Meanwhile, long-distance running is credited with helping the human race survive and evolve; we’re made to run, thanks to the evolution of things like the Achilles tendons.

Joggers live longer

According to the PIT Journal, distance running can increase our life expectancy. A Danish study found that joggers of both sexes had a 44% reduced death rate compared to non-joggers and an extended lifespan of nearly six years for women. They found that running up to three hours a week provided the most benefit (over this and your lifespan starts to decrease again).

Long-distance running is kinder to knees

Forget everything you’ve heard about running ruining knees; researchers have found that regular running can prevent late-onset knee pain. Nearly 3,000 people took part in an eight-year study that saw them undergoing knee x-rays and self-reporting symptomatic pain. The study, published by the American College of Rheumatology, found that, after almost a decade, 22.8% of runners experienced osteoarthritis compared to nearly 30% of non-runners. That led researchers to conclude that contrary to popular belief, running may actually protect people from developing the disease.

Longer runs tend to make us happier

While all forms of exercise have the power to make us feel good, you’re far more likely to experience the elusive runner’s high after 10km than you are 5km and that could be because you have longer to appreciate what’s happening. Research has found that aerobic exercise like steady-state jogging helps the body purge the blood of kynurenine – an amino acid that accumulates when we’re stressed and contributes to depression.

How to become a better runner: running long versus running fast