Why I Love Road Running
- craigbarden123
- Apr 7
- 9 min read
In 2024, I took about 8 months out of running to focus on resolving some personal issues. In December 2024, I was in a much better headspace so I decided to start my journey of running again from zero.
Now, we're in early April 2025 (about four months since I re-started) and I've made considerable progress. It hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows, and starting to run again after such a long time off has come with a couple of injuries, tough runs, a difficulty in finding motivation on some days, but overall it's been a really humbling and positive journey.
One of the pleasant things I wasn't expecting has been to re-discover my love for running all over again.
Prior to my break, I'd been running consistently for about 8 years and the longest time I'd had off was a month here and there to let injuries heal or a couple of weeks to recover from a big race.
Having had such a long time out of the sport, starting again has felt like being a brand new runner discovering it all for the first time.
So, I decided to make a two part video (and blog) series explaining why I love running.
This article focuses on road running and the other focuses on trail running.
A brief overview of my running journey and initial focus on road running
When I started out running properly, in late 2017/early 2018, I stuck exclusively to the roads for about 4 years.
I trained on the roads and raced on the roads, and this was great fun to me.
Gradually building up my endurance, taking time to relax from my day to day routine by running, and challenging myself in races. I loved it and road running was very much the central focus of my running for a good chunk of time.
It wasn't until 2019 when my brother entered and took part in the London 2 Brighton 100km ultramarathon, which is mainly on the trail, that I first took notice of trail running.
He had been inspired by David Goggins, the American motivational speaker, author, and retired United States Navy SEAL, to push beyond his limits and try a daring challenge.
Admittedly, he was biting off more than he could chew and he knew it. He wasn't training enough prior to the race, and had completed a couple of marathons in the years before the London 2 Brighton race.
Incredibly, he managed to finish with a good amount of 'death marching' to the end and he said that, despite the major struggle and difficulties, the scenic terrain and sights of the trails kept him going.
That intrigued me, and for the first time I became aware of trail running. Fast forward 2 years later to 2021, and my brother and I decided to enter and complete London 2 Brighton 100km.
This was the very first time I'd properly ventured onto a trail for an extended period of running and it was the longest distance that I'd attempted to date.
The day was a massive adventure, full of surprises and challenges, and I found that when I crossed the finish line that I absolutely loved trail running.
Since then, I've been splitting my time between trail and road running. Admittedly, I've focused more on trail running in the last few years as I discovered the world of ultra running. But, lots of my training still revolved around road running (and still does).
Before I started my YouTube channel, I specialised in the half-marathon distance and I must have completed over 30 half-marathons. At one point, I was doing two a month for a good 6 month period and this felt manageable and sustainable.
I have managed to document several of my big road race events on my YouTube channel, and these include:
My definition of road running
In terms of defining road running, I view it as a form of running that takes place on paved surfaces like roads, pavements and paved paths. It tends to feel faster than trail running as the surfaces are smoother, more predictable and consistent.
This differs from trail running where the running takes place in nature and on uneven paths like in forest trails, mountainous paths, and in the woods. Trail running tends to feel slower due to the constantly changing and varied terrain underfoot.
Why I Love Road Running
Physical and Mental Health Benefits
Not just limited to road running, but all types of running, this sport is a tremendous form of cardiovascular exercise. Benefits include:
Strengthening the heart.
Reducing the risk of certain diseases.
Burning calories as a form of healthy weight management.
Works out the leg muscles including the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and calves, in addition to the core muscles.
What's more, running has mental health benefits as it promotes the release of certain neurotransmitters and hormones which include:
Dopamine - Plays a crucial role in the brain's reward system, influencing motivation, pleasure, learning, and movement, and is also involved in various bodily functions.
Serotonin - Often called the "feel-good" chemical, is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in regulating mood, emotions, and overall well-being.
Endorphins - Natural, peptide hormones produced in the brain that act as the body's natural pain relievers and mood boosters, promoting feelings of well-being and reducing stress.
Also to mention, running gives you a general sense of achievement and satisfaction as you know you're putting work in and making progress.
Accessibility and low cost
A paved surface by the river just seconds away from a housing estate and blocks of flats
Roads are pretty much everywhere in populated areas.
Unless you live in a remote mountain shack deep in the mountains then it's usually a case of simply opening your front door, putting your running shoes on, and away you go for a run.
You've got plenty of options and opportunities available right at your door step.
What's good also is that all you need is a pair of running shoes. Running is absolutely free beyond that, and the barriers to taking part are very low.
Road running is particularly unique compared to other sports which tend to have cost implications to participating.
For example, if you're a cyclist then you first need to purchase a bike (which can cost thousands of pounds or dollars or euros). You then need to purchase cycling shoes, tyre tubes, lights, a helmet, maintenance equipment, pay for periodic services, and the list goes on.
