It was a chilly, rainy Sunday. The kind of day where the drizzling rain seemed like it would never end. I had 12 miles on my schedule – a run I’d procrastinated all weekend due to the weather. As I made my way onto the wet road, I was startled by the strange silence of the late morning. All I heard was the drumbeat of the rain. It was like running in a ghost town (all normal human beings were indoors). About halfway through the run, I saw another runner. A man. We nodded to each other in solidarity, a little wave. A bond between two strangers that only running could forge.

I’ve always remembered that moment, even though that man has probably long forgotten it. It’s one of my favorite parts about the running community. Running brings strangers together, and the unspoken rule of the head nod and brief wave signals that we’re all in this together.

I don’t know who or when or how the “running hello” started. No one teaches it to you when you first start running. You just feel it. Somehow, you simply know you should acknowledge other runners coming at you from the opposite direction. It’s like a secret language for runners that means Nice job. or I’m hurting too. or You can do this. 

Lately, I’ve noticed fewer and fewer runners partaking in our secret running language. I wave, nod or verbally say hello to every runner I pass, whether they are coming at me or I am passing them. Sometimes, runners look at me as if I’m an alien from outer space when I give them a friendly greeting. It has been baffling me. We are a community of kindred spirits. We understand what it’s like to suffer through inclement weather. To push through side cramps. To keep going even after we’ve hit the wall. Most of us are out there day after day even when we don’t feel our best or need two extra hours of sleep. We’re a community that needs to support each other. Which brings me back to why our secret language of acknowledging each other is so important.

Why should you say hello to other runners? Simple. It has an impact. (Here are a few waves from me in case you’ve been getting ignored on runs lately.)

You never know who needs some extra support. My mom was out running earlier this year, and she was really struggling. She was having one of those runs where quitting feels a lot more desirable than finishing. A fast runner was approaching her from the opposite direction. As she passed by, she told my mom how great she was doing and to keep it up. To this day, my mom still talks about the kindness that runner showed her and what a difference it made in helping her push through that hard run. You never know what someone is going through or where they are in their running journey. If you’re a newer runner, it can feel intimidating seeing a pack of fast runners coming by who don’t even blink an eye in your direction. Don’t be that pack of runners. We are a community. We are all in this together. Even when you’re out blazing through a challenging speed or tempo workout, it doesn’t take a lot of energy or focus to simply give a nod or a smile.

Running is hard. You never know when an encouraging word or an understanding wave can make all the difference. It’s our running language. Let’s all “speak” it.

Do you acknowledge other runners when you’re out running? Do people typically wave back?