Friend Or Foe? My Running Frenemies Are Both

I have a bit of a problem. Some of my best running rivals are also my best friends. Or frenemies.

- BY DAMIEN HALL

In ultramarathons you're in your takkies for hours and hours around the same people, while an easy pace, picturesque scenery and free-flowing endorphins all combine to make us happy (albeit not always at kilometre 143). So we often get chatting away with fellow runners. Life stories are exchanged, friendships sparked, dad jokes shared.

There's more chat in the mid-pack than at the front of races, where we're trying to save every smidgen of energy. But it doesn't mean friendships are less likely to blossom. I like running with mostly silent company. You still share the trail, snacks and sunrises. And when it gets tough, no one knows what it feels like as much as the runners around you. Bonds form quickly.