In short, most people agree that: Yes, running is a sport.
According to Google, the definition of a sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
Although there is some level of debate among people on whether it is or not.
Is Running A Sport?
Here are the most popular arguments people make.
Yes, running is a sport.
No, running is not a sport.
Why Is Running Considered A Sport?
The definition of a sport includes four key aspects.
- Physical exertion
- Skill
- Competition
- Entertainment
Let's dive into each of these core components that define whether an activity is a sport.
Physical exertion: To run it takes a lot of effort and energy to maintain a constant pace. Whether it be for endurance or speed, running can be a lot of exercise for someone who doesn't do it often.
Skill: The more physically fit someone is, chances are the better they'll be at running. Although like any other sport, it takes time and practice to master it. Anyone can run, yet it varies from person to person on how well they do at it. Many athletes bring in coaches to improve their running skills.
Competition: The majority of runners never join competitions or compete professionally. The same could be said for other activities like cycling or mountain biking. However for those people who do compete, running offers a wide variety of events to choose from. These include cross country, marathons, track events, etc. Not to mention, running has been featured in the Olympics for many years.
Entertainment: If you go to any running marathon, there are a row of spectators cheering on the participants. Not only that, running is also featured on ESPN. The largest sports competition and entertainment show in the world, the Olympics, also features a wide variety of running based events for people to watch.
Historical Significance
Running competitions have existed for most of human history and were a key part of the ancient Olympic games as well as the modern Olympics today.
The activity of running went through a major period of popularity in the United States during the running boom of the 1970s. Over the next two decades, 25 million Americans were doing some sort of running or jogging, or roughly one tenth of the population at the time. This boom also occurred in other countries, attributing to the world-wide popularity of the sport.
To Conclude
Running involves all elements that define a sport. This includes physical exertion, skill, competition, and entertainment.
All of the events where participants compete in a race are what bring legitimacy to the sport. At the end of the day, all of these events are built off people running.