Editors’ Picks: The Best of 2022 at Women's Running

Published December 22, 2022 09:59AM

We had a roller coaster year at Women’s Running in 2022 to say the least. Ups, downs, wins and losses, but in our espresso-heavy rehash of the year, we decided we have to place our chairs firmly in the land of optimism, because that’s what we do.

As leaders and editors at Women’s Running we – Melanie and Zoë – are as passionate as ever about the space women occupy in our land of running, sport and leadership. Through Women’s Running we have achieved our goal of giving voice to athletes of non-dominant genders and being a key resource that speaks to the unique journey we have as women in our sport.

There is no doubt that women faced a load in 2022 in the realm of reproductive rights, shouldering the majority of childcare, caretaking, and household responsibilities, and bearing the brunt of harassment. But amongst these challenges, we have also been able to celebrate the positives.

Women are resilient. Women are resourceful. Their stories – our stories – are wild and wonderful.

We’ve covered the news of the best female athletes on the world stage, helping to change the statistics of women’s sports media coverage languishing at 4% overall. We have been able to share the stories of us non-elites, who are just as dedicated to their own journeys in the sport. We have helped those with race goals to train with our comprehensive coaching plans and provided resources on health matters that are particular to women (may all women have strong pelvic floors in 2023).

Our mission at Women’s Running is to impact thousands of women’s lives by inspiring each of us to lace up and step out the front door and out of our comfort zones.

Enjoy a walk through memory lane with us for 2022 and the articles of which we are most proud and which you told us you enjoyed the most.

Racing & Culture

Talitha Diggs, Abby Steiner, Britton Wilson, and Sydney McLaughlin made up the champion relay team at the World Athletics Championships and took home gold. The global competition took place on US soil in 2022 and track and field was cool, exciting and, most importantly, on prime time television!

Sponsorships are a big deal for athletes, as is finding the right shoe that works for you. Nell Rojas took the bold move of leaving her sponsor adidas a week before the Boston marathon in 2022 and ended up finishing as the top American in the 2022 Boston Marathon with a new PR to boot.

Navajo Ultrarunner Verna Volker Isn’t Slowing Down
The founder of Native Women Running is running the Javelina Jundred this weekend to celebrate her heritage and encourage Native women to find their own trails toward healing.

The way we talk about women’s safety needs to change. Period. Our Managing Editor Zoe Rom weighs in on the subject we all wish we never had to write about.

Probably one of the best photos that sums up women’s running in 2022. The team of Hall, Bates, D’Amato wearing Team USA kits after their top-eight finishes in the marathon distance at the Athletics World Championships. At once both competitors and teammates, this photo is sure to go down as an iconic moment in women’s sport in the US.

Erin Strout talked about moving from marathon racing to running purely for joy’s sake. Our running goes through seasons. Embracing general fitness over peak performance takes an attitude adjustment – one that we all might have to make at some point.

Are you competing against or with? Managing editor Zoe Rom shares how she is learning to embrace the parts of herself that want to be good at things.

Training

Our training plans are always racing up the charts of the top cruised articles of the year. Many of us want to race it seems, and luckily, we have plans for that.

If you’ve never run before or are making a comeback, 26.2 miles can feel like an impossible distance—but it’s doable. This plan takes you through 24 weeks from 0 to 26.2 miles

Half Marathon: Couch to 13.1 20 Week Training Plan
There’s a reason the half marathon is the most popular race distance – half the distance, twice the fun. If you’re thinking of taking the 13.1-mile plunge but not sure where to start, this half marathon plan will set you up for a consistent 20 week training block to race day.

Many readers wonder this. We know, because this was one of our top articles overall in 2022. Read on about why this happens and when to worry about it.

There are benefits in both life and running to slowing down. Slow food, smelling the roses and apparently there are also benefits to switching on the run cruise control and embracing the flow.

Health

We’re preaching to the choir when we state women’s health journeys are different from those of our male counterparts. Science is way behind in studying women, and so when there are studies, we read ‘em, we get to know the experts, and we publish them.

The hips don’t lie—if you are experiencing pain, something is wrong. Here’s what your hip pain could mean and how to treat it.

We like to think the term ‘pelvic floor’ is used as often at Women’s Running as the words ‘running shoes’. Why do female runners need to pay attention to their pelvic floor? Well, there are a million (ok, ten) reasons and every woman needs to know them.

When we think of the pelvic floor, many think they need to tighten up to be in more control. However, the contrary can be the case. So it’s time to loosen up—a strained pelvic floor can leave you vulnerable to injury.

A red face after running is not necessarily a bad thing. This dermatologist explains why.

Sleep deprivation can happen to anyone, but research has shown it impacts women more.This article took hold in 2022 where we shared what experts say about running on no sleep.

Did you even know this was a thing? Maybe, or maybe not, but everyone was keen to find out more based on the popularity of this article.

Food

We eat, we run. And we all need ideas on what to cook, and advice on the best practices for those who eat and run – sometimes even at the same time. These were our top articles that peaked your interest in 2022.

You can do better than soggy instant oatmeal. Here’s how to upgrade your favorite breakfast food to power your day.

Fuel properly before, during, and after your half marathon in order to run your best race ever.

Shalane Flanagan’s Superhero Muffin Recipe
The classics are the best. Shalane’s superhero muffin recipe from her collaboration with Elyse Kopecky keeps on delivery. Simple, nutritious, freezable.

We’ve all suffered flavor fatigue from gels and sports gummies at some point. This guide to how to use real food for runs sparked a lot of interest.

Miscellaneous

And we had widely popular topics that defy to be categorized and proved to be of hot topics. From the never-ending question of why sports bras have removable pads to the heated debates over children and running.

A personal rant turned into an education. Here’s why so many running bras have those removable pads that you lose in the laundry, plus 10 of our favorite bras that don’t have them.

The controversy of a six year old running a marathon opened up a heated discussion about children and running.

Sometimes you need a song or two to add some pep to your running and these fast tracks have the perfect tempo that should keep you moving.

Smelly running shoes happen. Find out why, and follow these steps to rid your shoes of the stench.