Why Do Runners Wave?

To help celebrate Global Running Day, Mizuno conducted a survey about America’s running habits. The results of the survey conducted by Research Now were obtained through online interviews among a national sample of 1,000 adults ages 18 and older who have gone for a run in the past three months.

Here are some of the significant findings of the survey:

Most runners generally acknowledge other runners in some way.

• 89 percent of all runners answered “Yes” or “Sometimes” when asked if they wave or acknowledge others while out for a run.
• 29 percent of runners said they acknowledge others by waving.

Waving is considered a friendly or polite thing to do.

• 30 percent of runners said they wave because they’re friendly.
• 29 percent of runners said they wave to be polite.

A wave brings positive energy into the running world.

• 79 percent of runners have positive feelings about waving.
• 32 percent of runners said waving makes them feel happy.
• 24 percent of runners said waving encourages them.
• 23 percent of runners said waving makes them feel like part of a community.

Certain age groups are more likely to wave than others.

• Runners ages 45 and up are significantly more likely to wave than runners ages 18-24.

Younger people are more motivated by a wave from someone.

• Runners ages 18-24 are significantly more likely to feel encouraged when someone waves at them than most other age groups.

Men and women differ in the ways they acknowledge other runners.

• Men are significantly more likely to wave or nod as a form of acknowledgement. Results show that women prefer to smile.

There aren’t a lot of waves in a New York minute.

• According to the survey, New York runners are significantly less likely to acknowledge others at all than runners in Florida and Texas.