Running Sucks' 2025 in review

One last look back at the year's accomplishments

Top Running Sucks articles of 2025

Only 68 articles this year because of a gnarly start to the year with the Los Angeles fires and then the small matter of a book deadline, but overall, I’m really happy with my work. Here are a few of the best ones.

1. What is running culture? I wrote this piece in reply to a lot of conversations about running culture that focused on a narrow worldview of runners in big cities and/or the clothes young people wear. Running culture is more than that.

2. How Tracksmith changed the running world. In this interview with the Boston brand founder Matt Taylor, I celebrated the brand that everybody loves to hate, even if so much of the cool stuff we have today exists because of the Van Cortlandt singlet.

3. The intimacy of running. There’s something about the primal nature of the way we run that builds human connection in a very specific and beautiful way. It’s a short one, but was the most widely-shared piece of the year.

4. Adding Black culture to the Boston narrative. If people hate on Tracksmith for being emblematic of the whiteness of the Northeast, PYNRS is a celebration of the other end of that spectrum. I spent an evening with Sid Baptista in Dorchester to see a different side of the city.

5. Do we need HR for run crews? An initiative out of Berlin, Germany created a reporting tool for bad behavior within running communities — something that puts so many from continuing their running journeys.

Weekly book update

Two big bits of news:

1. I got the first few finished copies of This is Running, and this book is everything I wanted it to be. I love physical artifacts, and my word is this ever one of those. Obviously, it’s the kind of book that I would write, but it’s also the kind of book that I want in my house.

2. Thanks SO MUCH to everybody who has already pre-ordered. Seriously! Because of you, Barnes & Noble has picked up my book!! That has led to U.S. sales tripling!!! Over three months before release!!!! Thank you.

The only reason for booksellers to take notice of a first-time author like me is if there are sales for them to think about, so if you have kept meaning to place your order, now is a great moment.

This is Running - purchase links

USA - Bookshop US | Barnes & Noble | Amazon US
UK - Bookshop UK | Waterstones | Amazon UK
Canada - Amazon CA | Indigo
Australia & New Zealand - Booktopia | The Nile | Readings
Germany - Genialokal | Amazon DE
France - Amazon FR
Italy - Amazon IT
Spain - Amazon ES

I wrote a book.

Please support my work

If the 1,000 of you who read my writing every single week upgraded your subscriptions, I’d have a really nice part-time salary out of this! Wouldn’t that be good?!

I understand human nature enough not to hope that 936 of you are suddenly going to do that, so here’s an offer of 25% off forever for the next 10 of you who sign up.

CRYING AND RUNNING

My shirt collaboration with Running Wylder gets a second edition. With an updated design and long sleeves, this ones a peach. I know that a few have already flown into the postal service, so act fast!

Running Sucks Haiku of the Week

A daddy blogger…
I always said I wouldn’t.
Never say never.

It turns out a lot of you want me to write more about running while being a parent, so I’ve already lined up one story about a lady who just ran 300 miles while 20 weeks pregnant, and I’ll also share little tidbits of my life as a dad who spends a silly amount of time running along the way.

It’s all housekeeping

BUY ME A COFFEE - Think of it as a tip jar for my writing.

CONNECT WITH ME - Please watch my unboxing video on Instagram lol. I’m never doing another Reel, I promise. Give me a follow over there as well pls.

Thanks for reading
Raz x