Now is the era of 10 million runners. Running is an exercise that anyone can do regardless of time and place.
In the era of tens of millions of runners, it is not difficult to see people running wherever you go these days. I see people running in parks, on the beach, and even on city streets while walking down the street. Regardless of time and place. There are people who wear running shoes and full attire, and there are also people who run in comfortable attire.
Sometimes I run alone and sometimes with others. This is the world of ‘runners’, a craze for running that affects people of all ages and genders, and has become a culture.
Citizen reporters have also joined the running craze since last summer. In order to continue doing what I wanted to do, I needed good physical strength more than anything else. I stopped doing Pilates for a long time and couldn’t play badminton consistently either. Then, what caught my eye was ‘running.’ It was the perfect exercise because you can literally start right now and it is not limited by time or place.
The day I decided to buy running shoes and knee pads, I went for a run around the neighborhood after dinner. When I had time, I also ran with my child. As I was running outside in the evening, I was not alone. I often encountered 2-3 people running among people walking at the same time. This is the moment when you can feel the running craze even close to your neighborhood.
As the number of people running increases, interest in marathon competitions is also increasing. There is tremendous competition right from the start. The citizen reporter also felt people’s enthusiasm for running at the first marathon he participated in last September. I was surprised by the large crowd, but the atmosphere was really good as many families participated. I ran with the goal of finishing the race, not competing for the fastest running record. Parents and children ran 5km together, and there were even many young mothers who ran with their children in strollers.
Nowadays, running has naturally become a ‘hot’ exercise, but when did so many people start participating in running?
I think it all started during the pandemic. In the days when there were restrictions on the number of people, there were no restrictions outdoors. It was a time when interest in health was high, and experts actively recommended activities outside rather than stuffy homes. In Pohang, I remember that there were many people taking a walk in Hwanhwa Park before Space Walk opened. It seems that running also increased a lot around this time. Nowadays, the enthusiasm of people walking and running has become even hotter.
As people know, running does not require registration like the gym or other sports. No special equipment is needed. You can run even without professional training. To start, all you need is simple running shoes. There are no time restrictions, so office workers can run whenever they have time. You can also decide the distance you want to run. Marathon competitions have also lowered the barrier to entry for amateur runners who find the full course burdensome by offering a variety of courses including a half course (21.0975km), 10km, and 5km. When I participated in a marathon myself, I found that there were many people who enjoyed completing the race with their families rather than competing for records. As I was running, the sight of Songdo Beach passing by made me feel refreshed as my stress disappeared. Participants who received completion medals experienced the joy of small successes in their daily lives, and their health followed suit.
Seon-kyung Kim (52, Yangdeok-dong, Buk-gu, Pohang-si) said, “I joined the running crew and went to the race. It was a little difficult at first, but I ran until the end. The pleasure I felt after running was greater than anything else. I was happy that my diet goal was successful. Now I can run about 10km without difficulty.”
/Citizen Reporter Heo Myeong-hwa
