Boyfriend criticized for not being supportive of his girlfriend running half-marathon

‘It’s just a half marathon. She can walk it if she wants. She can quit if she wants,’ one reader argues

Boyfriend criticized for not supporting his girlfriend’s decision to run a half-marathon (Getty Images)

A boyfriend is being criticized online for not supporting his girlfriend when she decided to run a half-marathon.

In a Reddit post shared in the popular confession forum, Am I The A**hole, the 28-year-old man asked anonymous users if he was wrong for telling his partner he thought it was a “bad idea” she signed up for the December run.

According to the Redditor, his girlfriend originally signed up for the half-marathon to avoid going to another pre-planned event. Though she’s not a regular “runner,” she promised to follow a 12-week plan ahead of the event.

The Reddit user admitted: “I’m a runner in an elite running club. I’ve run over a dozen half-marathons and countless 5ks and 10ks in my life.

“This summer I ran a 10k and a half-marathon,” he continued. “I finished fifth overall in the 10k, and 12th in my category for the half-marathon. I’m by no means a ‘good’ runner (good as in make a living running) but I do know what I’m talking about.”

While the original poster exercises frequently, his girlfriend only just started attending workout classes, specifically Barre classes that work your lower body and glutes. And though she’s been getting more into fitness, the Reddit user told her she must be doing more to prepare for the half-marathon.

He said: “I advised her to start walking and jogging now before she starts the 12-week program. I told her that she needs to build a cardio base before she takes on a half-marathon program that includes jogging, repetitions, intervals, long-distance, hills, etc.”

The Reddit user revealed his girlfriend isn’t willing to stop taking Barre classes or adopt his suggested regimen.

“I told her that a half-marathon is a lot mileage and that she needed to get extra prepared so she doesn’t get injured in the race,” he wrote. “She said she’s not interested in achieving a ‘good time’ and just that she wants to finish, even if it’s walking.”

Still, the Redditor tried to convince his girlfriend to take the preparation more seriously, especially because she was “starting from scratch.” According to him, a regular runner would follow a 12-week program, while a beginner would typically need a more vigorous one.

He noted: “That was the last straw, and she got really upset with me saying that I was trying to put her down, not being supportive of her, and that it’s not easy for her when her boyfriend is in great shape and she isn’t.”

The Reddit user apologized to his girlfriend and admitted he could have approached the situation better. That said, he curiously asked readers if he was the “bad guy” and being unreasonable in the situation. And to his dismay, most Reddit readers thought he was in the wrong.

One person thought: “She’s not marrying running, she signed up for a half-marathon. Best case scenario is that it kicks her butt and she takes it more seriously next time, worst case is that she bails halfway into it or has to walk it out if she’s determined to finish.”

“Doing a 12-week program recommended by the people running the half marathon sounds plenty serious,” a second reader argued. “Let her do her thing. If she doesn’t finish, oh well - she tried.”

Another added: “It’s just a half marathon. She can walk it if she wants. She can quit if she wants. She can sleep in instead if she wants.”

Meanwhile, one supportive reader noted: “I think you meant ‘take more seriously’ the potential for self-injury in jumping into the 12-week training course, since that course is meant for people who are already runners. So, you’re worried about her hurting herself.”