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A figurational framework is employed to analyze aspects of the phenomenon of mass nonelite road running in Britain. More particularly, the paper explores the dynamics of identifiable participant-groups in a sport where, formally, all are in competition with all. The analysis of data derived, primarily from a series of interviews with a range of participants in Britain, indicates that there are three identifiable participant-groups involved in the sport. A distinction between “athletes” and others—a distinction between winners and losers—is widely recognized outside road running circles, but one between “runners” and “joggers” is not. This lack of general recognition gives rise to a tension between these groups, more acutely felt on the part of the runners, as they are faced with having to defend what they see as an important status difference.
Stuart L. Smith (Mon,) studied this question.