Running Isn't Cool
And that's why we love it.
This week, I jumped on the Northeast Regional train and made my way down to New York, abandoning my 16-month-old son and husband on Halloween. The lure of a thousand running brand pop-ups was just too strong to resist.
As I sat on my bench in the cafe car, pulling together a game plan to get my steps in traversing all the activations in SoHo, I was struck by a realization.
Running isn’t cool.
And no amount of sleekly branded pop-ups or Instagram accounts cultivating running culture can change that.
“But, Lee!” I can hear you thinking. “Running has become so cool! Diplo says so.”
And to that I say, “Thanks for proving my point.”
Running is inherently cringe. That’s what makes it so wonderful.
To run is to be seen trying. To be seen sweating and snotting and grunting and wanting. To be vulnerable. A moving testament to humankind’s endless search for meaning through suffering.
Running a marathon is thus, by definition, uncool. It’s one of the most try-hard things that anyone can do. That’s why people like doing it. It feels really good to try. And it feels even better to try alongside thousands of other people trying, too.
“But, Lee!” you cry. “Isn’t trying hard cool in its own way?”
To which I say, “I’m sorry you were bullied as a child.”
As a lifelong try-hard who has always aspired to coolness but falls short due to a case of terminal enthusiasm, the answer is no. Effort is the antithesis of cool.
Understanding this is incredibly freeing. It’s why most moms give zero shits. Once you’ve had a baby – the biggest effort there is – you’ve transcended.
Anyway, I digress. Accepting that running is uncool is probably the only true litmus test for whether or not you are (trigger warning) a “real runner.”
Now let’s be clear:
Cool people can run. Cool things can happen in running. But running will never be cool.
It’s no secret I have mixed feelings about running’s hypey renaissance. One could argue I have played a small part in speeding it along. I certainly benefit from it, both professionally and personally, in the form of free gear that brands have decided I am worthy of receiving.
Ultimately, my discomfort with today’s running discourse is rooted in a belief that running doesn’t need to be cool to be worth doing or worth celebrating.
Fundamentally, I know that almost everyone – barring a few selfie-stick carrying, Go One More hat wearing outliers – in the sport understands this. The worst offenders, of course, are the non-endemic brands seeking to capitalize on the sport’s current popularity, clogging the streets with influencer-led shakeouts and shilling loosely-adjacent products because, well, they can’t help themselves. They’ve got shareholders to satisfy and KPIs to hit.
The truth will out. There’s no chill on the New York City Marathon course (except for that one quiet spot in Brooklyn). It’s 26.2 miles of unfettered enthusiasm that’s known to make grown people cry.
Running isn’t cool. And that’s why we love it.
Quick Thoughts
Things that Caught My Eye or Ire in NYC…
SoHo was one long line. Everywhere you looked people were queuing, and the sea of running brand pop-ups only added to the buy-buy-buy zeal. I am anti-line, and have a hard thinking of any space I’d be willing to wait more than 10 minutes to enter. Thank goodness I’m “media” now!
The number of running brands activating in SoHo made the neighborhood feel like Back Bay during the Boston Marathon. Boston’s unique appeal has always been the way that runners take over the city. Once, New York’s sheer size could absorb all the runners (I distinctly remember living there and totally forgetting there even was a Marathon, only to find myself trapped in my neighborhood on Sunday), but now SoHo is crawling with them. Still, there are neighborhoods that don’t feel saturated. Saturday afternoon, I visited the UES to hang with Lindsay Sword and didn’t see anyone I’d peg as an obvious marathoner.
Not only were most brands popping up in SoHo, their offerings were the now-standard Marathon activation fare (merch, shakeout, panels, parties, rinse repeat). Bandit pushed the envelope with their dystopian arthouse offering (which I found intriguing but slightly tone deaf, given how we’re already living in one). I did like this jacket, though.
New Balance’s Run House took over a former club (?), with multiple floors of activations and an off-limits indoor pool that no staff member could explain. Honestly, they should have done something wacky with it, like have synchronized swimmers perform. Or float a bunch of New Balance rubber duckies. Make marathons weird again!
I missed the Craft x Lucia Pizza activation, but liked the hats they made for it.
Currently Running showcased its wares in a space in Nolita. I appreciated the basketball jersey look of some of their pieces and the perforated fabrics. Currently, Currently feels like an emotionally and physically softer version of Bandit. Interested to see how things evolve.
SOAR partnered with Rapha for their pop-up, which is always a smart move since Rapha’s Clubhouses offer a turn-key community infrastructure. I liked their colorful tye-die NYC cap – ideal for being spotted during the race.
Speaking of being spotted, I don’t understand why so many people opt to race in standard merch. It makes it impossible to stand out in the crowd. If you’re hoping to help your people find you in the sea of runners, you should be wearing the most unique look possible.
As for unique looks, Molly Seidel’s race bandana is very cool ;). You don’t often see pros mixing things up, and I’m here for it. (Please excuse the blurry Fast Women story screenshot!)
I also liked Annie Roedenfel’s Salomon look for the Abbott Dash 5K. The muddy maroon tone feels right on the money.
