How common is running in your area?

I live in Horsham, and i think it is rare, that i dont see at least one runner out and about. Saturday morning, very common, and i think on average i see about 10 runners. You go down to Brighton though, and it is running city.

It is always nice to see other runners, and it feels like i am seeing more than i did a few years ago. Unless it just goes through phases, since how many people take it up, then quit.

But is there anyone out there, who just never sees any runners out and about?

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Comments

  • South-west London seems to be the home of running... masses and masses of people.

  • I live in a village of 200 people. 6 of us run regularly, another couple run once a week or so and there are a couple more who run occasionally. Yet I hardly ever see anyone running when I run from home, unless I have gone out with a friend, and that doesn't count really, does it?

  • Most runs I don't see anyone else whilst I am out. However it's only a pretty small market town and I do the vast majority of my runs pretty early - 6 am in the week and about 7 am at weekends. It's by no means running city, but there are definitely a lot more runners out and about than there used to be, just usually in the evenings.

  • I live in a village and reckon I normally see 2 or 3 runners and probably about the same serious number of cyclists. I tend to do my evening runs about 6 which I would guess is about 'peak' time. 

  • small-ish town, always see 5+ out running, and occasionally bump into a club run.

  • I live in a village and see plenty of runners day and night. The canal and trans pennine trail is part of some of my runs so always see lots. But how dark,cold or remote it might be there will always be a chance of bumping into some other runner!
  • Are there any statistics on how many people consider themselves runners.  Say, the percentage of people who run 3 times a week or more....  how many run once a week, once a month.??

    I'd have thought there would be some stats somewhere, and it would be interesting.

  • Lil.Lil. ✭✭✭

    I live in Horsham too. Theres always lots of runners out. The thing I like about Horsham is that 'most' runners I pass, will, Nod - Say hi -Smile - Even the odd wave. When I was training for the GNR this year I did 2 long runs in Brighton. Horrid...Passed MANY runners and not one. NOT ONE. Smiled or anything. Grumpy old lot. Quite shocked really. I smile when I pass anyone. Young, old, walking, cycling. Its nice.

     

  • In Bath there always seem to be a few runners out. Even when I'm running very early in the morning along the canal miles out of town I usually see another head torch bobbing along towards me in the dark at least once.

  • I live in a small rural town. It has a running club so i know there are others around but I very rarely see them when i'm out.

    P'raps it's the cicuit i take down the lanes away from town.

  • I live in a tiny tiny village. Since I've run my special route I've gone from seeing no one to 3 people regularly. I'm sure they stole my route off mapmyrun! One guy must be 80. Always say hi, but it gets awkward if you see them again!
  • Quite a few runners in my town in West of Scotland.

  • In Crawley, there are always a fair few runners out and about. I think that the numbers have increased since a Parkrun was started up locally. I always smile/nod or say hello to my fellow runners and cyclists and 'generally' get a response back.

  • I used to see loads of runners, but I moved to a town 30 miles south west and now I see far more cyclists than runners. I just wish we had a parkrun here.
  • I see far more cyclists than runners around here, I guess that's the nature of the terrain.

    Horsham must have it's fair share of runners with the amount of localish clubs and events.

    Thing with running is that there are 24hrs in a day and a multitude of different routes, so you may just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    I don't usually see that many runners but in the weeks leading up to Beachy, you can't move for the things. Now I'll be lucky to spot one..

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    In Belgium - I'm lucky to see one or two a WEEK... When I'm in Surrey at my parents - I'll see at least 10 people on every run.
  • I saw the local running club going out for their weeknight run last week and there must have been close to 100 of them.
    At one of the largest manufacturers in the town quite a few people use their lunchtimes to go running. When a few of us were training for a half marathon last year there were 3 o 4 of us that would go out running at lunchtime and we'd pass at least a dozen others running on the same route.
    Generally you can see at least 2 or 3 people out running in the morning or early evening.

  • BM, dont surmise you see many out at your time of running though?image

    Live in Glasgow, west end, see loads of runners out, all the time, every day. Lots of cyclists too. Always say hi/give a nod/wave etc when out running or cycling, nice to be nice and allimage Definitely more cyclists since the Olympics too. No bad thing.

  • In Central London where I work, too many to count!

    Quite a few in North London where I live, but it seems that the majority of them stick to the parks and don't run on the roads.

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    I live in a large town - 185,000 people - and see quite a lot of runners.  There are several running clubs in the area, some quite large.

    It doesn't spoil my run if they don't smile at me, though image

  • I've just moved to Cardiff, and running is extremely popular here. There are also lots of running clubs in the area which is great

  • I aske earlier if anyone knew of any 'official' stats on what proportion of people are runners.... perhaps from a sizeable survey.  Since asking the question, I got a bit interested and googled... but didn't find much. 

    As I type, I wonder if any of the shoe manufacturers' sites might have anything... 

    ...  Anyone know anything?

     

  • I live in Stevenage and there seems to be loads around here. Though I suspect that that is partly due to the road layout and amount of cyclepaths here which means people gravitate to similar routes rather than a disproprtionately high volume. I can predict fairly accurately where I am likely to see people and where I won't, likewise out in the fields it is not unusual for me to see no one else.

  • I live in village of less than 50 people, I never see anyone, runners or not, I see a lot of rabbits, the occasional fox, deer, badger's and rats.

  • *shy wave* Hellooooo, new person around these parts of the internet!

    At home? Living in a village consisting of mostly takeaways and pubs, I never really see anyone, which is a shame cos the countryside is gorgeous. In cardiff at uni...there's so many I have a bad habit of colliding with people on corners...awks. 

  • I live in a village just outside of a large (ish) town, I have only ever seen a handful of runners in the town and nobody from my village, however when I attend the weekly parkrun there is recognisable faces from all around, so maybe they only run on Saturdays for the social aspect or competition?

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭
    Run Wales wrote (see)

    I aske earlier if anyone knew of any 'official' stats on what proportion of people are runners.... perhaps from a sizeable survey.  Since asking the question, I got a bit interested and googled... but didn't find much. 

    As I type, I wonder if any of the shoe manufacturers' sites might have anything... 

    ...  Anyone know anything?

     


    I doubt if there are any stats.  Just because you buy running shoes doesn't make you a runner, you might just like the shoes. 

    Also, many runners have more than one style of running shoe at a time (road and trail, for example), and more than one pair on the go.

    UK Athletics will have the data of people who are competing members of affiliated clubs, but that by no means includes all people who run.

     

  • I can imagine areas with lots of big hills put off only the dedicated runner. Fortunately I don't have that problem where I live, and there are many runners.

    Running next to (rather than in) water also seems very popular with people, myself included.

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