5 Running Buddies Who Make the Miles Pass Quickly

Carissa Liebowitz Headshot
Two women, wearing pink tops, participate in an outdoor race. Both have mud on their clothes and bodies, indicating a challenging course. They wear race bibs with numbers 7881 and 7761. The background shows a dirt path with greenery on the sides.

In This Article

Two runners share the trail at Boise, Idaho's Dirty Dash. (© Tracy King | Dreamstime.com)
Two runners share the trail at Boise, Idaho’s Dirty Dash. (© Tracy King | Dreamstime.com)

Running is the kind of thing that can be hard to keep up in your life unless you have great friends to share it with. Here’s the ones I’ve found help me:

1) The Faster One

This running buddy will help you step up your speed. Running with a fast friend can help increase turnover and push you to work harder. Ask lots of open-ended questions if you having a hard time keeping up.

2) The Slower One

A slower running buddy is great for recovery runs. When speed doesn’t matter and getting the mileage in does, embrace the relaxed pace.

3) The Veteran

A running buddy with years of mileage under the belt is a great partner both mentally and physically. They are usually full of sage wisdom and lifelong runners will never flake out at the last minute.

4) The Newbie

A new runner is full of infectious enthusiasm and ego-boosting questions. Hopefully some of their mojo rubs off and carries you through your solo runs.

5) The Bestie

Spending time with someone who has similar interests outside of running can make your relationship even stronger (and runs longer!). Maybe you have kids the same age or maybe you both really sci-fi movies. Whatever your commonalities, it’s refreshing to not always talk about running.

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