‘Liquid running communities’ – an analysis of serious runners’ communities

Abstract

This study targets Serious Runners, who are redefining the term ‘running community’. The main focus is to investigate how the Serious Runners engage with each other within the new running communities and what they experience by belonging to them. Inspiration is drawn from Bauman’s ‘liquid modernity and community’ and abductive reasoning is used within the hermeneutical interpretation tradition and with a theory borne interpretation. In-depth interviews are conducted with runners from traditional and new urban running communities about their experiences of belonging. The results show that liquid modernity’s ‘peg’ communities act as bridges between contradictory desires and particularly between the need for individuality and community. The runners experience a ‘momentary’ community when training with others or joining ‘swarms’ of runners during competitions. Serious Runners challenge the dichotomy of running alone vs. organized running in clubs. The study introduces a model that draws on new forms of liquid ‘peg’ communities and identifies new types of communities referred to as ‘individualized running within communities’ and ‘jointly individualized running communities’. Further research is needed to better understand these new community types and to determine how activities could be organized to encourage their formation in the broader sports arena.

Keywords:

• Running
• community
• Bauman
• liquid modernity
• sport sociology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Henrik Pedersen

Henrik Pedersen, M.Sc. Psychology; Masters in Sport & Welfare, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports (NEXS), University of Copenhagen, He teaches Sport Psychology, Coaching and Team Development. He has been working as a consultant for Organizations and Sports Associations and has over the years been teaching and coaching leaders, coaches, athletes and teams. N⊘rre Allé 51, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.

Line Kremmer Pedersen

Line Kremmer Pedersen, M.Sc. Sport Science, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports (NEXS), University of Copenhagen, Line is research assistant. N⊘rre Allé 51, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.

Lone Friis Thing

Lone Friis Thing is Associate Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sport Sciences, University of Copenhagen. She is a researcher in health promotion and prevention in relation to sport and physical activity. She is Head of the section “Sport, Individual & Society”, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports (NEXS), University of Copenhagen, N⊘rre Allé 51, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark, Phone: [phone].