ethnography writing (stage 3)

Alison DeChambeau UWRT 1101-073

Ethnography Writing (Stage 3)

For many people, a runner has a simple definition of, “A person who runs, as for exercise

or in a race. ” But is that really the true definition of a runner? Isn’t there a lot more to learn

about runners and the community that they involve themselves in? To the majority of people,

running is just for the “skinny people” who like to run because it’s healthy, but to a member of

the running community it is an escape from their daily life. It is an activity that brings together

those of similar interests and allows them to communicate with each other through running.

As I sat in the corner of Fleet Feet, a running store that my mother works at, I watched a

wide range of people come in and out the store. One of the first customers that walked in, clearly

looked like a runner. Not only did she look in shape to be a runner but she dressed like one as

well. She had exercise attire on and she had a belt wrapped around her waist. It wasn’t no

ordinary belt though. This belt was decked out with two smaller water bottles, gel pouches, and a

few zippers that held her keys and ID as she ran. She also had some type of Garmin watch on her

wrist that would track her run. I was amazed at the amount of gear she had for running.

When she walked in, my mom greeted the lady with a smile and asked if she could help

with anything. As both of them started to talk, I heard several terms that I wasn’t 100% sure what

exactly the terms meant. Some of the terms that were mentioned included, PR, BQ, plantar

fasciitis, overpronation, etc. I was intrigued mostly with the term “BQ”. Later I found out that

BQ meant Boston Qualifier, so I looked up what the marathon times were to qualify for the



Boston marathon. The qualifying times change if you're a female or male. The times also depend

on ones age. For example, the BQ for men aged 18-34 have to have a BQ of completing a

marathon in 3hrs 05min 00sec. For women in that age group you have to complete a marathon in

3hrs 35min 00sec. The BQ for men aged 55-59 have to have a BQ of completing a marathon in

3hrs 40min 00sec and for women it’s 4hrs 10min 00sec.

After visiting the running store, I was able to get a pretty good feel about what the

running community is really all about. Specifically how they communicate with each other and

others around them. Many people may think it’s unusual to see not the typical runner running but

in fact there are many runners out there that don’t have the “runner’s body”. There were people

of all different shapes and sizes walking into the store. A wide range of those runners will get

into groups to run as well. The running groups are usually called Streakers. And no, they aren’t

naked while they run, even though they are called “streakers”. I saw a group of Streakers come

into the store that day. The runners were all decked out in gear and they were all very talkative.

My mom was telling me that Fleet Feet actually orders pizzas for the streakers a lot of times

when they come back from runs. The Streakers meet at Fleet Feet for the run and end back up at

the store. By getting into a group such as the Streakers, make it easy for people to hang out with

friends while still getting fit. I always thought that running was not fun at all but when there are

other people to run with, it makes the whole process of running easier.



The camaraderie between the runners that came into the store was quit amazing as well.

Everyone was so friendly and encouraging to one another. They were all able to relate their pains

of running too. Surprisingly many runners have had or still have injuries such as shin splints or

plantar fasciitis. Running with such injuries aren't recommended but runners are so dedicated

that they will still go out and run with injuries. Even with the injuries they still continue to be

positive. Being around runners that day at Fleet Feet really brought out a different side of what I

though running was all about.

Surprisingly there aren’t many conflicts that pull the running community apart. Being

involved in a running community will positively affects ones life and ones body. After talking to

my mother who is an avid half marathon runner, she stated that overall the running community is

very outgoing and loving. She also stated that if there are any conflicts it’s usually with yourself.

When you are running, you’re usually just competing with yourself and your personal goals that

you set for running. Runners honestly just wan to continue to beat their PR (personal record).

The people who run with you are just motivators and friendly competition.

I was also able to find a great documentary for my subculture on runners, specifically on

half marathon and marathon runners. The video was called Running Vancouver, A Six-Part

Documentary. This documentary followed runners as they trained for and ran the 2013

Vancouver Marathon or Half Marathon. Not only was it about their training but also about their



personal sacrifices and motivation that was required to complete the race. This video really

showed the dedication that runners have towards running and also their personal life.

Training for long and demanding runs such as marathons require dedication and time. For

many of the runners in the film, it was hard for them to go train for a race by running for one to

two hours especially if they had a family. Many of them work nine hour shifts and when they

came home, they wanted to spend time with their family. They knew they would have to stick to

their training though to be able to meet their goals in the actual race.

The documentary was quit inspirational and it almost tempts me into becoming an avid

runner. Runners in the video ran to relieve stress from themselves, health issues, family issues,

financial issues, etc. This sport actually is considered to be a therapy for many. When one signs

up for a race, they not only run for themselves but also for the charities. Many races nowadays

“run for a cause” (diseases, homeless, animal shelters, etc.) Overall this documentary not only

talked about training for races, but also why people decide to run and how it positively effects

them.

I also was able to observe a half marathon race that was held in Charlotte, NC. The race

was called Rocktoberfest Half Marathon and actually both of my parents were able to take part in

the race. As I was at the race, I wanted to observe the runners, bystanders, volunteers, etc. While



the runners were crowding up at the start line before the race started, I watched as they

exchanged hugs and positive comments to each other. I could tell that the runners were very

competitive but they still were so nice to each other. Many bystanders had signs with

inspirational quotes or sayings written on them. The bystanders also gathered near the start/finish

line to cheer the runners on as they started and ended the half marathon. Bystanders also were

standing at different areas along the 13.1 mile course to cheer the runners on during the race.

Volunteers were at water stations along the course and they were also at the finish line handing

out the awesome medals that the runners earned once they were done with the grueling race. I

was amazed at how everything went so smoothly with the race and how everyone interacted with

each other with positive vibes.

I’ve been to several other half marathon races as well, and they all seem to have the same

type of camaraderie. I really do enjoy going to the races, especially if my parents are running

them so I can cheer them on as well as the other runners. Whenever I’m at a race, I am so

inspired by the whole situation that I tell myself that I’m gonna sign up to run a half marathon.

I’ve been surrounded by runners for a majority of my life and I really do enjoy it. Runners have

really good personalities and I believe that it could only benefit someone for hanging around

runners or getting involved with running.



I’d like to finish off my ethnography with a few important quotes that I found about

running. John Bingham (American marathon runner and author) stated, “If you run, you are a

runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if

you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership

card to get. You just run.” Richard O’Brien (English Actor) also stated an important quote, he

said, “Running is not, as it so often seems, only about what you did in your last race or about

how many miles you ran last week. It is, in a much more important way, about community, about

appreciating all the miles run by other runners, too.”

Just by reading the quotes above, one can determine what exactly running is and strives

to be. Running is a community of runners that invites anyone that wants to get involved with

running in their community. Running is a subculture that literally anyone can get involved with

and continue to be involved with throughout ones life. I’ve seen five year old runners run one

mile runs and I’ve seen 90 year olds run and complete a marathon. I hope by reading this

ethnography, people can understand what running is all about, specifically with half marathon

and/or marathon runners. I’d love for at least one reader to want to get involved with the running

community just by reading this ethnography writing with the subculture of running. Getting

involved with the running community definitely could change someones life for the best.

ethnography writing (stage 3)

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