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WHY I RUN
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS A valuable lesson in judgment as ascertained in a debut marathon
I
n the interminable five kilometres at the end of my first marathon, I watched a lot of people overtake me and run off into the distance. It wasn’t as deflating as that sounds, because my only goal was to complete the race. I didn’t care how long it took me, as long as I got across the finish line and could call myself a marathon runner. Instead of the sinking feeling that I’d experience during the dwindling steps of one or two future marathons, what I remember most about that day is witnessing the incredible diversity of the runners who were passing me. They wore
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an assortment of shirts and shoes, from the most modern and technical to the very basic. They had varying gaits and running styles and a wide range of temperaments. And most importantly, they were of all ages, shapes, and sizes. In other words, they didn’t all fit the conventional image of a youthful long-distance runner—the lean, sinewy athletes depicted on fitness magazine covers and in running shoe commercials. Almost 14 years later, I remember one runner in particular who caught my eye. She was shorter and heavier than I, and if you believe in judging a book by its cover, she had no business being ahead of me or any other runner behind us. I have no idea whether it was her first marathon or her twentieth, but she was maintaining a strong and consistent pace, was on track to finish in a decent time, and seemed determined that nothing would stop her. She both inspired me and taught me a valuable lesson. Thankfully, it’s no longer okay to make fun of someone because of their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or religion. But, sadly, there’s still not very much pushback against comments about weight. The fat joke is still far more acceptable today than a sexist or racist remark. There remains a prevailing perception that body type is a reflection of character rather than nature or other forces. If you’re overweight, the thinking goes, it’s because you’ve
made bad decisions. The examples are everywhere. Think of all the fat kids and overweight adults depicted in movies and TV shows. How often are they the laughingstock of the protagonists, the convenient symbol of slothfulness or weakness, the epitome of loserdom? To guard against perpetuating stereotypes about real nations, spy movies make up entire countries to defend us against. But even in the Harry Potter films, which contain many powerful lessons for young readers, the protagonist’s selfish, unlikeable cousin, aunt, and uncle are all obese and gluttonous. In case you were wondering whether they were horrible, just look at them! Likewise, in debates about food policy and childhood obesity, we default to the belief that education is the solution: if only overweight people (or their parents) made better choices, they’d be just like their thinner neighbours. It’s as simple as that.
Mark Sutcliffe is the founder of iRun and the author of Long Road to Boston: The Pursuit of the World’s Most Coveted Marathon. DOWNLOAD the iRun Podcasts: iRun.ca LISTEN to him on 1310 News and Rogers TV Ottawa FOLLOW him on Twitter: @_marksutcliffe SEE excerpts of his book: LongRoadtoBoston.com
iRun because we have to fight cancer and rely on each other to do so. — Elysse Savaria, Owen Sound
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE MANITOBA MARATHON
MARK SUTCLIFFE, COLUMNIST