"We Only Run from the Police": A Qualitative Inquiry into the Lived Experiences of Black Runners

Abstract:The perspectives and experiences of individuals with marginalized identities, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), are infrequently represented within empirical research. Inquiry using frameworks such as Critical Race Theory (CRT) allows for deeper investigation into phenomena such as racism and discrimination, acknowledged as a threat to public health. This study utilized the contemporary methodological research approach interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), an approach originating in psychology and increasingly being used by researchers in the realm of human behavior and well-being (Smith et al., 2009). The research consisted of in-depth interviews with four Black recreational runners regarding their recreational experiences, focusing predominantly on their experiences running and race per recommendations of the specific six-step research approach recommended by the methodological approach used. A complex relationship between racial and leisure identity was presented by analyzing interview transcripts, constituting two themes, "Be safe, stay safe" and "Tough situations and the growing process." Although the assumption that by not noticing and addressing race is taking a morally correct position, the position also served to evade the role of power, politics, and race in the lives of the runners and the impact discrimination has on everyday leisure experience.