From November 24th
to December 2nd, 2025
15% OFF in all our experiences
Discount Code: BLACKWEEK15
*Promotion limited to 5 discount codes per experience and
cannot be combined with any other discounts or promotions.
“Running is a radical act. Understanding what the word radical means, that it means change. Fundamental change. And I think that every time you go out for a run, you’re a different person when you come back from that run, in one way. You have changed the fundamental nature of your being.”
What does it really mean to run, not just as exercise, but as a culture, a community, a way of being in the world? Raziq Rauf has spent years thinking about that question, and now he’s turning those thoughts into a book. This is Running is his debut, and it arrives backed by the loyal readership of his newsletter, Running Sucks, a name that captures exactly the kind of honest, irreverent love for the sport that defines his voice.
In this conversation with Mau Díaz, Raziq talks about what drew him to write seriously about running, the people and stories that shaped the book, and why he believes the sport deserves the same depth of cultural attention we give to music, food, or film. It’s a conversation about obsession, craft, and the strange beauty of a thing millions of people do every day without ever quite being able to explain why.
Raziq brings to the conversation something rare in running media: a literary sensibility that doesn’t take itself too seriously. He’s not here to optimize your training or sell you a shoe. He’s here to ask why any of us lace up in the first place, and what we find, or lose, or become along the way.
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Raziq Rauf is the author of This is Running (2026), which looks at the whole world of running through a cultural lens. Originally a music journalist from London, he has since carved a popular niche writing about running in his newsletter ‘Running Sucks.’ Now living in Los Angeles, he was a regular contributor for the BBC, as well as Classic Rock and Kerrang! magazines.
You can connect with Raziq on Instagram at @runningsucks101
A celebration of running and its culture, This is Running by Raziq Rauf explores the stories, people, and traditions that shape the sport around the world.
From the endurance of the Rarámuri in Mexico to iconic races like the London Marathon and UTMB, it captures both the global scale and deeply personal nature of running. Through essays, expert insights, and voices from across the community, the book looks at why we run, how we run, and what it gives back.
Blending culture, history, and modern running movements with striking photography, it offers a rich snapshot of a sport that is as diverse as the people who practice it. A true love letter to running in all its forms.
You can get a copy of This Is Running here:
Bookshop.org
Metta Running House (Mexico City) Coming Soon!
OUR HOST: MAU DÍAZ
CEO & Co-Founder of Aire Libre.
Mau Díaz, born in Mexico City in 1988, embarked on a journey of academic and adventurous pursuits. He studied Marketing at the Monterrey Institute of Technology, delving into International Marketing at the Hochschule Pforzheim in Germany, and exploring Chinese Foreign Policy at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His professional trajectory took off with a focus on Growth Hacking, where he honed his skills in team building and assisting startups in their growth strategies. Notable stints as a growth hacker at Propiedades.com and later at LECO shaped his early career.
In December 2015, Mau embarked on a non-stop 90km run across the Sonora Desert with two friends, laying the foundation for his venture, Aire Libre. He identifies as an adventurer who embraces running as a means to satiate his curiosity. His accomplishments include solo and unassisted traversing of the Sierra Sur de Oaxaca, covering 127km from December 28 to 30, 2017. In 2018, he clinched a top 5 spot in an 80km ultramarathon in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. May 2022 witnessed his relentless 140km run from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez, spanning the Baja California peninsula. These exploits merely scratch the surface of his vast adventures.
Mau’s work at Aire Libre has not gone unnoticed, garnering recognition from esteemed international media outlets such as The Financial Times, Monocle, Men’s Journal, Forbes, Travesías, El Universal, Chilango, Sopitas.com, and various others.
You can find Mau on instagram as @maudac
From November 24th
to December 2nd, 2025
15% OFF in all our experiences
Discount Code: BLACKWEEK15
*Promotion limited to 5 discount codes per experience and
cannot be combined with any other discounts or promotions.
From November 25
to December 2nd, 2024
15% OFF in all our experiences
Discount Code: ALBLACKWEEK
*Promotion limited to 5 discount codes per experience and
cannot be combined with any other discounts or promotions.
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