The Instant Benefits to Being a Runner

You Get a New Way to Express Joy
I feel like we're in a new “running boom” — the third or fourth one I've seen since I've started running, but this wave feels different. There’s a new generation of runners, and they’re into health and wellness, looking for ways to connect with one another. I mean, people still party. But it’s more for celebration — say, we’ve traveled to another country to do a race and now we're gonna party. And there’s movement in that too, right? We're celebrating because we have achieved something. It’s a beautiful space to be in and I feel like I belong in this this kind of shift. I started running because I wanted to get healthier, fitter, but I also wanted to make it accessible to me — the music, the vibes. I used to rave three or four nights a week. Raving — dancing and moving — is catharsis, and running is the same thing. And it’s like you have a new generation that’s taking the rave to the road.

You Make Unexpected Connections
What I’ve seen from being lucky enough to travel around the world doing races is that, while you have people from all walks of life, all cultures, there’s this common constant of the run, this common bond and love and challenge. And you build this diverse community that you would otherwise never have had if not for running.

You Find New Parts of Yourself
Running has helped spark my creative streak. I used to feel like I wasn't a creative person. And my friends would say, “What? You’re so creative!” And now I believe that, because I'm doing something that I enjoy, it doesn't feel forced, and because of it, my creativity just flows. I’ll run and think of some new unlock, be inspired to try something new.

You Find New Parts of Your Home
I was born and raised in London. I am a true Londoner. And I feel like running around London is truly iconic. You run through new streets, discover new restaurants, you get to see how everyone moves and people watch, and if you’re me, you think “what a crazy place and I love it.” A run is discovery. I remember, during lockdown, running around Canary Wharf, and I saw this building that I always used to notice and draw pictures of as kid. You know kids in school draw fields, the sun, or Big Ben or whatever, but for me it was this building, because I was fascinated by this flashing light that was always on. We’d drive by it, me and my family, and I’d ask my parents, “Why does this light never turn off?” Flash forward 20 years, and as I’m running around Canary Wharf, I take a turn, look up, and there was the building. And suddenly I was young Dora again and I thought, oh my god, that light is still on and flashing! And that’s running. It makes me look at London differently ever time.

You Connect With Nature
Growing up, all I knew was concrete jungle, fast-paced environment. And years ago, I was living in east London and I went for a trail run. I got so lost, I was absolutely fuming because I see myself as tough and strong and I’m like, I’m not following my phone, I’m gonna follow the trail and take in the nature. My friends call it “Dora’s scenic route,” which means I’m not going to navigate. And suddenly, I round a bend and I see this park and I felt like I wasn’t in London, like I was transported somewhere else. I see this lake — I've never seen such a big lake in London — and the way the trees were just surrounding it and the sun was beaming through it, it looked like a painting. And I thought, I get to see this because I allowed myself to get lost on a run.

Wherever You Go, You Become a Local
When I travel, I come right off the plane and it’s bags down, shoes on. One of the first things I do is go out on run. And it’s this awesome experience to be able to explore and learn and take a city in — while doing my thing, getting my movement — and it makes me feel like I know the place. Like I’m the local.

For more runner tips and inspo, follow Dora Atim on Instagram at @doradontexplore.