We have to stop running at night

Sometimes, late at night, I’ll hear the familiar, fast-paced pitter-patter of sneakers slamming against the sidewalk. 

Whether I’m sitting on a stoop with my friends or walking home from a night out, my eyes can’t help but follow the night runners’ rapid gait. Brow furrowed, I gaze on in awe. 

In the moments after, I think to myself: what’s wrong with them?

Running has long been a part of my life. In elementary school, I was in a program that took us for runs through the neighbourhood in sweltering heat, while I silently cursed my mom for signing me up. In high school, I jogged as slowly as I could without my PE teacher scolding me. 

More recently, I began running on my own to add structure to my time outside of going to class and the bar. Though I’ve made time to run during every era, I have not, and will not, run at night.

To start, it’s unsafe. A U.S. study found 77 per cent of car accidents involving pedestrians happened at night in 2021. Daytime running gives you visibility that you can’t get at night.

Even if you return home unscathed, your body will begin to protest. One study published by Nature Communications found that intense exercise four to two hours before bed lowers one’s quality of sleep and makes it take longer to fall asleep. 

This supports my argument, but it isn’t what drives my disdain. I usually spot a night runner in my free time — the rare moments of leisure after a day spent working. Shouldn’t these people be enjoying the same thing? 

Running is a complementary part of my schedule; it’s good for you and to you. But not so good that it can replace free time. 

As the cost of living climbs, Global News reports that nearly one in four Canadians, nearly half of whom are Gen Z, now have a side hustle — a job they maintain alongside other employment. To work multiple jobs is strenuous, just ask me, and requires you to reckon with how you want to spend your little free time. 

Running can be described as leisurely — a fun way to unwind, de-stress and cope with the constantness of life. But it hardly replaces the necessary moments of free time many enjoy at the end of a long day. 

This is precisely why I become so perturbed at the sight of someone wasting their precious time here on earth by prioritizing the betterment of their appearance. Neglecting the more sedentary, social and restorative practices. 

If I am describing you, first, I pity you; second, can you not? 

My treasured weekend evenings don’t need reminders of the hustle culture that threatens to take away my life of balance. As an aspiring journalist, I know my free time is limited. For many other students and me, standing against side hustles and toxic work culture is a pursuit made in vain. 

Until I fall victim and am forced to join the ranks, I must speak out against the system that convinces people they must spend every waking moment working: either on themselves or for someone else. 

The point is, you deserve to run during the day. The sun should shine down on you to protect you from the traffic that passes by, and you deserve plenty of time to rest and relax after. Running should not be subjected to the shadows;  it should be a supplemental escape during daylight hours.