5 Reasons Runners Make the Best Friends

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1) The Food

Yeah, yeah, yeah, runners are notoriously slender. But that’s because they burn 34,976 calories a week. Kale smoothies and tofu salads are great for Instagram photos, but distance runners are notorious for finishing entire pizzas as a snack. These people consume and replace a lot of calories — I guarantee you if they don’t make the best lasagna in town, they sure know where to find it.

2) The Loyalty

Distance runners are a committed bunch. Waking up every day to pound out countless miles before the sun comes up takes a specific kind of dedication. They find ways to squeeze in a workout in the most complicated of days. If they can be that loyal to a sport, imagine how loyal they are as friends.

3) The Optimism

For a bunch of people that never win a race, they sure get excited about pinning a piece of paper with a number to themselves. But the buzz of race day is usually about being the best version of themselves. Because it’s an incredible moment when they accomplish something they never thought they could do. Confidence seeps into their personalities and their can-do attitudes can be hard to resist.

4) The Crazy Burn

There are cutesy t-shirts in the running world that state I run to burn off the crazy. It might be a little self-deprecating, but most runners can attest that it does have a whiff of truth.

Whether it be anger, sadness, or frustration, running is a great tool to help with mental clarity. Distance runners experience the gamut of emotions like everyone else, but it’s possible they are too exhausted to let drama take over their lives.

5) The (Un)Vanity

There is a certain level of casualness to those that have athletic alter egos. They unapologetically sweat for hours each week and spend race weekends in and out of port-a-potties. Often, there is a direct correlation between number of years running and mismatching of gear.

A runner is probably wearing compression socks and a just-in-case-I-go-running-later sports bra to meet you for lunch. You’ll likely never feel awkwardly under-dressed around distance runners.