Changing your mind

Unpicking the psychology of running’s evolving appeal

Why you hated running at school…

‘There is a theory around exercise and motivation called self-determination theory,’ says Dr Josie Perry, a sports psychologist and author of The Ten Pillars Of Success.

‘It suggests that to be motivated to do something, three pillars need to be in place. And all of these may have been missing from your school running days.

‘First, you need a sense of belonging, which can be lacking at school where kids aren’t usually excited by the idea of cross-country. Instead, there is a feeling that most people don’t want to do it, so you don’t want to either. We’re led by our peers’ opinions at school, not those of our teachers and family.

‘Second, there is mastery. This is often absent as most of us aren’t taught how to run properly and it can feel like cross-country isn’t taken seriously.

‘The third and most important pillar is autonomy. That’s having a voice and a choice over what you do, which at school isn’t the case. Few teens want to be told what to do by a PE teacher.’

And why you might love it as an adult…

‘As adults, we may be drawn to running because those three motivational pillars become present,’ says Dr Perry. ‘Personally, I got into running by doing the Race for Life as my friends were doing it and so it was about belonging and hanging out with them. As our running develops, it often becomes part of our social life as we build connections with people and belong to this friendly, inclusive running community.

‘In adult life, we don’t always feel we get out what we put in – at work, in family life, social life or whatever. But with running, we see our effort rewarded as we run faster and run farther. And, despite the fact that you will eventually plateau, you see this rapid progress, which gives you a sense of mastery.

‘Finally, as an adult, you usually have autonomy: you run because you want to, unlike at school, where you have to. This choice is very powerful.’