Piers Morgan wants masks worn whilst running...

[Trulyatraditionalman]

AIBU to think this is ridiculous?

Outdoor transmission is less likely but scientists do still say that runners should observe social distancing. The problem in my area is that so many runners aren't, at the same time they are breathing very heavily.

Everyone needs to be considerate. That includes runners, but also includes people with dogs on long leads, people who find it difficult to manage their 2 sets of badly behaved quadruplets and the people who have to have a shouted conversation across the road and strop at anyone passing in between them.

I wear a buff while running to show consideration. It would be nice occasionally to have some back.

I actually called a man a plonker the other day. He stopped suddenly right in front of me, and started doing a silly exercise thing holding on to someone’s gatepost doing high knees whilst swinging an arm out. Please can gyms open? please ?!

All those who want masks for runners.

What do YOU do to stay healthy and fit? I presume you are all a healthy weight?

Reminds me of that Anthea Turner cartoon that she put out.

As far as I'm aware no scientific adviser has put out evidence that runners are spreading virus.

Piers Morgan looks like he could do with doing more exercise himself.

It’s not just the puffing, it’s the arrogant pavement hogging and single-minded pounding so everyone else has to scatter, because their fitness is absolutely paramount .

You could say exactly the same about walkers!

I don’t care if they are spreading the virus or world peace - I don’t want to be barged off the pavement by runners “doing fitness”.

Btw, I am a perfectly healthy weight and I am just about to go and do some gardening. Not in Lycra and not weighed down by a multitude of monitors to prove how “fit” I am.

January, it's not a straight choice between running in the park or being unhealthy. Lots of people exercise at home. Or just don't take up all the public space.

In the same way that you get inconsiderate runners, you get inconsiderate walkers, both of which are a right pain in the proverbial.
However there are also plenty of runners & walkers that are considerate of others.

Spread of infection is theoretically lower outside so live & let live.

That said, I've given up exercising outside as there are just too many people around!

I do tend to agree with him. Around here at least, so many joggers seem never to have heard of social distancing, or if they have, they are too thoughtless (or arrogant/self obsessed) to give a shit. So often when I’m out for a walk, before I’ve realised it’s imminent, one will come steaming up behind me, puffing and panting a whisker from my shoulder.

And this is on an extremely quiet road where it’s nearly always possible to walk or run down the middle of it for at least half a minute.

If I see them coming I always move well out of their way, since from long experience now, I know that most of them will not make the slightest effort to deviate from their straight path.

As I said, I wish they could all just run round tracks or disused airfields.

I agree with him on this point. The runners huff and puff on us and don’t make any efforts to distance themselves. I can’t go to the shops without this happening.

Breath*

@IrmaFayLear

Frankly I wish joggers could all go and run in big stadiums (stadia?!) or up and down airport runways.

It’s not just the puffing, it’s the arrogant pavement hogging and single-minded pounding so everyone else has to scatter, because their fitness is absolutely paramount .

I'm not defending every single runner as I'm sure you will have anecdotes of rude ones. However, the majority are considerate. The point I just wanted to pick up on which I wish walkers would acknolwedge more is that if a runner is coming at you, head on (i..e you can see them, they can see you and you have plenty of time to notice each other)...walkers should give them right of way (say if path is narrow) exactly because it is harder for them to keep stopping and starting. Whilst not saying their fitness is 'paramount', it does make a big difference if they had to stop or slow down/speed up for every single walker. It's just polite to give them right of way in that situation. And of course, they should be polite back and not sneak up behind you/run too close when overtaking etc.

But I do wish walkers would take this into account and realise that it is not feasible for them to wait constantly for every single walker. So...dependent on the circumstances but yes, walkers should probably 'scatter', more like 'give right of way where feasible' and shouldn't be walking so many abreast that they would have to 'scatter' in the first place if the pathways are narrow.

There is something so narcissistic about these people running - especially if they are not very fit, and they cannot run very well and they are sort of bouncing along the high street and barging into everybody.

But there's nothing Narcissistic about Piers Morgan insisting he knows best and HE is entitled to be on the High Street, of course, unlike the "unfit". The wisdom of PM knows no bounds

If you are a triathlete, fine. You can whizz along in five seconds but the ones who go past like a giant snail...

