Running as a Ritual to Ground Yourself in Space and Time

Author: Alex Hetherington, MCMO Race Director

Running is so much more than a workout or a race against the clock. It can serve as a powerful practice to reconnect with your surroundings and anchor yourself in the present. In a world filled with digital screens, bustling schedules, and distractions, running offers an immediate way to find perspective, grounding us in a specific place and moment.

When we lace up and step outside, we move through our environment in a way that demands full awareness of where we are. We begin to notice the details around us—maybe the trees along the path, the familiar rhythm of a city block, or the subtle changes in terrain. This isn’t just about observing our surroundings; it’s about integrating them, letting them orient us in space and make us part of the landscape. Our footsteps trace a personal map, making each mile and marker a landmark of our journey through the world.

Beyond physical location, running is also a way to locate ourselves in time. We’re in a specific phase of life, carrying personal experiences and aspirations with us on each run. Some of us are finding our way through a period of change, loss, or growth, and running allows us to process and even make peace with these transitions. On each run, whether you’re tackling a trail at dawn or logging evening miles through the city, you’re grounding yourself in the present while processing the past and planning the future. A pace you once struggled to maintain becomes routine; a route that was once unfamiliar becomes a part of you. These milestones remind us of where we’ve been and how far we’ve come.

Finally, running offers a unique way to feel connected to the community around us. Even if we’re running alone, the shared paths, parks, and roads remind us that we’re part of a collective. The stranger you pass on your morning jog may also be on their own journey, carrying their own struggles or dreams. Running creates a quiet camaraderie, a nod to the fact that we’re all moving forward in our own way.

In every run, we can find both clarity and context, rooting ourselves in space, in time, and even in purpose. So, the next time you hit the pavement, consider that it’s not just a workout; it’s a reminder of who and where you are, right now. Running becomes a ritual of grounding—a simple, powerful way to find your place in a fast-moving world.