Scientists have found that runners, especially those who go out for long runs, can experience a brief, deeply relaxing state of euphoria thanks to the endorphins our bodies produce. For some runners, it’s what they live for. Have you ever experienced it and, if so, what was it like for you? Is it easy (or hard) for you to recapture it?
yep, two kinds. there's what I call "the zone," where you hit your perfect rhythm, your biomechanics are good, the flow is easy but strong and you feel like you could sustain it forever, great pace, maybe helped along by some good music if you like to run with it, which I do. that's a kind of runner's high, and the endorphins are already in play. and then there's the more dramatic runner's high that hits after a run is finished, and if you pushed harder, worked harder, the high tends to be especially rewarding, you just feel blissed out and satisfied. mondo endorphins there. when I'm stretching on my yoga mat post-run, sometimes I just sit there and kind of zone out and let it wash over me. it'd be interesting to have scientists who study recreational drug users also take a look at the brains of runners and determine how long after the run the increased rates of endorphins are present in the brain (I don't know, maybe someone's already done this study), because to me it feels like the high has a nice gradual comedown that lasts well into the next day. and one recovery day doesn't bum me out. but if I go multiple days without running, I don't feel quite like myself and definitely am lacking that glow.
I think so... but most of the time it is not "euphoria" per say for met but the calm I feel after I finish running. It's a joy in distance, but I can also feel my brain embracing the restful state it leasves me with. I've struggled with anxiety for a long time so these few peaceful moments are precious.
I have experienced the runners high many times but I usually have to run for an hour or more to feel it. It is a very peaceful and calm feeling which can last for 3-4 hrs after the run. The effect will also decrease any aches or pain I may be having, but the discomfort returns later. Running gives me peace of mine and it is the main reason that I run. And at age 64 the runners high is the best high I have experienced.
I experience a runner’s high 99.9% of the time I run. It is like floating when I run. My mind relaxes & my body just flies when I run & it feels so amazing!!! It is fairly easy for me to recapture. If I don’t feel the runner’s high on a run, I have let things worry me too much or physically I have something negative going on.
I've been running for over 20 years... Maybe once or twice did I feel euphoric during the run - or just maybe a bit buzzed. After the run I feel great. Right up until I listen to the news!
I have many times. Sometimes after a run I feel great, optimistic and singing a song. It can be a while after a run and it doesn't always dawn on me why I feel so great. It makes me feel even better when I do realize it's a runner's high.
The first time I felt the high was one of the first times I went to a gym. A buddy of mine put me through the paces for about an hour. When I got in my car I actually felt drunk.
Had it happen a few times. Maybe 3. It is hard to describe, but the word “peace” keeps popping in to my head. Being at total peace? Like, this is exactly where I want to be and what I want to be doing. One of the times, I had to lift my arms up in the air in thanks. And, it happens after I have been struggling to continue, and it doesn’t last terribly long. But I’ll take it!
I have and its awesome! However, I have only been able to achieve it when I'm firing on all cylinders, meaning, I am properly rested, eaten properly and kept up with my training. When I get that high, I feel like I can keep on running and I have to tell myself to stop at the 12, 14 etc miles that I planned on running.
That's really interesting to hear, Sandra -- it sounds like you kind of have to have your body primed for the experience, that it comes only after you've been running and taking care of yourself for at least a little while. Love that you have to tell yourself to stop!
The first time I experienced it, I didn't have a clue what it was. I had run track in high school and took running back up to get in shape years later. I'd never heard what a "Runner's Hight" was. I was just out for a nice, casual, Sunday morning, long run that turned into a LONG run. I felt like I could have run forever! YEARS later it happened again... I've logged more miles than I can count. There have been great runs and horrible days that I question my sanity for lacing up my shoes and going out on a not so nice day. If it could just be bottled, I'd pay almost anything to feel it when I look at my watch and wish time could somehow speed up. The few times it's happened the last thing I want to do is stop, not knowing if I'd ever experience it again. It's my brain giving me a gift when sometimes I need it the most.
