Why do we run?


Here’s a great talk on the topic of running. Running is a big subject here at the moment since we’re currently three months off attempting the inaugural half-marathon in the town next to ours.

It’s something that’s occupying many waking hours, dramatically increasing sleeping hours and boosting rather alarmingly the number of hours we spend eating or, at least, feeling that we need to eat everything left in the fridge.

The talk comes from TED – an organisation dedicated to spreading ideas – and this 15-minute talk from runner and journalist Christopher McDougall tackles the subject of long-distance running and what inspires humans to tackle big distances in uncomfortable conditions.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, he finds his answers in the course of human evolution and the value of persistence running to a species that excels at covering distance in uncomfortable conditions above any other creature. He’s got some points to make about the value of the pack and is also an advocate for barefoot running. It’s deeply interesting and can be watched here: