To think the reason why runners appear so rude...

[stayathomewannabee]

Is because seasoned runners know to give people space on our runs... pre Covid 19.
There are a lot of novice runners out atm as people attempt to stay/get fit and maybe aren't used to etiquette?
Or are so knackered that they can't see ahead to move out of the way.

I think some people are inconsiderate, selfish and thoughtless no matter their experience of running.

YANBU

I think that's a big contributor to the rude runners problem.

It could be. Personally, I don't have a problem with runners of any kind. A runner is just one person not taking up that much space. I think the main problem is that everyone thinks they're right. No matter who I speak to, it always seems to be someone else's behaviour that is the problem.

gym goers have to exercise somewhere else i guess

I'm a novice runner (on wk 3 of couch to 5k). I continually cross the street to avoid people. I did scare an old lady accidentally the other day. She was a fair way infront of me but I went onto the road to bypass her fairly early as I saw a drop kerb and it reduced the chance of me falling over (I'm very clumsy). As I ran up behind/to the side of the lady (a good 3 metres away) she stopped and swung around holding her walking stick as though she was going to hit me. She saw it was a female (crappy) wannabe runner and caught herself. I stopped and took my head phones out and apologised for scaring her. She said the sound of my feet was loud and she thought I was going to mug her! We had a good (socially distanced) laugh at my heavy footedness and she was fine, but I did feel awful. It would be helpful to novices like me if you could list the etiquette. I consider it my responsibility to get out of other peoples way when I'm running. I always cross over/move or wait. But, I do that anyway in life.

As an occasional runner (not more as I'm 30 weeks pregnant), I consider myself a polite runner. I tried to keep out of people's way pre-covid and would now as much as possible. I'm out almost every day with my toddler and it is remarkably busy where I live. There are more runners than I would usually see but as a pp said, the gyms are shut so people who would usually exercise there have to go outside.

I agree OP that at the end of a run, especially a long one, it can be difficult to change pace or direction. Perhaps people who don't run don't understand this.

There are also more walkers. More families. More cyclists. People want to enjoy the sun while they can and surely when everything else is restricted we should all try to live and let live?

I haven't seen any rude runners. I suspect they appear chiefly in the fevered minds of mumsnet contributors.

(*not now)

I've been out running and on the receiving end of a rude man who deliberately moved onto the path I was running on and stood right in front of me shouting and point "2 metres distance".

Stupid, rude man.

IME, haven't come across rude runners...yet!

I think the general concept and necessary factors involved in running, make it unavoidably rude if done in public.

Runners need to run at a steady pace, not stopping and starting, they are generally trying to cover a distance in a set time or beat a personal best and don't want this disturbing.

Having to slow, shout out, stop or move around other people is difficult to do without ruining that pace or flow or that set time/personal best... and so many don't bother and instead run up behind people startling them, or pass too close etc etc.

Combining runners with other pavement/path users is a recipe for one or other set of users to get pissed off.

As a wheelchair user with no rear visibility and little ability to turn my head (I have to stop and turn the whole chair), having some heavy breathing feet pounding up behind me or appearing suddenly is quite startling and not fabulous for someone with a heart problem.

If I am walking a dog, I'd rather they called out and passed MUCH further away than they normally do - running up behind or head on at a dog is, for the dog, very threatening and frightening and many dogs will react badly to that, particularly if the runner stares at the dog or owner or shouts at them (just adds to the threat).

But there are other pavement users who are bloody annoying too... people who walk in a big group, clogging up the pavement, people with headphones in or phone zombies who despite me calling out, have no idea I am there, people with toddlers who grab at my chair or at my dog as I pass...

World is full of annoying folk and some are more likely to annoy than others.

I’ve had a lot more problems as a runner with walkers than the other way round.

I go out of my way to run through nettles/bushes/go into the road to give people their 2m.

I can count on 1 hand the number of times I’ve had the same courtesy back.

The other day I physically couldn’t go into the road as there was traffic, could the group out walking go into single file
So we still had some space? Nope, they stayed three abreast and I had to pass much closer than I’d of liked. Drives me insane when I go to work and risk my life to keep people safe and they can’t even use a little common sense to help themselves!

I suppose a lot of the problem is people notice the few bad 'uns not all the considerate ones.

To redress the balance - today I was crossing a small footbridge, one of those awkward ones with a bar at about knee height on either end followed by a step down. I was doing this carefully so as to manage with no hands (a slightly delicate operation for a short 59 yo)

DH told me to hurry up, as there was a runner waiting. I said, er, no.... the runner simply stood, patiently, well back from us. We exchanged friendly greetings once I was safely over and off he went.

