Massachusetts Is the Best State for Runners

According to data from Runner's World and RunKeeper.

Photo by Lisa Decotis

Photo by Lisa Decotis

We’ve said countless times that running should be the official sport of Massachusetts. Technically those titles go to basketball and volleyball, both of which were invented in the Commonwealth. But here in the Bay State, you can’t swing a handbag on the sidewalk without hitting a passing runner. In February. In two feet of snow.

And now, we have proof that Massachusetts has the best runners. Runner’s World crunched data from RunKeeper, a Boston-based software development company whose flagship app has more than 30 million users tracking their workouts, and found—no surprise here—that our state is the clear winner.

Mass. received the overall No. 1 score for its average ranking in four categories: Miles per Capita; Runs per Person; Miles per Run; and Pace per Mile. Our hook shaped state received the top spot in “Miles per Capita,” which was calculated, according to Runner’s World, by taking the total number of miles stored in RunKeeper throughout the year and dividing that number by the state’s population. The Commonwealth also got the No. 1 spot in the “Pace per Mile” category, which was calculated by the total number of minutes divided by the total number of miles recorded. Our time? A swift 10:06 minute mile.

For the full data for all 50 states, click here. If this doesn’t motivate you to lace up your sneakers, just know that the 2015 Boston Marathon is less than six months away.