“Running is not a sport.”
Since I began competitive running eight years ago, I have heard the above statement almost every time I’ve explained the premise of cross-country and track to peers; and each time, I attempted to respectfully note, “No, running is in fact a sport.”
As defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a sport is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others.” Running involves a great deal of physical exertion, strong mental and physical skill, and in cross country and track runners compete against each other and other teams. Some say that running is merely a hobby or activity, not a legitimate sport. I, of course, beg to differ.
Running is a part of every single sport. Basketball players run up and down the court, baseball players run the bases, football players run from end zone to end zone, and soccer players run from one end of the field to the other. Running is the king of all sports, without it other sports would simply be incomplete. In most cases, running is the part of sports athletes despise the most. Why? Because running requires a great amount of mental toughness, stamina, endurance and overall strength; all characteristics only the toughest athletes can master.
Running does lack a certain level of extreme contact, however, runners are no less athletic than their fellow “jock-looking” peers. In fact, contact frequently occurs when spectators are not watching. When I was in high school, for example, one of my cross country teammates broke two ribs, subsequently puncturing his spleen after being knocked down by his competitors on a rocky three-mile course. How can my former teammate’s injury be caused by anything less than competing in a sport?
The history of running also points toward its sports classification. Since 778 B.C. running has been the main Olympic event. Running was viewed as the most grueling of athletic events; for years only men were allowed to compete due to its physical and mental challenges. Marathon running, for example, was developed after a warrior had to run 26 miles to deliver news of a victory from one side of Greece to the other. Just as he delivered the news, he fell over and died from the incredible feat of running 26 miles. How can that not be defined as a sport?
So as my peers question whether running is a sport, I will smile and say, “You go run 13.1 or 26.2 miles, after mile eight you will have a change of heart.”