{"id":925471,"date":"2026-07-10T12:30:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T12:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/925471\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T12:30:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T12:30:21","slug":"i-love-running-alone-that-doesnt-make-me-a-red-flag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/925471\/","title":{"rendered":"I Love Running Alone. That Doesn\u2019t Make Me a Red Flag."},"content":{"rendered":"

I started running during COVID-19 because I wanted to exercise, get fresh air, and be as far away from other people as possible.<\/p>\n

It was a weird time to pick up a hobby, but it made sense. Running gave me structure when everything felt shapeless. It got me outside without asking me to perform for anyone. And most importantly, it gave me a reason to be alone with my thoughts, which, for me, has always felt less like a problem and more like a privilege.<\/p>\n

So when I hear the occasional implication that running alone is somehow a red flag, I have to laugh.<\/p>\n

A red flag? For what, exactly? Enjoying my own company? Wanting 45 minutes where no one asks me where I\u2019m going? If anything, solo running is one of the healthiest relationships in my life. It\u2019s me, my music, my weird little route choices, and whatever emotional support anthem is carrying me through those miles.<\/p>\n

And yes, I\u2019ve done the run club thing<\/a>. I tried the big-group, postrun social scene, and for me, it felt less like community and more like a Mean Girls reboot with carbon-plated shoes<\/a> instead of pink velour tracksuits. People were more focused on pace peacocking and locking in dinner seats than actually welcoming new runners. I constantly felt like I was auditioning for a spot at the table, literally and figuratively, while also trying to catch my breath.<\/p>\n

That said, that doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m anti-running-with-people. I\u2019m a firm believer that in the right instance, running can absolutely create real connection. My friend Ryan and I did 9 + 1<\/a> together, and we got so close that I later officiated his wedding. Another good friend of mine, Tom, decided to run the New York City Marathon<\/a>, and I helped him train on some runs while I was gearing up for my second. Those are genuine, meaningful parts of my life, and I\u2019m grateful for them.<\/p>\n

But those moments worked because of their authenticity, not because I forced myself into a group dynamic that made me feel like I needed to keep up and fit in.<\/p>\n

For a while, I did internalize it. Why are you always running solo? What\u2019s with the aversion to group runs? Is there something red-flag-ish about wanting to be left alone this much?<\/p>\n

Then I realized: no. I like my routes and my quirks. I have to put on the same exact song (\u201cTrophy\u201d by Charli XCX) every single time I trek up Harlem Hill in Central Park. I always run to people\u2019s left because Captain America sprints past Sam Wilson and says, \u201cOn your left,\u201d and it\u2019s permanently embedded in my brain like a tiny MCU foot traffic law. Is that weird? Sure. Is it anyone else\u2019s business? Absolutely not.<\/p>\n

When I race, I\u2019m running for me. It\u2019s my catwalk and my runway, and the point is not to look like the most social runner in America. The point is to feel strong, present, and like myself. And last I checked, it\u2019s working just fine.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Sean Abrams was the Senior Editor, Growth and Engagement at Men\u2019s Health. He\u2019s a former hip hop dancer who likes long walks on the beach and large glasses of tequila. You can find his previous work at Maxim, Elite Daily, and AskMen. \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I started running during COVID-19 because I wanted to exercise, get fresh air, and be as far away…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":925472,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[38],"tags":[3178,373389,1201,1198,210,311952,2875,256927,373388,365830,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-925471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-c3a1b5b0-4f97-412b-b015-a42c8c308c17","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-us","tag-read_time-3","tag-shorttitle-i-love-running-alone","tag-sponsored-false","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116895694701171523","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=925471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/925472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=925471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=925471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=925471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}