Two Thirds Of Brits Are Too Embarrassed To Break Into A Jog In Public, Because They Have A “Silly Run”, According To A New Survey
New research from Jack Link’s found that a third of Brits (31 percent) wish they had a better running style which didn’t leave them so self-conscious.
Like Phoebe from Friends, one in five Brits (20 percent) think the way they run makes them look stupid.
One in three (27 percent) hate the fact that they huff and puff while running, while 14 percent claim they can’t help running with their arms rigidly down by their side.
A tenth (nine percent) say their arms have a life of their own and flail around when they run, while eight percent identify as a foot slapper, heavy on their feet, with no natural spring.
Almost half (46 percent) of those surveyed have had the mickey taken out of the way they run by those around them.
Just 24 percent of the nation reckon they could manage a 10k, with that percentage dropping to just 15 percent for a marathon.
When training, 35 percent of Brits prioritise the nutrient content in their running snacks, with being easy to eat (26 percent) and taste (17 percent) viewed as the most important qualities to look for in a running snack.
Typically, when running, energy bars (38 percent) and sports gels (seven percent) are the nation’s go-to snacks – but most Brits (62 percent) would happily swap to beef jerky as a running snack. Jack Link’s want to encourage Brits to power up their running game, regardless of their running style, with Jack Link’s protein powered snacks.
During a run, the majority of Brits (39 percent) use motivating music to power through, followed by pushing myself (22 percent) and the sense of achievement (17 percent) being the biggest motivators when running at distance.
Millennials (30–44-year-olds) are most confident they could do a marathon (20 percent) followed by Gen Z (under 29-year old’s) (19 percent).
Not being fit enough (72 percent) is the biggest barrier to running 26.2 miles, followed by not having the motivation (30 percent) or mental toughness (29 percent). A sixth (15 percent) are too self-conscious and worry about the thousands watching them.
One in five (21 percent) say they don’t have the time to train, while 17 percent think they’d just end up injuring themselves.
A spokesperson for Jack Link’s who commissioned the study said, “We may not all have a marathon in us, in fact, the survey shows some Brits are embarrassed of breaking into the slightest of jogs, however we want to encourage those who do like to run to power through with the help of Jack Link’s protein-rich snacks.
"Portable, tasty, and high in protein, Jack Link’s beef jerky is the perfect snack to help to provide a boost of energy when you need it the most, such as during the marathon, and hit your fitness goals.”
Two thirds (62 percent) like to run alone, with 38 percent preferring to run with other people.
One in six (14 percent) run early in the morning to avoid encountering others, with one in ten (10 percent) waiting until the sun goes down before donning their running shoes.
A fifth (19 percent) admit they want to look good when they run and are jealous of other people who have a nice running style (19 percent).
One in four (26 percent) say that you shouldn’t care what you look like as long as you’re exercising, with 23 percent admitting they don’t care what they look like. 13 percent say they are not going to let an embarrassing running style stop them from running.
Four in ten (40 percent) wish they were better at running, with a quarter (24 percent) admitting they would love to run a marathon one day. Over three quarters (78 percent) of Gen Z would love to run a marathon eventually, alongside 72 percent of Millennials.
Half (50 percent) of Brits admit that the London Marathon inspires them to start running so much so that over half (51 percent) plan to start running in the next few months.
ENDS
Research of 2,000 UK based Brits was commissioned by Jack Link’s and was conducted by Perspectus Global in April 2023.