I’ve felt it several times. A few times it just happens; running in the dark on a gravel road during Hood to Coast was one time. I think the long run makes you more vulnerable, more open to emotions. Different things can trigger that release; a piece of music, something on a podcast, the sun and the moon both in the sky at opposite horizons. One time I was deep into a trail run and I rounded a corner and Mt. Hood was just glowing in front of me. It’s probably all just chemical but I’d like to think the feeling is what Yeats meant by the “unity of being”.
I love that response, Craig. I'd also LOVE to hear more about Hood to Coast -- a friend of mine ran it years ago, and it's one of those bucket list races I've always dreamed about. What was it like?
It’s awesome! I ran it several times until my team broke up. Planning and training for it is different but there is a lot of info out there to guide you. You can be passing other runners (road kill) and feeling strong then an elite goes by you going up the coast range and you get a glimpse (briefly) of what they are capable of. But for the moment you’re running with them!
It happened around my 2nd year of training. I had decided to try a 2nd 6.5 mile loop as I was becoming a stronger runner. I got to the last 200 feet of my 13 mile run . Where I could ease up a little and suddenly I got that euphoric feel that filled me up. I had never felt so good. I knew exactly what it was. It lasted a good four hours or more. What a great day that was. Maybe someday as I train for further distances i will get it again. It's not a goal or something I strive for, but definitely an added benefit.
Actually I did experience a high one time and I have been chasing it ever since. I felt completely at peace and one with the world. It’s very hard to articulate the total feeling of well being.
Yes! I would say it probably happens a few times a year for me.
It usually feels like a combination of extreme happiness coupled with really easy movement, like I'm just floating along. I've had it happen during races & workouts where my effort is pretty high, but also on really easy runs too.
I've learned it's impossible to recreate so I just keep chasing for the next time I get to experience it. 🌞
Definitely have had this a few times...in fact just a couple of weeks ago running 13...doesn't last the whole run (wish it did) but getting into that zone even for a few minutes is quite something. It feels like everything is aligned, working, good, nothing can go wrong
A few times, and it has been a very long time. (Been running 54 years). There is the every day good feeling when you finish, but this was different. It was a very intense and rather sudden feeling, followed by emotional swings.
When it happened for me, I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. At first, I wasn't sure why I felt so wonderful; I just kept moving through the road and felt so good. When I stopped, it occurred to me that this may have been the "runner's high" I had heard so much about. It hasn't happened like that again, but it's come close a time or two during long walking treks.
It been a couple of years; maybe 10 or so. I was running around the Rose Bowl, which is a 5k loop. It was early morning and I just felt like I had mild electricity flowing through me. It was wonderful.
I don't believe that I have. On the other hand I have experienced runners insanity. That is where halfway through a marathon you think "I don't think that I will do this again," but days later sign up for a marathon lottery (and then end up getting selected).
Ha! I've definitely been there too. Every 26-miler I ran I was sure would be my last... until I signed up again for another one. (Full marathons are, I'm 99.9999% certain, in the rear-view mirror for me now, but you never know... 😃 )
I've experienced what I'd call a true "runner's high" only a couple of times -- once, on a run in my hometown while visiting my parents, I was running up a hill and it took me by surprise. I just felt absolutely wonderful -- I really did feel different. What was interesting is how different it felt from most of my runs -- which do make me feel good and relaxed; this was something extra. But it's only happened one other time since then, so 🤷♂️
I believe this happens for me when I hit the wall and persevere. That feeling when everything in your body is telling you to quit but you keep moving forward. That is what I live for. PS- I cried like a baby when I finished my first marathon (probably some endorphins going on there lol).
I don't know how many races I've been in where i keep saying to myself... just let me finish and I'll never put myself though this again. Isn't it wonderful you can lie to yourself like that time and time again...
yep, two kinds. there's what I call "the zone," where you hit your perfect rhythm, your biomechanics are good, the flow is easy but strong and you feel like you could sustain it forever, great pace, maybe helped along by some good music if you like to run with it, which I do. that's a kind of runner's high, and the endorphins are already in play. and then there's the more dramatic runner's high that hits after a run is finished, and if you pushed harder, worked harder, the high tends to be especially rewarding, you just feel blissed out and satisfied. mondo endorphins there. when I'm stretching on my yoga mat post-run, sometimes I just sit there and kind of zone out and let it wash over me. it'd be interesting to have scientists who study recreational drug users also take a look at the brains of runners and determine how long after the run the increased rates of endorphins are present in the brain (I don't know, maybe someone's already done this study), because to me it feels like the high has a nice gradual comedown that lasts well into the next day. and one recovery day doesn't bum me out. but if I go multiple days without running, I don't feel quite like myself and definitely am lacking that glow.
