Running Is Political

A case for accepting the reality of life

Pressing pause on documenting my Cocodona build and Open Fuel updates to share a topic that has long been on my mind. For anyone who wishes to unsubscribe after seeing this title, I ask that you consider reading first and sharing your thoughts with me in the comments or via DM. Then, by all means, rock the power of that unsubscribe button.

Picture the following two scenarios:

First, a group run, mostly white, more men than women, through a neighborhood on the border of a city. They turn off the roads onto a trail system that is part of a municipal park. Having flexible jobs and after-school childcare for those who need it, they were able to start their run at 5:00pm. The sun sets at 5:45pm and they planned an hour, no one bats an eye at any perceived safety-threat of finishing in the dark. After the run they get food at a nearby Mexican restaurant, known for its authenticity.

During the run, someone mentions a recent tariff announcement and the expected impact on the price of their favorite trail shoe. Another runner curtly replies “I’m happy to pay the extra $20 if it means I don’t have to think about politics.” A bit taken aback and embarrassed, the first runner acquiesces and changes the topic. The group continues, adjusting to keep things superficial on the conversation front.

Second, a family of five, non-white, U.S. citizens, living in a city. The parents do not have college degrees, as a result of each being born into poverty and needing to enter the workforce immediately after high-school to help their families. They have worked diligently, been prudent, and managed to move above the federal poverty-line. Even so, rent, healthcare, childcare, utilities, etc can be difficult to keep up with. They occasionally need to visit the local food-pantry and take advantage of other social programs to help give their children opportunities they weren’t afforded.

One of the parents has recently procured an on-sale pair of running shoes and started running around a nearby park a few days a week – what was initially an attempt to improve their health turned into the desire to race a local 5k later that spring. Unfortunately, funding for their youngest kid’s after-school program was cut. Instead of running after work, they now must go straight to school pick-up.

As you might have guessed, these two scenarios are not really hypothetical. I have witnessed both, as a member of a group-run, and as a volunteer at a non-profit serving families working hard to make ends meet while striving for lives of increased dignity.

Those in the running group have the privilege to “not think about politics” when it feels inconvenient to do so, the family does not.

Despite the aforementioned runner #2’s exasperation, everyone is deeply impacted by politics. The existence of organizations created to fill the gaps that our capitalistic system has created, the funding of parks, education, research, trade policy, healthcare, labor rights, immigration law, having the freedom to simply go on a run – all byproducts of our civic system.

Whether it’s in my capacity as a runner, business-owner, or general member of society, I often reflect on how outspoken and honest to be on these sort of topics. The dissenting voice in my head typically comes from a place of fear, a fear of pushing away those with opposing views or sowing more divide in a world that feels ever-more divided by the day. This fear resides primarily in the online-realm, as in-person discussion allows for the nuance that an Instagram story does not.

We do not live in a time where we can let fear quell our voices. The killing of Alex Pretti by rogue federal agents was tragically predictable. Observing the ensuing widespread outpouring of sadness and anger, including posts and shares from those who do not typically join political discourse, feels like a watershed moment.

My hope is that more public murders aren’t necessary to maintain this engagement. A reactionary posture will never build a better world. For decades, the signs and systems have been in place to enable this moment. In recent years I’ve also witnessed a change in how we hold others accountable, or more aptly, do not do so. Allowing individuals to build a platform off a niche activity or a compelling personal story, only to use that platform to enable destructive systems and people. When one dares to challenge the views of these influential individuals, they are met with a “don’t make this about politics” this is a show about [insert any topic].

I am not asking for purity tests, constant posting, or barraging your group run with the latest political headlines. I’m asking that we as runners, as people, acknowledge the reality of the gift that is being able to go for a run. That we strive to more proactively protect this gift through action and oprga, to enable others to share in it, and to challenge those who pretend it isn’t also their reality.