Runners need to run at a steady pace, not stopping and starting

Fortunately, they evidently don't all 'need' to do that and are capable of standing and waiting. to all patient considerate runners!

Foreverlexicon
I’ve had a lot more problems as a runner with walkers than the other way round.

I suspect that it is all about perspective.

WiddlinDiddlin

Runners need to run at a steady pace, not stopping and starting, they are generally trying to cover a distance in a set time or beat a personal best and don't want this disturbing.

A while back this was the main point of a thread about people not getting out of a runners way

I will say the same thing that I said then (and got rounded on for it)
If that is your purpose on a public path then its the runner that should move.

I think most people out and about are perfectly reasonable and considerate, but it's easy to notice the inconsiderate.

There's so a cohort of posters on MN who love a good moan about anyone exercising outdoors and are ready at any opportunity. Only on MN will you see a thread where people tie themselves in knots as to how cyclists should be simultaneously on cycle tracks to prevent the snail cyclists slowing down the very important drivers and off cycle tracks because maybe people walking want more space without speed freaks racing like Chris Hoy.

I also think if, as claimed by some mumsnetters, that they are always having issues with other people on their walks then the likelihood is that they are probably the sort of pavement plodder who meanders around, often down the middle of paths with zero awarenesses of other members of the public, which is why they're routinely startled or surprised at the presence of others/others have to pass closer than ideal.

Some runners are so ‘in their zone’ that rules fly out of the window.
I speak as a friend of someone who is a serious marathon runner that I nearly , as well as the driver coming in the opposite direction, ran her over when she suddenly ran across the road. Other driver and I screeched to a halt and I wound my window down to say a few choice words when I realised who she was.
I mentioned this incident the very next time I saw her and she just laughed and said she was so engrossed .
I’ve often been bemused by runners who will run across a road or a junction , absolutely ignorant of cars manoeuvring.
Trouble is , like cyclists, you’re not allowed to complain about their dangerous selfishness.
And don’t get me started on cyclists who couldn’t care less which colour the traffic lights are on!

If they’re anything like me, then they’re probably not rude but just dead!

I run 3x a week. I’m slow and rubbish at it and it kills me. Anything after mile 1 then I’m just plodding praying for the hell to end.

I may seem rude (though I keep my distance) I am just trying to stay alive!

Yes, I think you're right to a point but a lot of it is that the "rules" have changed so much and no one is sure what is the right thing to do.

I was told on a thread earlier that someone didn't want my "thank you" as it involved me breathing on them. So what do I do tomorrow? Thank someone and risk breathing on them, or not do the breathing and appear rude?

It's not just new runners out there either. There are a lot of walkers who previously rarely went for a walk.

Plus there's just generally a lot more people out in smaller spaces with sports clubs, gyms, swimming pools and country parks closed and people don't like sharing.

was told on a thread earlier that someone didn't want my "thank you" as it involved me breathing on them. So what do I do tomorrow? Thank someone and risk breathing on them, or not do the breathing and appear rude?

Smile and give a cheery wave? Or thank them from a longer distance than the bare minimum 2 metres.

I try to say hello to everyone I go past now. Most walkers are polite but it's other runners I've actually found the rudest. Hence my OP.

I think there is too much intolerance going on atm - people are on edge and they are not keeping a check on their emotions - they think they are right about everything and no one else is entitled to a contrary opinion. Maybe try assuming everyone isn't an asshole.

I was told on a thread earlier that someone didn't want my "thank you" as it involved me breathing on them. They sound excessively anxious.

It's all be fine when I've been running too. I run into the road, smile at the walker and they smile back and we both go off and have a nice day.

MNers like to moan much more than anyone in RL. Runners,, cyclists, shoppers, dog walkers, neighbours, in-laws, friends,. Everyone's doing their best generally speaking - with a few arseholes scattered around.

I don’t think it’s particularly novice runners that can be rude. Quite often it’s the seasoned ones who behave self entitled. I see posts from seasoned cyclists and runners moaning about ‘new’ exercisers during Covid, as if they shouldn’t be doing it because they didn’t before. But I think it’s great that people are trialing exercise during the lockdown - they may enjoy it so much that it continues post Covid. I would imagine the only rule is just to be considerate to others whilst running, which is basic common sense.

I've found it to be a regional thing. Where I live almost all the runners are polite, courteous and leave lots of space. Where my Mum lives the majority I've come across pre-lock down were rude, entitled and happy to scare the crap out you by running up behind you on a narrow footpath then jogging heavily on the spot almost touching until you move out of the way or loudly shouting excuse me whilst pushing past!