with me, tell me that they are just so slow (“Well, how slow?” “Oh…. It’s tough for me to break a 12 minute mile, even when I’m going fast.” “That’s great! My first marathon I ran at a 13.5 minute/mile pace.” “Wait, you ran a marathon?” “Yea, slowly.”), or tell me that they take walk breaks now and again (“I mean, I finished the half marathon, but I walked for a minute every five minutes so I’m not really a runner”), or some other variation on the theme.

Us back-of-packers are so nervous that someone will kick us out of the “running club” that we often never pluck up the courage to wear our club shirts proudly.

The Bottom Line

I don’t think there’s a need to qualify “runner,” and that’s part of what makes the sport great.

The bottom line is this: statistically, most of us will never BQ. Most of us will never finish on a podium. Most of us will never make it to the Olympics. Since that’s the case, why are we so worried about where we fall in the non-elite spectrum?

When it comes to being a runner, there’s only one question that matters: do you run?

6 Responses to “Slow Runners” are Still “Runners”: How I Embraced the Title From the Back of the Pack

  1. Denise March 10, 2017 at 9:29 am #

    Great article – and I feel like it can be extrapolated to all the passions
    we non-professionals have. I would never say to someone that I was a poet, because I don’t have a published book of works- even though I write poetry, and have had a few pieces published. You are a runner – and quite a writer! Thanks for this.

  2. Kristen March 12, 2017 at 5:16 am #

    Thank you for this. I needed that! I am newer to running and my husband has been running for years. He is fast, and I am very content to run long distances at a slower pace. When you mentioned your fast friends wnating to run with you and they would just slow down for you, I chuckled a bit because that’s what it feels like when hubby and I run together…the tortoise and the hare…I love him and spending time together, but on our runs I feel like I have to push myself to hard so he gets a “real run” in. I truly enjoy my slower pace. I am preparing to run a half this spring, so it encourages me to know that I won’t be the only one in the back of the pack. Thank you for your honesty!

  3. Angela Geis February 16, 2018 at 6:32 pm #

    I really enjoyed your article. I still feel like I have to qualify my status as a runner because I am no where as fast as you, but I’m slowly getting back to training consistently. This has always been a struggle for me to stay connected to my groups because I feel the “look over” whenever I tell someone I run. I don’t like running with others because I’m too slow of all the people I run with. I can’t handle it mentally if someone is compromising their run to stay with me. I also like to be free when I run. I came here looking for motivation and I’ve found it. Your post made me remember, I DID put in the hard yards and I DID complete all but one event I started, all from the back of the pack. Cheers!

  4. Katrina Moore May 1, 2018 at 11:00 am #

    Thank you so much for this article. I joined a “running club” that said “All paces welcome, : They lied. I was welcome but they quickly left me in their dust!! I would love to start a running club for slow runners! Your article made me feel so positive.

  5. Philisse November 11, 2018 at 10:21 pm #

    Thank you for this post. I walk 5K runs and am often the very last person to finish but I still love taking part in the runs.

  6. nancy July 16, 2021 at 12:40 pm #

    I’m struggling with this constantly. I consider myself a runner because I run regularly for the purpose of training.to be better. I run, ergo, I’m a runner. The running clubs around me are all about speed so I am not welcome to join but I can be a slow guest at some more casual events. I get frustrated because I have decades of experience doing this, but I have short legs that barely can keep up with taller walkers. I wouldn’t expect a child who is 80% of my height to be able to keep up with me but I’m expected to outperform the fast runners to even be invited to join.

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