Running is famously a solo sport. You versus the road. The wind in your hair. Your inner demons whispering, “Just walk. Who cares?” But here’s the thing, sometimes, dragging someone else along makes all the difference.
Whether it’s your best mate, your partner, or a total stranger you met once at parkrun and never shook off, having a running buddy can completely change how you train, how often you show up, and how loudly you complain.
Here’s why you might want to get one, even if you’re a proud lone wolf with trust issues and commitment problems.
1. Accountability: The Shame Is Mutual
Left to your own devices, you’ll cancel a run if your sock feels weird. But if someone else is waiting for you in the cold with a passive aggressive “no worries if not” text? You’ll show up.
A running buddy makes it harder to bail. You can’t both be flakes. One of you has to be the grown up. And even if you don’t want to run, you’ll still drag yourself out just to avoid the crushing guilt of letting the team down, even if “the team” is just two sweaty idiots in hi vis.
2. Pacing Without Thinking
When you run alone, your pace is dictated by mood swings, random Spotify BPMs, and the occasional mid run existential crisis.
Run with someone else, though, and suddenly you’re holding steady. You’re chatting. You’re distracted. You’re not constantly checking your watch and overthinking split times. Bonus points if they’re slightly faster than you, built in speedwork without the psychological trauma of calling it “speedwork.”
Unless they’re much faster. In which case, congratulations, you’ve just volunteered for a personalised humiliation session.
3. Built In Therapy
There’s something weirdly magical about mid run chat. You’ll reveal things you’ve never told another soul while panting uphill and covered in sweat. No eye contact, no judgement, just mutual suffering and sudden honesty.
Topics range from deep childhood trauma to whether it’s ever okay to eat a burrito in the bath. You’ll bond over everything and nothing. And somehow, it works.
Running buddies often know more about your life than your actual friends. It’s just that they can’t recognise you at a pub because they’ve only ever seen you in a headband and compression socks.
4. It’s Safer in Pairs
Running in the dark? Running in the middle of nowhere? Running through that sketchy bit of park where the streetlights go suspiciously quiet? Bring a mate.
You’re less likely to trip, get lost, or be attacked by a rogue badger if someone else is with you. And if one of you does fall over, the other gets the privilege of helping you up and mocking you for the next decade.
Also: wildlife. A solo runner gets chased by geese. A running duo films it and makes it a group chat meme. It’s safer and more entertaining.
5. You Might Actually Enjoy It
Here’s the kicker: running with someone else is often just more fun. The miles go quicker. The misery feels shared. The post run chats are half the point. And if you both hate every second? That’s still a bonding experience.
You don’t need to talk the whole time. You don’t need to match stride for stride. You just need to be vaguely going in the same direction at the same time, occasionally muttering “this hill is bollocks” in unison.
Even if you love solo running, having one or two reliable buddies in your rotation can keep you sane, especially when motivation takes a nosedive or you’ve forgotten how to speak to other humans.
Final Word
A running buddy isn’t just someone who runs beside you. They’re a motivator, therapist, pacer, and occasional human banana mule. You don’t have to run together all the time, but once you find a good one, you’ll wonder how you ever got through long runs without someone nearby muttering “how is it still uphill?”
Just make sure you pick someone you like enough to suffer beside. And maybe someone who won’t judge your emergency jelly baby stash or slightly deranged sprint finish faces.