The Church of the Sunday Long Run: Endurance Sport as Alternative to Institutional Religion?

This article draws on interviews with over 60 triathletes and endurance runners living in the United States to investigate the ways that people today turn to sport for spiritual connection. Groups like “tri-church” or “church of the Sunday Long Run” speak to this phenomenon. In this paper, I explore the ways that many people have discovered a sense of community, comfort, and connection with a Higher Power that was not present for them in formal religious settings. Many claim that endurance sport has healed their physical and mental wounds in ways that religion could not. I also discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of sport as an alternative to institutional religion. While the high cost of participation both in terms of money and risk of injury presents serious limitations, I argue that religious communities can learn from paying attention to the stories of endurance athletes. These stories are valuable in addressing declining interest in institutional religion.