Running Etiquette

I never realised that there’s clearly some form of social etiquette that I’m not accustomed to, whilst running/walking in my local park.

It seems simply getting your running shoes on and going to the park is not as simple as you may think. So be warned.

How can this be you may well inquire. Well I’ll tell you.

Firstly on entering the park from one of 6 exits, it seems there may be a certain way you should be running. Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise? I only discovered this as I was briskly passing my 20^th person in the opposite direction. I looked around confused, was there some secret sign that I had not seen, is there some arrows on the ground that I’d stupidly missed? Or was it simply a clever psychological trick that all these seasoned runners play on the ‘newbies’.

‘Hey, here’s another one. Let’s all do the running in the opposite direction trick to them, that’ll totally feck them up.’

But do you know. I don’t care. I’ll run whatever direction I want to. If I’m meant to be going in one direction, then call me a maverick. I set trends – I don’t follow them.

But there’s more...

I’m also unsure as to whether you’re meant to nod, say ‘Morning’, or totally ignore the other runners and walkers as you pass them. Perhaps that’s why everyone else goes in the same direction – so they don’t actually have to do the awkward passing someone on the opposite way like I do.

So far it seems I’m on nodding terms with 10 people. 2 people I’ve acknowledged with a ‘Morning’ and one old guy who is obviously just in the park to make friends shouts ‘Keep it Up’, ‘Go on Son’ and other positive remarks as I pass him.

I will let you know as I discover more on this fascinating new social etiquette that has so far passed me by.

Inside Bad, Outside Good!