At age 85, after running for 44 years, I still experience what I believe to be endorphins permitting me to keep going, albeit slower and slower!
I think so... but most of the time it is not "euphoria" per say for met but the calm I feel after I finish running. It's a joy in distance, but I can also feel my brain embracing the restful state it leasves me with. I've struggled with anxiety for a long time so these few peaceful moments are precious.
No. But I have experienced many many lows, usually when facing an uphill stretch around the 11.5 mile point of a half marathon.
Read your post to my wife. Both laughed out loud. Thank you
I have experienced the runners high many times but I usually have to run for an hour or more to feel it. It is a very peaceful and calm feeling which can last for 3-4 hrs after the run. The effect will also decrease any aches or pain I may be having, but the discomfort returns later. Running gives me peace of mine and it is the main reason that I run. And at age 64 the runners high is the best high I have experienced.
YES! I forgot that part. Aches and pains go away, but come back later. Exactly! It does sound like getting a narcotic injection!
I experience a runner’s high 99.9% of the time I run. It is like floating when I run. My mind relaxes & my body just flies when I run & it feels so amazing!!! It is fairly easy for me to recapture. If I don’t feel the runner’s high on a run, I have let things worry me too much or physically I have something negative going on.
That's so awesome (and amazing!), Corrina!
Doesn't happen for the entire run, but for part of it. That’s enough to keep me going until the next one.
My sweet hubby has trained with me for a few half marathons & never feels it. I think that’s why he doesn’t like running.
I’ve often wondered why some people feel a high & others don’t. Who knows?
Yes of course, every time I run.
I've been running for over 20 years... Maybe once or twice did I feel euphoric during the run - or just maybe a bit buzzed. After the run I feel great. Right up until I listen to the news!
👍🏼😁
I have many times. Sometimes after a run I feel great, optimistic and singing a song. It can be a while after a run and it doesn't always dawn on me why I feel so great. It makes me feel even better when I do realize it's a runner's high.
The first time I felt the high was one of the first times I went to a gym. A buddy of mine put me through the paces for about an hour. When I got in my car I actually felt drunk.
Wow! Now that's pretty wild!
Had it happen a few times. Maybe 3. It is hard to describe, but the word “peace” keeps popping in to my head. Being at total peace? Like, this is exactly where I want to be and what I want to be doing. One of the times, I had to lift my arms up in the air in thanks. And, it happens after I have been struggling to continue, and it doesn’t last terribly long. But I’ll take it!
I love that, Maria!
I have and its awesome! However, I have only been able to achieve it when I'm firing on all cylinders, meaning, I am properly rested, eaten properly and kept up with my training. When I get that high, I feel like I can keep on running and I have to tell myself to stop at the 12, 14 etc miles that I planned on running.
That's really interesting to hear, Sandra -- it sounds like you kind of have to have your body primed for the experience, that it comes only after you've been running and taking care of yourself for at least a little while. Love that you have to tell yourself to stop!
The first time I experienced it, I didn't have a clue what it was. I had run track in high school and took running back up to get in shape years later. I'd never heard what a "Runner's Hight" was. I was just out for a nice, casual, Sunday morning, long run that turned into a LONG run. I felt like I could have run forever! YEARS later it happened again... I've logged more miles than I can count. There have been great runs and horrible days that I question my sanity for lacing up my shoes and going out on a not so nice day. If it could just be bottled, I'd pay almost anything to feel it when I look at my watch and wish time could somehow speed up. The few times it's happened the last thing I want to do is stop, not knowing if I'd ever experience it again. It's my brain giving me a gift when sometimes I need it the most.
Exactly!
