Canada’s elites love the running community

Earlier this month I traded in my walking shoes for a pair of runners (they were the same shoes) and ran the Vancouver Fall Classic half-marathon. The support I felt on course was amazing. Never have I felt so valued and accepted by a group of peers as I do by the running community, and I try to relish every opportunity I get to compete in local races where I can connect with its members.

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Since the race, I’ve been wondering exactly what it is about this community that I am so drawn to. What stands out most for me is the idea that everyone’s goals are equal. Whether you’re running your first 5K and trying to break 30 minutes or you’re trying to qualify for the Olympics, the celebration of the pursuit is the same.

This common ground is amazing, and it means we can all stand to learn from one another. I have drawn so much inspiration from the stories of those who fit their passion for running in around their lives with work, family and the rest, and I can only hope that my journey has helped inspire back.

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My own thought experiment on what makes this community so great got me wondering what other elite runners think about the running community at large.

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Cam Levins, newly minted Canadian record-holder in the marathon: “What I have enjoyed about stepping into the marathon is there seems to be an appreciation for getting to the start line and taking on the event. The amount of work to handle, both finishing and excelling, seems to be just understood among the community.”

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Jessica O’Connell is a Canadian Olympian in the 5000m and an online coach. She adds that “the running community is chock full of the kindest, most supportive, driven yet selfless people I’ve met. Being a part of this community really eliminates the loneliness of long-distance running.”

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Kate Van Buskirk, 2013 World Championship semi-finalist and host of the Shakeout Podcast: “Its a fact, that runners are nice. Ninety-nine per cent of the people I’ve met through my sport have been lovely, warm, supportive, collaborative, and kind. I think that, because running is so accessible, it facilitates easy connections and fast friendships. My sense of community has remained constant through both my highest and lowest moments in sport, and the relationships that I have developed through running have been my most enduring. I can’t imagine my life without running, in big part because of the personal joy it brings me, but in even greater part thanks to the wonderful people that make up this huge community.”

RELATED: The Shakeout Podcast

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Eric Bang is one of Canada’s top marathon talents, running 2:19:03 in Chicago this year, and a Nike+ Run Club pacer in Toronto. Eric has an enormous appreciation for his local running community: “There is space for everyone. No matter what a person’s reason for running is, they will find support from complete strangers they have nothing in common with, other than the fact that they also decided to lace up their shoes and run. I think that is wonderful.”