Rethinking Success in Running: Why We Need a New Standard

I’ve spent years thinking about how success, aging, and ability are defined in our culture. My master’s thesis explored how gerontology, disability theory, and queer theory intersect—and how societal norms around aging and ability are shaped by youthfulness, productivity, and heteronormativity.

As a running coach and advocate for inclusion in fitness, I see these same patterns play out in running culture. The dominant narrative tells us that success in movement is about speed, endurance, and comparison—how fast we are, how far we go, or how we measure up to our past selves. And for older athletes, this often means that they are only celebrated when they live up to youthful standards of success.

But what if we challenged those definitions? What if we expanded success to include sustainability, adaptability, and joy—not just performance?

This blog series will explore who gets recognized in running, who gets left out, and how we can redefine success in ways that welcome more people into running and running communities. We’ll look at how race, gender, body size, disability, and age shape access and representation in running spaces—and how we can build a more inclusive and expansive vision of what it means to be a runner.

Let’s start by examining how we talk about older athletes—and why the way we celebrate them might actually be reinforcing a limited view of success.

The Problem with How We Celebrate Older Athletes

Every so often, a story about an older athlete goes viral. Maybe it’s a 92-year-old woman finishing a marathon or a 100-year-old man still competing in races. The headlines frame them as “defying age,” “proving aging is just a mindset,” or “inspiring us all to never slow down.”

At first glance, these stories seem like a celebration of aging athletes, and in some ways, they are. But they also reveal something deeper: we only seem to value older athletes when they’re doing things that align with youthful and non-disabled ideals of success.

These narratives send the message that to be worthy of recognition, older runners must still be fast, competitive, or pushing their limits. We rarely celebrate older athletes who have adapted their running, slowed down, or found joy in movement in ways that don’t fit traditional performance markers.

But what if we redefined success in running—not just for older athletes, but for everyone?

How Fitness Culture Defines Success (And Why It’s a Problem)

For too long, fitness culture has pushed a narrow, performance-based definition of success. In running, this often looks like:

• Chasing faster race times and PRs.
• Measuring worth by mileage or pace.
• Comparing current performance to past achievement
• Viewing slowing down or modifying training as failure.

This mindset isn’t just problematic for older athletes—it affects everyone. It sets us up to believe that movement only has value if it leads to progress, productivity, or measurable improvement. It makes people feel like they aren’t “real” runners if they don’t fit a certain mold. And it discourages those who run for reasons beyond competition, whether for mental health, exploration, or simple joy.

“For too long, fitness culture has pushed a narrow, performance-based definition of success.”

Even worse, these traditional definitions of success aren’t just about individual motivation—they shape who gets recognized, funded, and included in running culture. When the running community only elevates the fastest, the strongest, or those who “overcome” obstacles in a way that fits a dominant narrative, we leave out so many people.

What If We Measured Success Differently?

Instead of defining success by speed, endurance, or comparison, what if we measured it by adaptability, longevity, and fulfillment?

Success could mean adjusting your training so you can keep moving pain-free, finding joy in slower, scenic runs rather than structured race plans, or embracing movement as it feels right today—not as it used to be.

Imagine if, instead of celebrating older runners only when they’re breaking records, we highlighted:

• The runner who adapts their training so they can continue doing what they love for years to come.
• The athlete who listens to their body and prioritizes sustainability over external validation.
• The person who finds meaning in movement itself, rather than seeing it only as a tool for achievement.

This kind of success isn’t flashy. It won’t make headlines. But it’s the kind of success that keeps people running for life.

What If We Measured Success Differently?

It’s not enough to tell people to “let go of comparison” or expect runners to redefine success on their own. We need to change the way running culture talks about success—from coaching to media to community spaces—so that more people feel seen, included, and valued.

Coaches & Trainers: Change the Language & Structure of Success

Coaching models often assume progress means faster, stronger, farther. But progress looks different for every athlete. Instead of relying on rigid performance-driven models, we can:

• Offer flexible coaching plans that let runners define success in their own terms—whether that’s exploring new trails, building consistency, or finding movement that feels good.
• Change the language of fitness marketing—instead of promising “faster race times” or “pushing limits,” emphasize sustainability, joy, and adaptability.
• Acknowledge how age, disability, and life circumstances shape movement and training—success shouldn’t mean trying to outrun inevitable physical changes.

Runners & Athletes: Build a New Relationship With Movement

Comparison is ingrained in running culture, but it’s possible to shift away from it. Instead of focusing on how your times stack up, try:

• Expanding what “counts” as running. Run/walk intervals, hiking, or just moving without tracking data all have value.
• Reframing rest and recovery as essential parts of training—not setbacks or signs of decline.
• Practicing body neutrality. Instead of judging runs based on past performance, focus on what your body allows you to experience today.

Runners & Athletes: Build a New Relationship With Movement

Who we see in running media and who we celebrate shapes who feels like they belong. Instead of focusing only on exceptionalism, we should:

• Highlight diverse running stories—not just elite performances, but everyday movement.
• Normalize slower paces, shorter distances, and non-competitive running as valuable in their own right.
• Challenge fitness narratives that equate speed and endurance with worth. Success isn’t just for the fastest or strongest.

When we broaden what success looks like, we create a space where more people feel like they belong.

“We need to change the way running culture talks about success—from coaching to media to community spaces—so that more people feel seen, included, and valued.”

Expanding the Definition of Success

Running—and movement in general—doesn’t need to be a competition. It doesn’t need to be measured in speed or distance. It doesn’t need to be validated by external achievement.

But who we celebrate and how we define success matters. It determines who gets represented, who feels encouraged to participate, and who believes they belong.

To create a more inclusive running culture, we need broader, more diverse stories of success. We need to celebrate runners who:

• Prioritize sustainability over constant progress.
• Find joy in slowing down.
• Redefine movement on their own terms.

Because representation matters—people need to see runners like them to believe they belong. So let’s shift the conversation. Let’s recognize movement as valuable for all bodies, all identities, and all abilities.

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Next in the Series: Who Gets to Be Seen as a “Real Runner”?

In the next post, Building New Worlds for Running, we dive deeper into how race, gender, body size, and disability shape access to running spaces—and why we need a more intersectional approach to inclusion.