Why a runner’s high can lead to post-race low

A new Irish study has found that some midlife serial marathon runners are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than the general population, which can impact their relationships 

Endurance events are growing in popularity. But while training for marathons and triathlons will get you fitter and healthier in many ways, you should be aware that it can also bring about less welcome side effects that impact your mood and relationships.

ARE YOU taking part in this weekend’s Irish Life Dublin Marathon, or perhaps you’ve your sights set on next year’s Cork City Marathon on May 31?

Endurance events are growing in popularity. But while training for marathons and triathlons will get you fitter and healthier in many ways, you should be aware that it can also bring about less welcome side effects that impact your mood and relationships.

A recent study from Trinity College Dublin reveals that, far from being on a permanent runner’s high, some midlife marathon runners are more prone to anxiety and depression than the general population, which impacts work, social, and family life. And some counsellors warn “divorce by marathon or triathlon” is a very real phenomenon. For many, once is not enough when it comes to these events.

Leo Lundy, a researcher at the Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering, says there has been an explosive growth in endurance sports in Ireland, with the biggest numbers coming from midlife converts.

“There is a real wave of interest in running at the moment, and most people who finish multiple marathons are middle-aged,” Lundy says. “Many probably didn’t start running until they were 40, but some go on to do several more events and try ultramarathons too.”

A 61-year-old runner himself, Lundy wanted to find out whether recreational marathon running was as good for mental wellbeing as it is reputed to be.

He and his colleagues in the Trinity school of medicine surveyed 576 male and female marathon runners in their 40s and 50s from 22 countries, including Ireland. All fitted the description of “multi-marathoners”, those who embrace the growing trend for aiming to complete the classic 42km distance on numerous occasions.

“Initially, 94% of the runners said they thought it was good for them,” Lundy says. “But when I went back and conducted robust and validated psychological tests for depression and anxiety, I found that in 25% of cases, the results for these conditions were worryingly high.”

Findings from his study, published in the , also showed that, within this group, about 8% of runners fell into a high-risk category for clinical depression and severe anxiety, well above clinical cut-off levels and much higher than World Health Organization norms.

“The study highlights that marathon running is not a guarantee of good mental health,” says Lundy. He stresses that running and endurance sports are normally linked with better mood and that 75% of people in his study felt better for doing it.

“It is when the body and mind are under constant strain, and for some runners the habit becomes more of a coping mechanism than a joy that burnout and anxiety can creep in,” he says.

Even those who never intend to do more than one marathon in their lifetime should heed the findings with caution. “You have the months of training, the weeks leading up to it, the adrenaline on the day, the energy required to complete the race, and the euphoria of crossing the line,” Lundy says. “Because of this, there will usually be a period of downtime afterwards.”

Relationship strain

Chartered psychologist Dearbhla McCullough says it’s not just the mood swings but the time demands associated with endurance events that have become an increasingly common denominator in rocky relationships.

“When you start spending more time on activities outside of your partnership, it can prove divisive,” McCullough says. She points to a study in that suggests newcomers to marathon running often “undergo a process of identity transformation” as they become immersed in the activity and enter a new “running social world” that operates in a zone distinct from their partnership or marriage.

“Even if the non-running partner is supportive, embracing a serious marathon identity by the running partner can jeopardise the marriage [or partnership],” said the researchers.

As someone who has completed seven full marathons, including Dublin, I have found that the standard 16-week training period for each led to me becoming consumed by the process at the expense of everything — and almost everyone — else.

Be under no illusion, the training occupies every waking thought and action, from how you sleep to what and when you eat. Conversations revolve around references to carbs, fluids, and electrolytes, mileage, pacing, and predicted times. Mealtimes at home will be shifted forward or backwards to comply with your “refuelling window”. Alcohol is mostly off the menu because it will leave you dehydrated for your next run. You are constantly checking your Garmin watch or Strava, and you daren’t stay out too late for fear of nodding off. Forget sex because not only are you permanently knackered, but often in bed by 8.30pm so that you wake up ready for your morning run.

Preparing for these events absorbs every ounce of your being, and it doesn’t end when you cross the finish line of an event. There’s a mourning period when days are suddenly devoid of meaningful miles, and the lack of a looming goal can cause a dramatic slump in mood. It can last months.

I recall feeling bereft without a weekly training schedule and the camaraderie of fellow runners following some marathons. It would often take me several weeks for my mojo to return.

What psychologists have dubbed the “runner’s blues” is not unusual. Last year, researchers from Linnaeus University in Sweden interviewed 16 recreational runners or triathletes about their emotional state within six months of participating in an endurance event. Some respondents said they still felt “high on life” weeks or months after the event, but one of the most common themes was experiencing a “loss of energy, ambivalence, and melancholy”.

Sofia Ryman Augustsson, associate professor of sports science and lead author of the paper published in the journal said negative post-race emotions were “both physically and mentally challenging”.

Augustsson said subjects blamed “post-race blues” on factors such as “time spent training for a specific race” and a “perceived inability to set new goals for an upcoming training period”.

Lundy says that runners themselves should have a greater awareness of overtraining, exercise dependence, and when lifestyle pressures become too much. “Making time for recovery, keeping running enjoyable rather than compulsive, and talking openly about mental health in running clubs or groups could go a long way,” Lundy says.

Keeping your relationship healthy

1. Think about how you talk about running: Try not to give your partner chapter and verse about how your run went. Remember to ask them about their day and how things are going for them.

2. Involve your partner: If you don’t run marathons or do triathlons but your partner does, try to make space in your relationship for that commitment. Equally, if you are the endurance enthusiast, keep your partner in the loop about some elements of the training and competition.

3. Why are you doing it? If you have thrown yourself into endurance events, ask yourself why. Is it just because you enjoy it, or is it a symptom that something else in the relationship is wrong?
“It may be that you need some counselling advice if the reason is to spend time away from the relationship,” McCullough says.