The phenomenon of people living their lives vicariously through social media is nothing new. We’ve all got that friend who uses their Instagram story to post passive aggressive memes about their ex. Or the one who decides to document the repainting of their downstairs loo as if it’s an interior design triumph worthy of Architectural Digest. But in recent years a new type of social media menace has started populating my timeline more and more: the one who makes running their entire personality.
First it’s their pre-run mirror selfie in Lululemon running kit. Then it’s the badly shot video, with heavy breathing, as they power their way around Battersea Park on a Tuesday morning. Sometimes, if we’re really lucky, we’ll be treated to a screenshot of their bespoke running playlist. And then, the inevitable: a map of their route on Strava (but posted on Instagram, too, of course – because who wouldn’t be interested?). I have somehow found myself stuck on a dreadmill of tedious social media running content and I can’t get off.
In case it needs saying, I am obviously not against exercise. Running is self-evidently good for both our physical and mental health and if we all did it more often Britain wouldn’t be as fat as it is. But if it’s boring to do, it is even more boring to hear about. No one who asks about your morning run genuinely cares about the response. No one is bothered if you’ve discovered a new route around Wimbledon Common. And your ‘personal best’? The clue is in the name – personal. Unless you’re Eliud Kipchoge setting a new world marathon record, no other soul gives two hoots about it.
All of which raises the broader question of why these New Balance-wearing bores insist on broadcasting their every step online? I think I’ve found the answer. For as long as social media has been around, there have been those who’ve used it as a means of showing off and virtue signalling. Whether it’s photos of their meals in hideously expensive restaurants or pictures of their irritatingly photogenic children, a perfectly curated Instagram profile is the status symbol of our times.
Except in recent years, things have become a bit more nuanced, especially for the fitness freaks. With the rise of the ‘body positivity’ movement, mirror selfies of your washboard abs or svelte physique have become – and I apologise for using this god-awful word – ‘problematic’. That’s not to say you don’t still see these photos cropping up on your feed, but they’re less blatant now (sneakily tucked away four photos into a carousel of holiday snaps, for example).
And this is where the running content comes in. It’s the perfect loophole for those desperately seeking social media self-satisfaction. Couched in the right language about ‘wellness goals’ and ‘starting the day right’ and you’re free to lord it over your less virtuous, less physically active followers to your heart’s content. You can show off your body, boast about your fitness levels, even flaunt your £200 running jacket, and no one can say a thing – especially if you preach about how it’s transformed your mental health.
Never mind that it’s making most of your followers feel like the slovenly slobs we are as we flick through your Instagram story while semi-comatose in bed. You’re too busy posting about your post-run ‘treat’ in Gail’s to care. In the fast-moving world of social media, digital braggarts must move with the times. Where once it was beach-body selfies, now it is running videos and Strava maps. It is vainglory in Sweaty Betty leggings. Please just make it stop.
Comments