Swimming on the other hand is relatively inexpensive in terms of the gear (goggles and swimming attire) but, usually, you will need to pay a fee to swim in a public pool or lake. Overtime, paying to swim can add up and whilst there are membership options available to make it more economical it's a monthly outgoing.
I have taken part in a triathlon before and I found that I spent a lot more during the training process compared to what I'd typically spend during training for a road race.
Opportunities to socialise
Taking shelter with my running club, The Maidstone Harriers, before taking on the Minnis Bay cross country race, which went painfully wrong for me...
Not just limited to road running, this sport has tonnes of opportunities to socialise.
The majority of runners I know make road running the integral part of their training regime, so this tends to be the terrain I spend most of my 'running socialising' on.
There's lots of fantastic social initiatives out there including:
A free weekly timed 5km held by the community for the community.
Running clubs which often do weekly social runs and social training sessions.
Also, you can go for a run with friends, family, colleagues and loved ones. You can go for a run, catch up, share some fun experiences with others, and it's a great way to create some memories.
Personally, I quite like going for a road run when socialising (particularly if it's someone I'm not too well acquainted with) because it takes the pressure off of the interaction. Instead, you can focus primarily on the main goal which is the road running and getting from point A to point B whilst being able to relax and not feel too pressured to be constantly talking and chatting away.
What I quite like about running with other people is that it can make the run go much quicker which is really helpful if you're not having a particularly enjoyable training session (though hopefully, you don't have too many of those!)
Relaxation and 'me time'
In our busy lives, our schedules are often packed with so many things including:
Family commitments.
Work.
Personal projects and hobbies.
Day to day admin and upkeep like paying bills, grocery shopping, cleaning etc.
Often times, we don't get a lot of time for ourselves.
The good thing is that, with road running, with it being so accessible and literally just being a case of putting on your running shoes, opening the front door, and heading off, you can break up your day with a run and get some space from your other commitments.
Going for a run is a great way to relax, have some 'me time', de-stress, and it can be a great way to quickly put you into a better headspace and feel refreshed and recharged.
Sometimes, when I'm feeling stressed, anxious or worried, I'll put my running shoes on and head out the front door for a quick road run. Even if just for 15 minutes.
I feel like the act of physically breaking out of my situation with a run, whatever it happens to be, can be a great way to create some space, achieve mental clarity, and it always makes me feel more relaxed and ready to take on whatever it is I need to do.
A sense of challenge
With the surfaces being paved, smooth and predictable in road running (barring occasional elevation gain and descent), this makes them a fantastic terrain to run fast and to challenge yourself.
Whether you're trying to achieve a particular time in a specific distance, run for a certain amount of time, finish a new race distance for the first time, or clock up a specific amount of weekly miles or kilometres, you can create personal goals relevant to your fitness and your ambitions.
What's good about road running is that, because you can often compare road races to one another due to their similarities, it's good to take part in different events and challenge yourself to see if you can get a 'personal best' in a particular distance.
There's tonnes of road based running events out there including:
5kms.
10kms.
Half-marathons.
Marathons.
50kms.
100kms.
100 milers.
200 milers.
Beyond 200 miles (yes, there are a few...)
So, there's a distance and a challenge to suit pretty much everyone's ability levels when it comes to running.
One thing I do want to mention is that challenges should be personal and specific to you.
If you're doing a parkrun on a particular course, and your current personal best is 27 minutes, then maybe your challenge is to lower this to 26 minutes. It's not about comparing yourself to others, at the end of the day it's you versus you and it can be incredibly motivating and powerful to see your performance times gradually come down on the same course over time.
There's lots of road races out there
There's literally thousands of road running races which exist globally.
For the most part, it's simply a case of paying an entry fee and you get to take part.
I love taking part in different races for the following reasons:
A sense of challenge.
A new experience.
Exploration.
A productive excuse to travel to a new place (including abroad) and to make a holiday out of it!
The social side.
Feeling like I'm part of the road running community.
Also, by booking races, this gives you a powerful motivation to train consistently and to put in the work.
Some runners stagnate overtime and gradually reduce the amount of training their doing and lose passion for the sport. It's not always the case, but often they're lacking a tangible goal in mind for which to train.
Booking a race can be a powerful motivator to re-inject some passion into your running and get you rearing to start pounding the pavement once more.
Conclusion
There you have it. Just a few reasons for why I love road running.
My journey of starting to run again after such a long time off has been tough but the pleasant surprise of re-discovering my love for road running and trail running has made it all worth it.
If you have any more reasons for why you love road running, let me know. I'd love to hear them.
Thanks very much for reading and I wish you all the best in your running.
Craig
Running Cafe
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