You're scared of running due to potential physical risks (injury, exhaustion), psychological barriers (judgment from others, feeling self-conscious, anxiety mirroring panic), and lack of confidence or familiarity with the activity, often stemming from past experiences or feeling unprepared. Overcoming this involves gradual exposure (run-walk intervals), focusing on your own progress rather than others, and understanding that the physical feelings are normal, not dangerous.
Quick tip – Use positive affirmation and self talk
Develop a mantra or mental cues that help you think positive and bring your focus back to those elements you can control. Whenever you begin to get nervous or start to over-think an upcoming workout, repeat this confidence boosting mantra to yourself.
The 80/20 rule in running is a training principle suggesting you should spend 80% of your training time at an easy, conversational pace (low intensity) and only 20% at a harder, more intense effort (high intensity), like tempo runs or intervals, to build aerobic fitness, improve performance, and prevent burnout. Developed by exercise physiologist Stephen Seiler, it combats the common mistake of running too many days in a moderate "gray zone," which hinders adaptation, and helps runners build a stronger aerobic base to support faster speeds.
Yes, it's generally true that less than 1% of the world's population has ever completed a marathon, with some estimates suggesting it's even lower, around 0.1% or less annually, making it a relatively rare achievement despite running's popularity. While millions finish marathons each year, the total number of unique individuals over time is small compared to the global population, highlighting the significant effort and dedication required, notes this Reddit thread.
How can I manage fear and anxiety?
And in fact, the act of running itself, that once helped ward off anxious behaviors, is now inexplicably linked to them? A lot of runners suffer from anxiety. In fact, if you have PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) or a generalized anxiety disorder, one of the best ways to minimize your symptoms is to exercise.
Have you heard coaches (or parents) say, "Running is 90 percent mental." That's a silly idea. If that were true, there would be tens of thousands of aspiring high school athletes lying on their backs in bed visualizing their way to PRs (though there is a ton of value in visualization, which I'll get to in a moment).
Like any sport, running a marathon requires self-discipline and adequate fitness, which is an important part of the overall experience, and can only be achieved through the right training. Here are the top reasons you should not do a marathon without training.
In 2019, Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in under 2 hours — a groundbreaking feat. His time was 1:59:40, making him the first person to break the 2-hour barrier. The race took place in Vienna, with perfect pacing and conditions designed to push Kipchoge beyond human limits.
Generally, from a base endurance (sometimes called zone 2) development perspective, men run between 8 and 10km/h. Good runners can run up to 12km/h in this training zone. Very good runners run up to 15km/h.
Going from sedentary to running 3km daily at a moderate pace can be transformative. In fact, running as little as 2 miles a day can already bring benefits to your body. It can help you lose weight, become fit, and fall in love with running.
We basically have come to the conclusion, no, there is no age when you should stop running. Now, this comes with some caveats in that like somebody like me or maybe like you, who's been running for a long time. You built up that history, you built up that strength. You built up, you know, denser bones.
What Are the Rarest Phobias? 10 of the Weirdest Fears
Warm up with five minutes of walking, and then incorporate a few internals of running. For example, run for 30 seconds to two minutes, and then walk for two to five minutes before doing another run session. Increase your running time gradually or decrease your walking time.
Even if you run a 5K at 100% effort, Schwartz says that the distance won't hit you as hard as a marathon or even a half marathon.
Runner's face—or runner's face syndrome—refers to the facial appearance some runners experience over time, such as leathery, sagging, wrinkled, or tired-looking skin. It may result from factors like sun damage, lack of skin protection, and weight loss.
Running for that long places tremendous strain on the body, so you must be appropriately trained. While you can often run a 5K race off of just a couple of months of running, a marathon requires a longer period of training.
Mental Health Awareness: Many runners—especially Gen Z—cite running as a way to cope with anxiety and stress. It's not just about fitness, but feeling better, thinking clearer, and taking control of your day.
The 80/20 rule is simple. It states that you should spend 80% of your training time running at an easy, conversational pace, and the other 20% at a moderate to hard intensity.
Then, between the ages of 40 and 70, running performance seems to decline at about 1% per year. Between the ages of 70 and 90, running times seem to decline by about 1.5% per year and then nearly 2 to 3% per year between the ages of 90 and 95.
Teas for stress and anxiety relief
The rule is simple: Commit to doing the task for just five minutes. That's it. Once you get over the initial resistance and begin, even if only briefly, something shifts. Momentum builds, anxiety decreases, and your brain transitions from avoidance to engagement.
When to see a doctor. See your doctor if: You feel like you're worrying too much and it's interfering with your work, relationships or other parts of your life. Your fear, worry or anxiety is upsetting to you and difficult to control.