Pah. Rent a Gob alright. I doubt he believes a word he's saying. That's why it's so inflammatory. He just wants the publicity.

Also for the people pointing out you can exercise at home...running is a sport in its own right, it isn't just a way of keeping fit and keeping weight off. I run as a sport, I compete in races when they are running out of pandemic times, and 'doing home workouts to keep fit' is not the same.

I think I am a considerate runner and probably give way mroe often than I should (when walkers really should give me right of way in some circumstances). However, I have also been running for years prior to the pandemic and whilst I am glad everyone is getting outside and getting some fresh air and I don't begrudge anyone that....its the walkers that are new to my routes, not me. I find it a bit rude that I am continuing to do something I have done for years and is one of the few things that is sanctioned legally to do but people are suggesting it is rude of me once they start invading the same space....?

My friend and I were walking in the park and I used my stick to show the joggers the space they needed to keep....most were fine but I think they are in some sort of zone whilst jogging and don't realise they are encroaching personal space.
I even saw a jogger go onto the road to avoid me but then actually brushed up against another girl she yelled at him quite rightly too.
I think consideration is needed by the joggers not masks.

Runners aren't a homogenous group. Some of the replies on here are ridiculous.

Some people are inconsiderate and some of them might happen to be out running, just like some people out walking dogs are inconsiderate, just like some people out walking are inconsiderate, blocking the paths in groups nattering.

People going out for a run are doing a great thing for their health. Just because you don't like or understand it.

Again, there is no evidence that running spreads virus.

I run regularly and just like I expect from other pavement users whether they're dog walkers, pram pushers, idle wanderers or power walkers, I move across, run in the road, pull up my buff etc.

Sweeping generalisations about runners who are always described as panting and huffing, spluttering etc are pointless. Runners are just people and if they're not observing social distancing, it's not because they run, it's because they're inconsiderate. People are the same about cyclists in normal times. There are always asides about their lycra, or their kit in an effort to put them down when none of that stuff is up for public consumption. We share the outdoor world. You have no right to call people plonkers because you don't like their fitness choices. I couldn't get past 3 dog walkers yesterday because they'd bumped into each other and had stopped for a chat, blocking the pavement. My friend asked them to move because she had a pram and we were next to a busy road and one of them swore at her. Now, was that man an aggressive twat or should I start describing dog owners as wankers with slobbering, filthy, smelly dogs and a weird obsession with their pet being important when actually it's fulfilling a selfish need for love they can't get from humans?

The types who get on my nerves: runners who when you leap into the nearest ditch to avoid them breathing on you then shout "thank you" in your direction. Ugh. Couples walking hand in hand and are quite happy for you to side step in the quagmire either side of the path. Dog walkers chatting keeping their distance from each other but you either have to go in between or through the mud. Families walking 4 abreast across the whole fucking path. Walking behind a smoker where you can literally see what been in their lungs floating towards you. It's a minefield

I find it hard to believe that piers goes down the high street for anything 😕

I wish runners were more aware of the increased risk and therefore need to give people a wide berth. I prefer to think it's a lack of awareness than selfishness. There is an increased volume of runners in town and it's the kind of town with houses that open straight onto the path, and the pavements are less than 1m wide. We also have lorries going through some of the narrow streets so you can't just dive into the road out of somebody's way. Quite often when I'm out with DD in the pram a runner virtually makes physical contact with us. You don't get enough warning to be able to cross the road from them given the volume of traffic and they don't stop and step aside into an alleyway whilst you go by etc, they just run at you.

As one of the many asthmatics who run to help my asthma, you really do not want to encourage many asthmatics to wear a mask while exerting themselves.

You say that, but a friend who is asthmatic has found running in a mask helps her - she thinks it's probably because it helps warm the air before she breathes it in. I don't know if she'll be saying the same in summer, though.

@LilMidge01 agree, I've been running for years and suddenly the paths are much more full of people out walking. Especially on a nice day, funnily enough they never seem to brave the cold or wet weather.

Which they are perfectly entitled to do, just as I am perfectly entitled to use my local routes to run on.

And I don't have skank breath either.