There’s a quiet thought that stops more people from starting than lack of fitness ever does.
Everyone else looks like a runner.
I don’t.
It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t argue. It just sits there, convincing you that running is for other people. Fitter people. Faster people. People who already belong.
Have you ever felt that way?
The story we tell ourselves
Most new runners carry an unspoken image of what a runner is supposed to look like. Lean. Fast. Confident. Effortless.
That image doesn’t come from real life. It comes from highlight reels, marketing, and comparison.
When you don’t match it, your brain fills in the rest.
I’ll be too slow.
I’ll be out of place.
People will notice.
That story feels real. But it isn’t the full picture.
What actually shows up
Before my first running event, the Fremantle 10km fun run, my head was full of those same doubts. I was sure I’d stand out in the wrong way.
Instead, I found something completely different.
A community made up of all kinds of people. Not just top level athletes. Everyday people showing up in their own way.
That experience quietly dismantled the myth I’d been carrying.
Running doesn’t belong to one body type, one pace, or one level of confidence.
Why the feeling makes sense
Feeling out of place isn’t a flaw. It’s a natural response to doing something unfamiliar in a world that often presents a very narrow version of success.
Your brain is trying to protect you from judgement. From embarrassment. From risk.
But protection can turn into limitation if we never question it.
What helps instead
You don’t need to force confidence. You don’t need to look the part.
You need permission.
Permission to be new.
Permission to be slower.
Permission to show up without proving anything.
Walking counts. Pausing counts. Turning up counts.
Where you fit at Runners Gateway
Runners Gateway exists for people who have felt exactly this.
People starting for the first time.
People who don’t recognise themselves as runners yet.
People who want a place where the pressure is lower and the encouragement is real.
Absolutely everyone belongs here.
You don’t become a runner by looking like one.
You become a runner by moving, in whatever way you can, and allowing yourself to belong.
Gentle next step
If you’re not sure where to begin, start small. Walking first is not a compromise. It’s a foundation.
And if you want to be around people who understand this feeling, the community is there when you’re ready.