Of the pro women, I liked Adidas’s kits – as worn by third-place finisher Sheila Chepkirui – best. Purple was the brand story for NYC, and I was into the starter jacket vibes of their merch.
Kudos to On’s Hellen Obiri for the win and for matching her braids to her kit.
Puma wasn’t really in the conversation when it comes to activations. But with Fiona O’Keefe in 4th and Annie Frisbie in 5th, one could argue that they made the smarter investment. I also like the way they approach color for their pros.
I couldn’t resist buying not one but two vintage tees from Cole Townsend’s collection at the Tracksmith SoHo pop-up. I loved a 1981 blue one so much, I wore it out on Saturday, styled with my Loefller Randall Topspins and Gap barrel jeans.
Wearing my new vintage tee with some of my favorite people in running.
Tracksmith has unlocked something with their Heirloom Hoodies. Runners customize theirs with patches and chain stitching, done on-site in SoHo by Chain Smoke NYC on a Singer sewing machine. Hits the maximalist handmade vibes that are on the upswing.
Speaking of handmade, my favorite activation was this Maurten collaboration with Josh Lynott. Josh wrote a thousand short poems that got handed out to runners at the start of the race with a gel. Thoughtful and meaningful. More please.
On that literary note, I spent Friday afternoon wandering around SoHo for a mini Substack meet-up with Josh Lynott, Running Supply with Cole Townsend, and Raziq Rauf of Running Sucks. It was a wonderful way to kick start the weekend, and one of my favorite moments was browsing McNally Jackson with Raz brainstorming launch party ideas for his book, This is Running. Pre-order it!
The Road and Trail are My Runway
In Conversation with Mallory Kilmer, founder of No More Lonely Runs Club
If you need more evidence that marathon pop-ups have become the brand standard, Zappos entered the fray this year, partnering with Mallory Kilmer, founder of No More Lonely Runs Club, on a community-focused space in midtown. This was their second such activation after popping up at Chicago, evidence of a renewed sports strategy (they’re also doing activations in the racquet space). Intrigued, I swung by to chat with Mallory about what she’s building and to get her perspective on running style. (This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for the newsletter.)
Lee: The first question I always ask is: how did you get your start in sports? And do you remember what you wore?
Mallory: I started when I was a kid. My dad was a big triathlete and runner, always doing half marathons and triathlons. We lived in upstate New York, and there were so many small, local races — like every other weekend he was signing up for something. That definitely set the tone for me and my siblings.
We played every sport you can imagine — T-ball, softball, soccer, everything. In middle and high school, my main sports were swimming and softball. I played softball year-round and swam in the off-seasons. Even then, running was always a part of it — whether it was conditioning for swimming or base running in softball.
After high school, like a lot of athletes who don’t go on to play in college or professionally, I felt a bit lost. You’ve been on teams your whole life, and then suddenly you’re not. So I stuck with running, but casually — two or three miles here and there, nothing serious.
When I was 19, I started working at OrangeTheory, and that’s where I discovered what a fitness community could feel like outside of organized sports. I ran my first race in January 2014, and from then on, I was hooked. I’ve done every distance — 5K, 10K, half, full — and four half-Ironmans. This year I did my first ultra, and I’ve gotten into trail running. It’s my new obsession. I feel like a kid again.
Lee: Do you remember what you wore when you were a kid?
Mallory: Oh, a lot of Nike. Some Under Armour for softball, but mostly Nike. Plus you remember those old Soffe shorts? Matching wasn’t really a thing back then. It was all about comfort — whatever big cotton shirt and a pair of shorts. The only rule was that it couldn’t get in your way.
Lee: On the topic of community, I really relate to your story. I was a rower before I became a runner, and part of getting into running was because I missed that team atmosphere when I graduated. I think a lot of run communities get started by people who long for that sense of team that they grew up with. Can you talk about how that idea shaped your run club?
Mallory: Yeah, totally. No More Lonely Run Club happened really organically. Before I moved to New York, I was in Florida training for my second marathon, totally solo. Florida didn’t have much of a running community — unless you were an elite athlete, everyone just ran alone.
When I moved to New York, I started posting my runs on Instagram, and people began DMing me. So one day I posted, “Hey, I’ll be at Central Park on Saturday morning if anyone wants to join.” Six girls showed up — and that was the first time in years I felt like I was on a team again. We ran, we grabbed bagels after, and it just clicked.
We said, “Same time next week?” And from there, it snowballed.
Our number one rule — which I think really defines the club — is that you have to meet someone new. Even if you come with friends, we want you to break that wall down and connect. Because if you’re showing up to a run club, chances are you want community. That energy has carried through everything we do. Even the really competitive runners leave the competition at the door when they come. They’re just here to be part of something.
Lee: You see hundreds of runners come through your club — I’m curious what trends you’ve noticed in terms of running style lately.
Mallory: The biggest one is matching sets. Bright colors, monochrome looks — that’s huge right now. In winter, oversized sweatshirts or crewnecks with leggings are everywhere. In summer, it’s more cropped tops and sports bras.
