Anything that we do in life has its own language.

In sewing I know what a dart is, can picture a ham a notch and a point turner.

Running is the same. There are terms that those of us who run know, and sometimes we forget that if you are just beginning some of the lingo needs to be defined.

This post is going to cover some of the terms, but definitely not all! If you come across something that should be on this list, send me a note and I will update as needed.

1. Bandit- A runner who runs a race without registering (and thus, not paying). They have no bib or time chip, or they have a fake bib. Sometimes runners WILL have registered and they swap bibs with someone who is faster than them so the chip associated with their name registers the time of the faster runner as the slower runner’s time. NEITHER SCENARIO IS GOOD!!

2. Base- Your average miles per week, when you have been running a while. Typically you need a good base before you start race training.

3. BQ- Boston Qualifier- running a marathon fast enough to qualify for Boston.

4. Chip Time- Makes runners much happier than Clock Time! The Chip Time (and the “chip” is a tracker usually for your shoe or on your bib) starts when you cross the start line and ends when you cross the finish line. It is accurate for you personally. For example, when I ran the Chicago Marathon with 48,000 other people it took me 8 minutes to get to the Start. If the race was just Clock Time (see below), my finish time would be 8 minutes slower.

5. Clock Time/Gun Time- The exact time the race starts no matter where you are before the starting line until the finish line. Unless you are at the very front, most runners will not be happy if a race uses this as your time. Most races use chip time, but I have seen a few that use clock time.

6. Corral- Where you wait behind the Start Line before the race starts. Usually divided into times, so if you expect you will run a marathon in 4 hours you would line up at that marking. Larger races usually assign you a corral instead of letting you pick yourself.

7. DNF- Did not finish. You started the race, but stopped before the finish line.

8. DNS- Did not start. You didn’t show up to a race you were registered for. Some runners just skip a race they had previously signed up for, or sometimes they are injured and aren’t able to do it.

9. FKT- Fastest Known Time. Usually used to state that you ran a distance, course or route faster than anyone else on record. This is not a race per se, just a personal goal to run a certain thing faster than anyone else.

10. Foot Strike- Where on your foot that hits the ground first. You are either a heel striker, midfoot striker or forefoot striker.

11. Gait- basically how you run and what you look like while doing so

12. Loop- Course or race where you are running in (somewhat) of a circle. You will start and end at the same place, but won’t cover the same areas. You won’t turn around.

13. Out and Back- Running a race or route out to a certain point, turn around and run the same route back to the start.

14. Pace- How many minutes and seconds it takes you to run a mile or kilometer

15. PB- Personal Best- your best race time (or best time running a certain distance)

16. PR- Personal Record- See Personal Best above

17. Recovery Run- An easy run, usually the day after a hard or long run that shakes out the legs and helps them to recover by getting the blood moving around

18. Splits- How long it takes you to run a certain distance when there is more than 1 of the same thing. For example- if you run 4 miles, each mile time is a “split”. A negative split is when you run the second half of a race or run faster than the first half. This is usually the goal for many racers.

19. Taper- time at the end of training before a race date to run less mileage and rest your body so that you are “fresh”

20. Ultra- any race longer than a marathon, whether it’s 27 miles or 100+

Are there any words new to you? I’ll be updating as I come across words that I think should be on the list.