Sunday Runday: The Church of the Sunday Long Run

It’s Sunday. Have you logged your miles yet?!?

Georgie and I running today along the marina

Your 2017 NYC Marathon Champion, Shalane Flanagan sometimes mentions attending the Church of the Sunday Long Run. Other pro runners, like Nick Symmonds, and myriads of Average Joes and Jills post pictures of themselves running miles in meditation, honoring the same practice (b/c if you don’t post about it, it never happened, right?!). Blogs have been written on the topic with taglines such as “conversational etiquette” during said exercise, t-shirts have references to it splayed across their fronts. The “Church” has its own hashtag on social media, its own Facebook page, its own Twitter account (go ahead, check it- I’ll be waiting right here). It’s on the internet- that means it’s real (right?!?!). Please don’t mistake this for heresy. Real Church is still a thing- and an important one to many of us. It’s just that runners can easily compare the experience of a good long run with attending a worship service, regardless of what day it actually falls on (I typically run long on Saturdays, for instance, and try to get to church on Sundays). Running gear company, Tracksmith, has the following to say about the Church of the Sunday Long Run:

“The Sunday long run is often conflated with spirituality. It’s an easy comparison: like church, the long run is a Sunday ritual. And like any religion, it encourages us to reflect on our shortcomings and appreciate what we have. The fact that it’s the one run of the week where we push for distance, not speed, only encourages that – done correctly, it’s an introspective, centering experience. We don’t all share the same religion, but as runners, we’re all parishioners at the Church of the Long Run.” (http://churchofthelongrun.tracksmith.com/)

Whichever faith you practice, it feels good to know there are other people- near and far- believing in the same ideas and values you do. As humans, we have a basic, instinctual need for belonging to a group and practicing religion can offer us that security. The running community- whether in your own neighborhood or worldwide- offers the same sense of “family” and the Church of the Sunday Long Run is one way of showing solidarity and feeling connected. Despite the intensity of your training plan, the length of your goal race, your years of experience, level of achievement, age, gender, or your ACTUAL religion, the weekend ritual of slowing down for a nice, long run and having a chance to think, reflect, and appreciate brings us all together. So whether you’re a seasoned vet or lacing up for the very first time today, welcome. As we enter this Christmas season, may the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be at your back, and may all your miles be merry from here on out. Amen.