Jogging Over Joints: The Superiority of the Runner’s High

Everyone remembers their first time getting high. Mine was on a cloudy day in February of this year. Although the sun was hiding, and my hands were freezing in the cold, I was as happy as if it were a warm summer’s day. Afterwards, I was off to dinner in the same high spirits—whistling and skipping down Mt. Auburn Street. This wonderful feeling was not entirely innocent, though. It was a forewarning of the start of an addiction—a need to recreate that high that plagues me to this day.

The high I’m talking about is a runner’s high, obviously. While often discussed in athlete circles and popular culture alike, it’s an elusive yet deeply satisfying feeling, defined by Johns Hopkins Medicine as a “short-lasting, deeply euphoric state following intense exercise.” Most people believe that endorphins cause the runner’s high, but this belief is only partially correct. Endorphins inhibit the body’s pain receptors, allowing athletes to be temporarily free from the soreness associated with long-distance running, but endorphins cannot cause the euphoria of the runner’s high. Heightened endocannabinoid levels in the bloodstream do that job, a substance your body produces that is similar to cannabis, so when people experience the runner’s high, it truly is like consuming weed!

It is important to note that cannabis and endocannabinoids do not produce the same highs, and each comes with its own logistical hurdles and benefits. As someone who runs far more often than I light up, this article will focus more on the latter than the former. 

To me, the runner’s high is a far superior feeling than one gained from weed. It’s like jumping into a cold lake after roasting under the sun on the beach. Or like summiting the world’s tallest mountain, armed with the thought that you can accomplish anything. It’s invigorating—blissful. Your problems diminish in size as the wind ripples through your ponytail, pushes beads of sweat into your hairline, and cools your flushed cheeks. You can accomplish anything. You’re smiling. You’re happy. You’re high.

Weed highs are different, in my opinion. Instead of jumping into a cold lake, it’s more like floating in the warm ocean while the waves rock you back and forth. It’s calming. You are instead floating above the world’s tallest mountain, damp from the moisture of neighboring clouds rather than sweat. You are relaxed. It still feels like bliss, but this time your problems seem to disappear from your mind: they can be attended to at another time. You’re laughing. You’re happy. You’re high.

Since that first time experiencing the runner’s high, I’ve been dying to recreate it. I’ve been running two to three times a week, doing everything from 2-mile jogs and hour-long sprint workouts to 16-mile runs—all to no avail. 

This brings me to the first logistical difficulty of the runner’s high: it’s inconsistent. 

Unlike joints, which dependably bring a high within minutes, running is more finicky. No sprint is guaranteed to yield the desired euphoria, which honestly is part of the appeal—followers return to try their luck again. Like patrons stuck in front of Vegas slot machines, runners keep running in hopes that their next run will bring them that coveted feeling.

Inconsistency is a double-edged sword. Low runner’s high yield rates encourage consistent exercise, an objectively good thing for one’s overall health. Most doctors would prefer that their patients run every day instead of smoking every day, highlighting the obvious downside to smoking weed: it’s bad for your overall health.

Though marijuana does circumvent one of the biggest logistical challenges of the runner’s high: sweat. Smoking a joint might leave you smelling like a dispensary, but if done outside with good crosswinds, you can usually go about your day without worry. No such luck with running. After descending the euphoric mountaintop, runners have to shower. A sobering and time-consuming activity: with my shorter runs, sometimes showering and drying my hair takes longer than the run itself.

But the runner’s high and the weed high do share one logistical challenge (or benefit, depending on your mindset): the munchies. Both activities notably leave their participants ravenous, and I’ve been known to schedule runs around the dining halls’ hours to ensure a proper post-run meal. Being on top of the world requires fuel to get back down.

To use a fitting metaphor, smoking a joint and going for a run are like a sprint and a marathon, respectively, when it comes to getting high. One is reliably quick and easy to do. The other takes longer and requires more planning. Both eventually achieve the same goal of getting you to your final destination: a different state of mind. 

With their shared characteristics, it seems natural to try to combine the two highs. The beauty of a market economy is the innovation it brings; one company has already figured out a way to do this. Offield, a Los Angeles-based wellness company, sells “High Performance Energy Gummies,” THC edibles made to be consumed while exercising. If the stars align, these gummies could allow athletes to experience both highs at once. A truly transformative experience.

Mary Jane Marathoner writes Sports for the “Harvard Independent.”