A couple of years ago, I started saying “It’s too hot to care,” encouraging women to wear whatever they feel in, even if that’s just a sports bra and nothing else. No one’s looking at you — and if they are, that’s their problem. It’s been really cool to see that message catch on and see more women running in sports bras, just owning it.
Lee: Do you remember when that matching-set trend really started to take off?
Mallory: Honestly, this year. Comfort and affordability have always been big, but social media has made the “running influencer” aesthetic a thing. A lot of people now want to look like runners, not just be runners.
Lee: You’ve got a large following online yourself — do you consider yourself more of an influencer or more of a community leader?
Mallory: I think it’s both. I’m the same person on and off the screen. I’m loyal to my community and the brands I work with, and I only partner with ones that make sense for me. No More Lonely Run Club is in probably 90% of my content because it’s such a real part of my life.
My following definitely grew because of the club — I didn’t have a big platform before. I think people connected to the story of a girl who moved to the city, didn’t know anyone, started running, and built something authentic from that.
Lee: Tell me about the brands you work with and how those partnerships happen.
Mallory: Most of them have come to me, which is such a blessing. I work with a few brands consistently — Hyperice, Mush, Zappos, and some smaller ones. Zappos has been amazing, because I can wear and talk about multiple shoe brands, which is ideal because I rotate different brands.
Funny enough, one of the first times I ever ordered running shoes online was from Zappos years ago. So it’s come full circle.
Lee: What are your go-tos for shoes?
For shoes, my race-day pair is the Nike Vaporfly. For daily runs, I love the New Balance 1080. If I’m traveling and not doing long runs, but still want something reliable, the Reebok Floatzig Energy 2 is my go-to.
I also love the Adidas Adizero Pro Evo 2—it’s like a $500 shoe. I raced Boston in that one. I wouldn’t recommend anyone buy a $500 shoe, but holy crap, that was a wow shoe. And then the Nike Pegasus is a classic—I’ve worn those for years. It kind of changes, but that’s the rotation.
Lee: When new members join your run club, do they ask you what to get? What do you usually recommend—shoes, gear, whatever?
Number one: get fitted. I never recommend a specific shoe to anyone because everyone’s different. But I’ll share what I like. For daily trainers, I tell people you really need two pairs. Personally, I like the Nike Pegasus and the New Balance 1080—one’s a little firmer and more stable, the other’s softer and more cushioned.
Having a rotation like that helps activate different muscles, which is super important for avoiding injury. Most runners don’t realize that. But again—number one: get fitted.
Lee: What about apparel? Any favorites?
Mallory: For leggings, I love Wolaco. They’re a smaller brand, and their stuff is amazing. For sports bras and long sleeves, Athleta is great. For tops and hoodies, I love LSKD. And for socks — I’m a FEETURES girl, all the way.
I’m a creature of habit. I prefer quality over quantity — I’d rather have two great pairs of leggings than a closet full of mediocre stuff. The prices in the running world can get crazy, but if you invest in a few pieces you love, they’ll last for years.
Lee: Has anything surprised you in terms of trail gear?
Mallory: The hydration vest! That’s a great investment. I like Salomon, which has a lot of different versions, so you really have to research to figure out what matters to you.
I love my Hoka Mafate X for trail runs—they’re so good. My running clothes are basically the same for road or trail, but socks are different. I’m normally an ankle-sock person, but for trail you’ve got to go higher—crew socks for sure.
Lee: My background is in road running, but I love how trail seems has such a no-ego energy vs the roads right now.
A: Totally. It’s very “I don’t care what I look like.” And there’s also way less pace pressure. When I trained for my first ultra this summer, it was all about time on feet—not pace. You can walk, run slower, take breaks. The goal is just hours on your feet.
My ultra had 9,000 feet of elevation—it was brutal. You can’t really train for that here, but I finished!
I love a mom and pop race. It feels like the most authentic, organic version of a trail ultra. They didn’t even groom the trail. It was what it was. I DNF’ed a trail race that was more professional, more expensive. It was cool to see the differences between the two, and I have to be honest, I love the small ones more than the flashy ones.
Like these big marathon majors wouldn’t exist without the small races. Influencer culture has made people think the majors are the only ones worth doing, but there are so many incredible, smaller races just trying to stay alive. I’m trying to pivot toward more of those.
As a final programming note, my sister Carolyn is using her platform over at Podium Sundays to drive donations to food banks via Feed America. Check it out.
Also, a sincere thank you goes out to my husband, Joey, for approving my away weekend during the dreaded Daylight Savings fall back (IYKYK). And to Amtrak for the solid WiFi connection, which powered this extra-large version of the newsletter! Cafe car, forever.
Lee, I could have restacked every line of this post, it is SO good (I did restack two). I found my running stride after becoming a mom (I was scarred from college pole vaulting and being a 20-something in nyc for a while), and you’ve now made me realize that is not a coincidence. Becoming a mother means everything else is gravy (for me at least) and running switched from feeling like the burden of “working out” to the joy of freedom and presence. There’s nothing more try-hard than being a mom 😂 which has made me just embrace my naturally uncool state. Thank you for this post!!
Running might not be cool, but it provides discipline and structure and an outlet that can help you in other ways. Loved this piece.