Is there any point running if you're slow?

The question usually arrives after a bad comparison: a colleague's Sunday run posted online, a friend who "just jogs" at a pace that looks like a getaway. We understand. But the point of running was never to be faster than someone else. It was to be out there, moving under your own steam, at whatever speed your legs agree to that day.

Pace is personal, and it moves

Your pace depends on the route, the weather, how you slept, what you ate, whether you are running alone or chatting, and whether there is a hill you hold a personal grudge against. It is a description of one run, not a ranking of you as a person.

It also helps to notice what slow running gives you that fast running doesn't:

• Conversation. Slow enough to talk is slow enough to have a proper catch-up with a friend.
• Scenery. You actually see the light on the water, the dog in the window, the bakery that has just opened.
• Longer outings. Easy running lets you stay out for the whole loop, the long way round, the detour to the viewpoint.
• A cheerful ending. Finishing a run feeling like you could do a bit more is a fine way to arrive home.

The back of the pack is the best part of the race

Anyone who has run near the back of an event will tell you: that is where the stories are. People in costumes, people running with their mums, people walking the hills with great dignity, people chatting to strangers they will wave at next year. The crowd has thinned, the marshals are cheering each name, and nobody is elbowing anyone for position.

The front of the race is for the few people trying to win it. Everyone else is there for the day.

Events that are built for every pace

parkrun is the best-known example. According to parkrun UK, it is a free community event where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate; it is 5k and takes place every Saturday morning; and there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Read that last part twice. A volunteer walks at the back so that the final position belongs to a person whose job is to be there.

Many local races, charity runs and running groups have the same spirit, and the listing will often tell you so. Look for phrases like "all abilities", "walkers welcome" or "social pace". Those are invitations, not politeness.

How to stop minding

A few habits that help:

• Leave the pace display off. Show time, or nothing. Glance at it afterwards if you are curious.
• Measure in places, not minutes. "I ran to the lighthouse" is a better sentence than any split.
• Run with people who are your speed. Social runs and beginner groups exist precisely so that nobody is waiting for anybody.
• Notice who you compare yourself to. If it is a stranger online, consider that you have seen one picture of one good day.

None of this means you can't enjoy getting quicker if that happens. It just means it isn't the price of admission.