“I certainly don’t fit into what some may see as “ideal” runner shape. Often, when I tell people I am a runner, I get looked up and down, usually met with skepticism that I am a runner. What they don’t know is that I’ve finished 1 full marathon, 5 half marathons, numerous 5 and 10 k races and I strength train 2-3 times a week.”
These are some of the runners that we’ve met so far. Do you see yourself reflected here? What’s a runner look like? Look in the mirror: if you’re reading this, odds are a runner looks just like you.
“I started running to lose weight and set the example for my kids about being active. I was 80lbs heavier but I ran just as proudly then as I do now. Today I run to be active, stay healthy and maintain my mental health too!”
“I’ve been running for quite a few years now as a plus size runner. I still get the comment; wow, you run??? It’s very annoying to be honest. I always say you can be a runner at any weight or size.”
“I started running again in April 2015, I could hardly complete a 3 km run. But I stuck to it and last October 22nd I completed my first Marathon in Toronto. I am so proud of my accomplishment. I do not have the body of what people expect a Marathoner to look like but here I am. This year I have run 1613 km so far. In 2017, I participated in 9 races. It’s been a great year for me. I am 54 years old and I feel better then when I was in my 30.”
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It wasn’t that long ago that races actually had a category for runners called the “Clydesdale” category. The idea, so they said, was to recognize not only age grouper, but also above average sized runners. As a bigger runner, and not even that much of a bigger runner, I could find nothing more offensive to me.
It doesn’t matter our size, our age, or our experience. Heck, it doesn’t even matter if you never sign up to participate in an organized event. If you get out there, day after day, mile after mile, you are a runner. Period. End of discussion.