I’ve felt it several times. A few times it just happens; running in the dark on a gravel road during Hood to Coast was one time. I think the long run makes you more vulnerable, more open to emotions. Different things can trigger that release; a piece of music, something on a podcast, the sun and the moon both in the sky at opposite horizons. One time I was deep into a trail run and I rounded a corner and Mt. Hood was just glowing in front of me. It’s probably all just chemical but I’d like to think the feeling is what Yeats meant by the “unity of being”.
I love that response, Craig. I'd also LOVE to hear more about Hood to Coast -- a friend of mine ran it years ago, and it's one of those bucket list races I've always dreamed about. What was it like?
It’s awesome! I ran it several times until my team broke up. Planning and training for it is different but there is a lot of info out there to guide you. You can be passing other runners (road kill) and feeling strong then an elite goes by you going up the coast range and you get a glimpse (briefly) of what they are capable of. But for the moment you’re running with them!
It happened around my 2nd year of training. I had decided to try a 2nd 6.5 mile loop as I was becoming a stronger runner. I got to the last 200 feet of my 13 mile run . Where I could ease up a little and suddenly I got that euphoric feel that filled me up. I had never felt so good. I knew exactly what it was. It lasted a good four hours or more. What a great day that was. Maybe someday as I train for further distances i will get it again. It's not a goal or something I strive for, but definitely an added benefit.
That's so cool, Allen!
Actually I did experience a high one time and I have been chasing it ever since. I felt completely at peace and one with the world. It’s very hard to articulate the total feeling of well being.
Totally agree, Sharon. The time I experienced it, it was like nothing I've ever felt. I'd love to experience it again!
Yes! I would say it probably happens a few times a year for me.
It usually feels like a combination of extreme happiness coupled with really easy movement, like I'm just floating along. I've had it happen during races & workouts where my effort is pretty high, but also on really easy runs too.
I've learned it's impossible to recreate so I just keep chasing for the next time I get to experience it. 🌞
Lucky you, Carissa! That's seriously cool!
Definitely have had this a few times...in fact just a couple of weeks ago running 13...doesn't last the whole run (wish it did) but getting into that zone even for a few minutes is quite something. It feels like everything is aligned, working, good, nothing can go wrong
A few times, and it has been a very long time. (Been running 54 years). There is the every day good feeling when you finish, but this was different. It was a very intense and rather sudden feeling, followed by emotional swings.
When it happened for me, I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. At first, I wasn't sure why I felt so wonderful; I just kept moving through the road and felt so good. When I stopped, it occurred to me that this may have been the "runner's high" I had heard so much about. It hasn't happened like that again, but it's come close a time or two during long walking treks.
That's really interesting, Belle. How long ago was it/where did it happen for you?
It been a couple of years; maybe 10 or so. I was running around the Rose Bowl, which is a 5k loop. It was early morning and I just felt like I had mild electricity flowing through me. It was wonderful.
I don't believe that I have. On the other hand I have experienced runners insanity. That is where halfway through a marathon you think "I don't think that I will do this again," but days later sign up for a marathon lottery (and then end up getting selected).
Ha! I've definitely been there too. Every 26-miler I ran I was sure would be my last... until I signed up again for another one. (Full marathons are, I'm 99.9999% certain, in the rear-view mirror for me now, but you never know... 😃 )
So, what you’re actually saying is that it is 0.0001% possible.
I like those odds for a marathoner.😂
Never say never!
I've experienced what I'd call a true "runner's high" only a couple of times -- once, on a run in my hometown while visiting my parents, I was running up a hill and it took me by surprise. I just felt absolutely wonderful -- I really did feel different. What was interesting is how different it felt from most of my runs -- which do make me feel good and relaxed; this was something extra. But it's only happened one other time since then, so 🤷♂️
Let me add that this was completely a natural high! 😃
I believe this happens for me when I hit the wall and persevere. That feeling when everything in your body is telling you to quit but you keep moving forward. That is what I live for. PS- I cried like a baby when I finished my first marathon (probably some endorphins going on there lol).
I don't know how many races I've been in where i keep saying to myself... just let me finish and I'll never put myself though this again. Isn't it wonderful you can lie to yourself like that time and time again...
Me too! Totally ugly crying when I finished NYC. The volunteers were so sweet though.