The Place

August 17, 2026

Greetings from the disciple,

Many years ago, George Sheehan, the philosopher/runner, was asked if running was a religion. At the time, the dedication of determined runners seemed to exceed the desire for fitness, or even the satisfaction of competition. The zeal, and persistence, that Dr. Sheehan demonstrated in those early days of running, seemed to demonstrate something more than passion, maybe even reaching into the mystical.  And so, a reporter once asked him, “Is running a religion?”

Eventually George answered: “Running is a place.”

I have been a runner for more years than the average person has been alive. I don’t say this out of pride, there are some runners who surpass this longevity, and countless more who can run farther or faster.  I mention it more to establish my credibility, so that when you read this you believe that these thoughts have been tested with thousands of hours of practice.

I came to running for a particular reason, a particular event, in fact. This, it turns out, was merely the threshold.

It was about this same time, now decades ago, that George Sheehan was considering if running was a religion. Later, probably after a long run, Sheehan expanded on his answer.  He wrote: “Running is a place.  It is a retreat where we can refresh our dedication to what we want from ourselves.”

From the outside, running appears to be an activity with some practical purpose, which comes with sweat and effort and time.  It is that, but it is also a connection to potential that is hard to imagine, until you begin to experience it.

In the early years of running, this connection led me to a new relationship with my body, understanding how it worked, what health was.  It led to relationships with other runners, bonds that sometimes lasted decades, others only moments of breathless conversation in the middle of a race.  It connected me to a relationship with my surroundings, whatever my environment was. The trail, the road, the weather, the seasons, nature.

Finally, I saw what Sheehan believed: that these connections were all through a place.  Running is not simply moving the body, not only competing, not only part of a healthy lifestyle.  It is a place to think, it is a place of meditation, it is a place away from the distraction of the world.  It is where you can acknowledge your body, including its limits and possibilities. It is this rare place of witness; where we see the world, and the others who are running beside us.

There is an entry fee to this place: it demands action; there is inconvenience, the interruption of inertia, or a less challenging routine.  There is struggle and pain, there are aches and blisters and lost toenails and, sometimes, a bone-deep weariness. And the willingness to come back again.

Running is a place where we “… refresh our dedication to what we want from ourselves.”  For a long time, I felt like this meant what I wanted from myself as a runner.  To go further, to run faster, to win.  But the greatest lesson I learned in this place was discovering what I wanted from myself in all aspects of living.  And then found the dedication to pursue them.

Sheehan saw running as play, as a method of expression, and also as a retreat, “…a place for spiritual and psychological renewal.”  There is an experience, a few miles into any run, that this place is revealed.  It is where your spirit resurfaces, and you leave behind the things that conspire to keep you from your best self.

Like most people, when I was young, I ran almost instinctively.  It was play, it was a way of getting around, it was fun.  As I grew older, some of that fun was replaced with other things, and eventually those things replaced running too.

I came back to running because someone asked me to run the Crim 10-mile race.  At the time I was on a path that probably would not have included running again, and so it was remarkable that it happened. I didn’t have intentions beyond that first race, it certainly didn’t mesh with my lifestyle in that time, so it was easy to imagine it never happening again.

But this Saturday I will run my 45^th consecutive Crim. 

For many years, I thought that the Crim was the place, that was where the running happened.  But in time I realized that the place is wherever I am.  Jogging on trails, racing around an oval, running on country roads, often for no other reason than to run.  The Crim was the threshold to the place.

Over four decades of experience has shown me that running is far more than can be seen in a race. It is an expression, it is an experience, it is a place where I am revealed, and where possibilities are created.  I’m grateful to have found this place.  I’m also convinced that it exists for everyone, and not just in running.

Hope this finds you finding your place,

David

This essay was written by the author and does not include Ai content.

Copyright © 2026 David Smith