Run don't Walk: A Manifesto

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Why You Should Run Everywhere Instead of Walking

It’s 5am and I’m leaving the Stone Roses Bar in Leeds. The only place that opens that late. Birds are chirping away like a bunch of twats as the first light appears. The Uber home is a reasonable price. Walking? It’ll be about 40 minutes. In that moment, I have the most delicious realisation.

If I run home, it’ll be quicker than the Uber, and it’ll be free.

In the years since, I’ve been deploying running as a frequent method of transport. This is my Transport by Run Manifesto.

Section 1: The Efficiency of Running

Subsection 1.1: Faster than Walking

Running is unequivocally faster than walking.

If you were going to walk somewhere, strongly consider running instead. A 30-minute walk can easily become a 13-minute run. The 17 minutes saved are a godsend. You only live for around 30,000 days - each one is precious, and time spent walking could likely be better spent living.

The speed of running becomes more intriguing when compared to other methods of transport.

Subsection 1.2: So What Else is Running Faster Than?

If you live in a city, sometimes running might be the fastest mode of travel overall.

Let’s say I’m a tourist in London, wanting to travel from the British Museum to Big Ben. Google gives me the following options:

1. Drive - 14 minutes
2. Tube - 23 minutes
3. Bus - 24 minutes
4. Walk - 32 minutes
5. Bike - 12 minutes

Let’s scrutinise these estimations.

• Driving: Either you’ve used your own car (impractical for parking), or a taxi, which with the wait and other nuances, more likely takes 20 minutes.
• Tube and Bus: Fair estimations.
• Bike: Locking, unlocking, finding suitable parking, or using a rented one — a more reasonable estimate is 20 minutes.

If you ran this journey, even at a moderate pace, you’d be there in 13 minutes. The run is 7 minutes faster than the next best method of transportation for this journey and more convenient to boot.

Subsection 1.3: You Get There Quicker and Healthier

If you don’t like running, then this is for you. Running for the sake of running isn’t fun for most. When you run as transportation, you’re running for a reason. You get fitter without realising it, making running less of a chore. It’s one of the few modes of transport that gets quicker the more you do it.

It will also enhance your mental health. You’ll look like a nutter running everywhere and it will put a smile on your face. You’ll arrive at your destination with a smile, having run in non-running attire, looking like a madman. You’ll start to take yourself less seriously.

Section 2: Environmental Benefits

Running is probably better for the environment than whatever you were thinking of doing as an alternative. It’s also probably safer for either you or the people around you, possibly both.

Section 3: Practicality and Accessibility

Subsection 3.1: Cost-Efficiency

There is no cheaper way of moving than with your own two legs. Your form of payment is the additional calories you may consume, a non-issue considering 63.8% of adults in the UK are overweight or obese.

Subsection 3.2: Universal Accessibility

Running is accessible to the vast majority. Those for whom running is inaccessible directly benefit from people running due to fewer people driving or using public transport.

Subsection 3.3: Growth of a Movement

Running for transport isn’t popular in the UK, and may at first seem odd.

Imagine a future where just 0.1% of the population run for transport. Running to the pub with your mate then running home. Morning rush at 6am, all jogging to the office.

Together, we can build a sense of community and reduce road rage and negative interactions.

Conclusion

Just try running as a mode of transport. Don’t criticise it or point out perceived downsides. Just try it once. See if it’s for you.