Geographies of running cultures and practices

Abstract

Running is inherently geographical, with spaces, places, movement and bodies central to the practice. Running has captured the geographical imagination over the last decade and this paper reaches across such work to provide a state-of-the-art synthesis of the geographies of running. The review is structured around six key themes that characterise contemporary running geographies and demonstrate the value geography and running bring to each other: (1) different running practices; (2) theorising and researching running; (3) senses, experiences and embodiment; (4) running, space and place; (5) events; and (6) technologies and objects. The paper concludes by considering what is next for running geographies by highlighting three new avenues: (1) further engagement with digital geographies; (2) the runnability of places; and (3) diversifying who does running geography and who it studies.