Should I Wear a Mask When I Run?
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* UPDATED AUGUST 13, 2020 *
Dumb Runner,
I'm 61 and a relatively new runner easing back into things after a stress fracture. I run a half-mile track around a small lake, where nobody—literally nobody—wears a mask. Everyone does a good job of social distancing—walkers stay out of runners' way, etc. Are the runners in my area alone in this? Are runners everywhere else wearing masks?
I want to add that we're not generally a bunch of idiots here. You won't find anyone in a grocery store, drug store, or gas station without a mask; we wash our hands and use sanitizer when we can't; we cough and sneeze into our elbows; and so on. But I've yet to see one runner wearing a mask. Care to comment?—Charlie
Hi Charlie,
That’s easy! No, the runners in your area are not alone in this. I think it’s fair to say that most of us are not wearing masks when we run.
Should we be? The answer to that, based on everything I’ve read, is complicated.
Before I go on, an obvious caveat: I am not an expert in public health or infectious disease. I’m barely an expert at anything. But I am reasonably rational, I think; I’ve been reading a lot about this from the beginning (from reputable sources—i.e., no sketchy YouTube videos or email forwards from my aunt whose friend’s daughter knows someone “who works in a hospital,” etc.); and my own thinking on this has evolved, as I’ve learned new stuff.
In brief, here’s what I’ve gleaned so far. (Readers: If any of this is incorrect or incomplete, please let me know.)
We all crave simple, clear answers, especially during times of anxiety. But little about this novel coronavirus is simple or clear.
Bad science and sloppy reporting have ginned up irrational fears over how the virus may be spread, especially via runners (LOOK OUT! DROPLETS!), and those fears have fueled real hostility. That hostility carries its own dangers.
The odds of infecting another person as you run past them—especially from a distance of six feet or more—seem incredibly low. [EDIT: This Twitter thread provides useful data.]
Wearing a mask while walking is easy. Wearing one while running, in my experience, feels like you’re being smothered. Also—again, in my experience—the mask quickly becomes soaked with sweat, and wet masks are less effective than dry ones.
Fleeting exposure to others seems relatively harmless; prolonged exposure is not.
Related to the above: Running alone seems relatively safe; running in groups is not.
All of which has led me to embrace this bit of advice from an NPR.org overview:
The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in "public settings, where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain" in order to avoid community-based transmission of the virus.
So just as you'd wear a mask to the grocery store or pharmacy, you should wear one if your run is likely to bring you into close contact with other people.
That bolded emphasis is mine.
The upshot is that I typically do not wear a mask when I run. Instead, I am diligent about avoiding other people—I’m lucky to live in a place where that’s possible—and I carry a mask with me, just in case.
Yesterday, for instance, I ran about five miles. I plotted a course that I knew would have little traffic (foot or otherwise). When I did see someone approaching, I gave them a wide berth well in advance and with a small wave or peace sign, a practice that I call “conspicuous distancing.” If an approaching car made that impossible, I waited until it was. In some cases, to avoid passing someone, I took an unplanned turn onto a quieter street.
I also avoided spitting and snot-rocketing. Which, honestly, should go without saying.
In short: I thought well ahead, practiced patience and deference, and was flexible with my route. Through it all, I maintained at least 10 feet of distance, and often more, from everyone I saw: walkers, runners, cyclists, folks standing in socially distanced lines... everyone.
If this isn’t possible where you run, wear a mask. If wearing a mask makes you feel better, wear a mask. If your state or local government is mandating masks even for runners, absolutely wear a mask. (If you’re visiting a hospital or clinic to meet patients and staff, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WEAR A MASK.)
(EDIT: Yes, even if your “mask” is a neck gaiter or buff.)
Otherwise, you might decide, as I have, that it’s possible to run safely without one.
Is this strategy 100% risk free? Nope. Does it nonetheless mitigate risk? I think it does, and expert consensus seems to agree.
I hope this helps, Charlie. Thanks for writing and stay safe.
Yours Truly,
Mark
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