I apologize if the title sounds offensive or pretentious. I'm obviously a runner myself so I really don't mean to be insulting. This is just my opinion.
Most serious distance runners I've encountered in my life are very limited in terms of their interests. While distance running seems to attract a lot of intelligent people, runners do not seem to prioritize becoming a well rounded individual. Many of the runners I've conversed with in high school, college and local road racing can name the PRs of every single American runner yet can't speak about any other subject for longer than 30 seconds without freezing. I'm not just talking about cultural interests such as art, music etc. Many male runners are very socially backward in terms of their views regarding women and homosexuals. This is a sport that is dominated by white (usually) upper middle class males. Just look at this message board. Any strong opinions expressed by women or gays are largely met with scorn and outrage. Like how dare a woman challenge the stable, even keeled long held beliefs of this male dominated sport.