Mile Markers

Running is bigger than ever. And as it continues to become more accessible and inclusive, now's your time to hit the road with this no-BS guide.

- Caitlin Carlson

On the surface, running is incredibly simple: With a pair of sneakers and a dash of motiparticipate vation, you can pretty much anywhere, anytime. But look under the hood (or, ahem, on the Internet), and the universal sport gets more complicated.

Couch-to-10-K plans and recovery tech abound, but deciding where to start, how to up your mileage and/ or pace, and who to follow for inspo can be overwhelming. And the gear! Even the main essential shoes has become complex. We haven't even mentioned nutrition yet.

Remember this, though: Innovation and excitement in the field are wonderful things and we are in a season of them. More than a fifth of runners said they run more often now than prepandemic, in part thanks to the no-equipment, go-at-your-own-pace nature of this form of exercise, per a recent Nielsen study. Plus, 40 percent of people surveyed across 10 countries consider themselves runners, with 30 percent running at least once a week. (Love to hear it!) Here, WH cuts through the clutter to bring you simplified answers to the biggest running questions out there.

WHOA!

Jogging just a mile or two a few times a week can help with longevity and lower your risk for disease. Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology

I want to do an endurance race. Now what?

Just focus on stamina-"especially if we're talking about the marathon, because you're out there for three to five hours," says Mark Coogan, a New Balance Boston Elite coach, an Olympian, and the author of Personal Best Running. There's also the mental-stamina component necessary for success in a distance feat, Coogan adds. "Being on your feet [for that long] is mentally tough." (We get that!)