Places where runners are friendly vs. places where runners are jerks?

If you're running where there are lots of other runners out running, then it's kind of weird to great runners, unless you know the person.

But if you're running where other runners out running are very rare or sparse, then it's more natural to give a head nod or speak a brief greeting when you come across another runner.

I saw an article recently about how most women out running can be extremely self-conscious/self-aware in a situation where a man out running says hi or waves.

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If show them your Tesla and/or 10-inch tool box, they will wave and smile.

When I used to be in shape, I would wave or acknowledge other runners. Now that I'm fat and out of shape, it's embarrassing to be seen out jogging and I hate to come across anyone else or do anything to draw attention to myself.

old guy 68 wrote:

I'm an introvert who avoids most social situations, but I still wave or say hi to people on trails.

It seems like it's the East Coast runners who consider themselves above being considerate. Ratso Rizo.

I concur. Failing to acknowledge an approaching runner while traveling along a solitary thoroughfare is a discourteous act -- unless you were somehow raised by a pack of feral dogs.

context is everything wrote:

If you're running where there are lots of other runners out running, then it's kind of weird to great runners, unless you know the person.

But if you're running where other runners out running are very rare or sparse, then it's more natural to give a head nod or speak a brief greeting when you come across another runner.

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How dare you act like a mature well adjusted adult.

Wouldn't you rather be a self centered child like many of the kids responding to this thread?

prick alert wrote:

running jerk wrote:

Nod as much as you like, but slowfvcks like you should just get off the trail when I'm about to pass you. That will make me happy and I may even send a positive thought your way.

Your haughty sense of trail entitlement precedes you, sir. The rest of us scoff at your grotesque stick legs and sunken chest as we ponder the richness of our lives during our relatively slow yet accomplished runs.

Nice story but seriously out of the way trail whale.

Place where runners are jerks: Letsrun.com world famous message boards

Place where runners are friendly: real life

old guy 68 wrote:

Chocolate chip?

This response was quite funny. Spit out my water.

running not socializing wrote:

prick alert wrote:

Your haughty sense of trail entitlement precedes you, sir. The rest of us scoff at your grotesque stick legs and sunken chest as we ponder the richness of our lives during our relatively slow yet accomplished runs.

Nice story but seriously out of the way trail whale.

Run, Forrest, Run!

wide load wrote:

When I used to be in shape, I would wave or acknowledge other runners. Now that I'm fat and out of shape, it's embarrassing to be seen out jogging and I hate to come across anyone else or do anything to draw attention to myself.

I always wave encouragement to anyone with the guts to drag their fat ass out there!

Southern California here. People are not friendly. The one pattern I've noticed is that 40+ will make eye contact and say good morning. Young people won't even make eye contact.

I run the same routes regularly and see the same people morning in and morning out. The older people are always friendly, the younger people are not, even when you've said good morning to them for weeks.

I think it's a regional thing and even a person by person thing. In Southwestern PA, the older male runners will acknowledge each other while the younger male trendy runners/hobby joggers/new runners pretty much ignore everyone. Females will say hi/morning/wave if you do first.

atatat wrote:

I spent the first 23 years of my life living in places where greeting other runners is standard (e.g. a nod, smile, "good morning"). But I live in Southern California now, and it's hard--sometimes impossible--to get other runners to acknowledge me, even when I say hi to them first. Other people I run with who are from this area think I'm weird to greet strangers on trails, which makes me think this is a regional thing.

Where do you live and is it standard to greet other runners while you are running?

I live in soCal and people are pretty friendly... most fast runners wave when you see them as do a decent amount of bikers and probably half of the slower people. You just have to look friendly I guess

Ran 8 miles in SF this am, and was left hanging on three high fives.

People are pretty unfriendly in New York (technically upstate). People don't like to say hi and look at you like youre a freak. I think the lack of a shirt and the split shorts have something to do with that.

Naperville IL. I've run all over Illinois and Iowa and this is the least friendly place I've ever been/run. The only people who will say respond positively to your greetings are the college runners, likely because they're not from here. Otherwise you just get barked at by road bikers as the only human interaction you get on a run.

"great" runners: Geb, Meb, etc.

"greet" runners: to wave or give a verbal "greeting"

3 people on here couldn't get that right? If only people put as much thought into their spelling as they do stupid letsrun questions.

The friendliest place in the world for runners has to be the provinces of the Philippines. I regularly run in Bontoc, in Southern Leyte, and I always have kids asking for high fives and adults saying, "Hello, My friend". The kids will start running with me in flip flops telling people that the "Amerikano" is coming. It is so different than America.

I've seen the motorcyclists give the "low 5" when they pass each other so I started giving the "gobble gobble MFer's" by grabbing my crotch whenever I pass another runner. It hasn't quite taken off yet but as the popularity of Letsrun soars, it should become universal very quickly.