What is a Runner’s High?

Ahh yes, the elusive runner’s high. We hear people talk about it, but what is it? Do all runners get a runner’s high? Does it happen all the time? Let’s dig into it.

Running is such a mental game that this is really no surprise but in short, a runner’s high is a temporary feeling of euphoria after a run. Many runners say that they feel deeply relaxed and don’t feel pain as the result of this temporary high.

Why does a runner’s high happen?

Both endorphins and endocannabinoids are thought to be responsible for the feeling of a runner’s high. Most people have long been told that endorphins are the feel good result of exercise. Endocannabinoids might sound familiar too. They are produced by the body and produce a similar feeling to cannabis or THC. So runner’s “high” sounds about right, eh? You can do some more reading on the endocannabinoid system if you’re curious.

When does it happen?

You often hear the term “chasing a runner’s high” for a good reason. The little bugger can be hard to catch! A lot of people, especially non runners, think that every time we go for a run we do it because we get this overwhelming “high”, but in reality it doesn’t happen very often, and some people never experience it at all.

Another reason it seems so elusive is that most of the time runs should be relatively easy to avoid burnout or over training. This is great for our bodies, however the high tends to kick in when we really push it. Work hard, play hard right? Running for long periods of time or running at a goal pace where your heart rate is elevated, your legs are burning, etc tend to really be the times when the endocannabinoids and endorphins are like oh heeey let’s party. This isn’t something most people do every day.

What does a runner’s high feel like?

This is another thing people tend to over dramatize. Generally, you’re not ending a run screaming in jubilation. Of course everyone and every run is different, but it’s usually described as a sense of calm and the feeling that you could just keep going and going. The few times I’ve experienced a runner’s high I didn’t even realize it until afterwards when I thought “oh! I could have run another few miles” or just felt really happy following my run. Sadly, more often than not I end my runs thinking “finally, that’s over!” 🙂

You might also like:

The Truth About Running: 7 Lies to Stop Believing Now

Ways to Avoid Running Burnout