Global Running Day

Global Running Day was designated as a way for runners to reaffirm their passion for running and for beginners to make a life-changing commitment to running.

The pavement under your feet, the fresh morning air, the pounding rhythm of your long strides… Sweat runs down your neck, sun on your skin, your lungs flush with excitement as your heart beats fast but steadily to the beat of your run.

To celebrate the joy of running, millions people around the world find themselves on the open road to experience the joy, thrill and pain of recreational running every year.

Global Running Day honors brave souls and their dedication to health and fitness, we should all join them.

History of Global Running Day

Global Running Day began in the United States in 2009, although at the time it was known as National Running Day. Global Running Day was held on June 1st, 2016 having more than 2.5 million participants from 177 different countries. It was estimated about 9.2 million miles to be run. We stop breathing just thinking about all that is running.

Global Running Day is aimed at making people more active and active and not only the physical health benefits of running but also the mental health benefits it can have, such as anxiety reduction.

The Million Kid Run has also become an important part of Global Running Day. It is the youth division to have over a million children from around the world participates. By making exercise fun, they hope to inspire our future generations to stay healthy and fit.

Global Running Day 2020 has become more challenging due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. With some traditional events halted due to social distancing recommendations, many people joined a virtual group or participated in the social media “Tagging Challenge 1”.

If you're looking for more motivation, Global Running Day is a great chance to help you because there is a huge community to give you that extra energy.

Tradition of Global Running Day

Global Running Day aims to encourage people to run more. Moreover, it is essentially geared towards a more active lifestyle. As its name, Global Running Day focused on running, but not necessarily just that. It could be anything from walking the dog, running with your kids, or running marathons. The holidays are fairly new so there aren't any age-old traditions, but as long as you're active and having fun all is well!

Some facts about Global Running Day

• Slight name change

Global Running Day was known as National Running Day at its beginning.

• Running community

The winner of 2014 Boston Marathon named Meb Keflezighi was a leader of a team running from Boston Run Base.

• Global Running Day in Atlanta

The Atlanta Racetrack Club put together a “round the clock” event where at least one person from the Atlanta area will run every hour on Global Running Day.

• Races

In 1990, only 25% of road race finishers in the United States were women. Now, women make up more than half of the road race finishers.

• US Marathon

The average men's finish time in marathons in the United States is 4:26. The average finish time for women in marathons in the United States is 4:52.

Benefits of running

You don't have to be a scientist to know that running is good for you. In the most basic sense, running is a great form of exercise, getting your blood pumping and getting your heart rate up, burning calories, and improving your physical health. But running can not only help you lose weight and stay in shape, but it can also help with your mental health, by acting as a form of meditation in motion, reducing stress and reducing anxiety.

How to run better

If you've tried running before and were shocked at your difficulty, this is not a reason to give up completely. Marathon runners aren't born marathoners, and so if you've never run before, you need to manage your expectations. Why not start with some instruction from an app like Couch to 5K, where you'll slowly build up your stamina by walking and running for short periods of time until, eventually, you can run for 5 km without stopping.

Some tips to help you with your running

• Invest in good footwear

Running puts a lot of pressure on your feet, so be sure to buy a good pair of running shoes to give you the support you need for your arch and ankle. The right trainers will give you more spring in your stride and keep you free from those nasty blisters.

• Always warm up and cool down

Woah, keep your horse, you can't just run into the sunset without doing a proper warm-up. The good news is that warming up is easy, you just start your run with a brisk walk, increase your heart rate, and after 5 minutes you're up.

• Alternate between running and walking

There is a misconception that to be a runner you cannot stop, but this is just unrealistic. Until you can run longer distances, set yourself a goal of running for 60 seconds then walking for 60 seconds, increasing your running time as you need more challenge.

How to celebrate Global Running Day

• Go run

Run a few laps in the neighborhood, walk the dog an extra-long distance, or call your friends and go for a run in the park. It doesn't matter where you do it, just test it out.

• Sign up for a race

Convince your friends and family to join you in a community race. 5k running, who?

• Get kids involved

Running is a great way to make exercise fun for kids. You can combine activities and games to keep them active and engaged.