It was a gloomy March morning when I closed my eyes and signed up for my seventh marathon alone, this one in Montreal.
Like many others, I started running in 2020, when the pandemic shut down my gym and I needed a safe outlet for my restless energy. I’d never considered myself a runner, and it certainly did not come naturally to me. Back in middle school, when I joined the track team purely for social reasons, I couldn’t even finish a 400-meter race.
Since signing up for the New York City Marathon in 2021, I’ve trained in groups of all sizes, doing intimate runs with two or three friends and large, corporate-led programs with hundreds of other marathon hopefuls. But this summer, I decided to train solo for the first time.
My decision to train solo came down to a few things. After years of group training that often consumed my life for 16 weeks at a time, I was craving balance—space to show up for myself without comparison or external pressure. I wanted to see what it would feel like to rely entirely on my own motivation, to build not just endurance but mental strength. Working one-on-one with a coach also offered something new: a program tailored specifically to my needs, designed to challenge me on my own terms.
Flying home from Montreal, a medal tucked under my sweatshirt, I thought about what I’d gained and lost by training by myself. What do we discover about ourselves when we run alone versus in a pack? To find out, I spoke with runners, coaches, and community leaders of all experience levels who’ve trained every way imaginable.
The Allure of the Pack
I trained with Coffey, cofounder of DeFine New York Run Club, for my first marathon before following him as he co-launched the Noname Program in 2022. Designed to help runners of all levels and backgrounds train for the New York City Marathon, Noname remains free and accessible to anyone who wants to join.
Coffey believes that surrounding yourself with others who are pushing themselves through the same workout “helps you to a certain degree. It gives you steam, it gives you hope—and reminds you why you chose to run in the first place.”
Group programs also remove some logistical hurdles. “Having someone else put a plan together, teach you, and champion you can make all the difference,” says Jill Nawrocki, a psychotherapist, certified sports social worker, and longtime marathoner. Reflecting on her own early days of training, she admits that she wishes she’d had a group. “Groups can have a ton of benefits, especially right now, when people are feeling lonely or disconnected.”
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