Have you ever met the Dumb Runner? Perhaps you know him by his real name (Mark Remy) or know him from his time as the Executive Director at Runner’s World. Either way, the Dumb Runner is part of the Portland running community – a fact for which I’m thankful, because he’s hilarious and now even more relatable because he’s running in the same weather we are, and on the same roads.
Dumb Runner is a blog with a ton of funny content, with all these cool shirts and other merchandise, and you can even make contributions to keep Dumb Runner ad-free (and support a local writer). If you’re in a position to support others, consider making a contribution because Dumb Runner is hilarious. It’s self-deprecating, satirical humor (with the occasional fart joke) that pokes fun at runners and running without disrespecting the sport. You could compare it to the Borowitz Report (but less political) or certain articles from The Onion. That’s not to say everyone will love his humor – people who are offended really easily may want to skip the click – but if you like dry humor and can joke about yourself, you’ll probably love it.
Mark Remy isn’t just a spectator making witty comments – he’s logged the miles and the volunteer hours to support runners. He boasts a 2:46 marathon PR and a sub-16 5k, and still puts himself through workouts I certainly don’t want to attempt. But he’s not an elitist, and finds humor (albeit sometimes dark humor) in racing, training, running gear, and even sports drink marketing language. Remy contributes his talents to support local running groups (I met him in person when he delivered the keynote at an ORRC annual banquet), and volunteers on a regular basis to as as a guide for blind runners.
He’s got awesome merch, too – you can purchase a signed copy of one of his books, funny bumper stickers, and t-shirts; there are even socks with his mug all over them. Get them as gifts to show your friends you appreciate their sense of humor or for yourself, and if someone recognizes your Dumb Runner shirt, instantly follow them on Twitter.
Speaking of Twitter, follow the Dumb Runner there, too. It’s a nice break from political commentary or videos of the things people are doing while stuck at home during the Coronavirus pandemic (although those are pretty entertaining sometimes).
The bottom line is that if you didn’t know about Dumb Runner before, now you do, and you also know that’s he’s part of our running community. If you like what he does, support his blog and spread the word.
Editor’s Note: If you find a typo in this post please tell us right away. There’s nothing like spelling something wrong in a post about a published author. Hey, do you have a running blog? Send us a guest post to keep runners motivated during this race-less time and include a bio paragraph with links to your blog and your other social handles.
