Professional athletes are lining up this week at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field, but a growing number of amateur runners are also competing in the sport.

The popular physical activity app Strava says running was its most uploaded sport of 2023.

And organizers with the London Marathon say they received a record amount of ballot applications for the 2025 race.

But with running’s increased popularity, there are also questions about how inclusive the sport is for beginners.

Eight-time marathoner Martinus Evans says he didn’t always feel welcomed in the sport.

Evans, who goes by @300poundsandrunning on Instagram, said someone shouted, “You’re slow as f—” when he was running the 2018 New York City Marathon.

Evans said the words made him feel angry but inspired.

“Once I finished the race I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to do something to prove him wrong,’” he said.

After that interaction, he created the Slow AF Run Club, an online “inclusive running community for every pace” with now more than 25,000 members.

And more recently, he wrote and published the part-memoir, part-manual “Slow A-F Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run.”

“One of the things I hope people take away from this book is that they can do it, they can run,” Evans said.

“This book and my story is really about proving the odds wrong and letting you know you can do anything in your body,” he said. “All you have to do is get up and start.”

Evans’ tips for beginner runners:

“It’s you versus your mind”

“First thing we have to do is train our mind to let ourselves know that we’re a runner,” Evans said. “Look in the mirror and say, ‘I’m a runner.’”

“Get some good shoes”

Evans said invest in a pair of running shoes. For help in choosing the right shoe and fit, he recommends visiting Fleet Feet.

“Start out slow”

Evans recommends starting with a simple interval and repeating it several times, such as running for 90 seconds and then walking for 90 seconds. “Start there and see if you need to go further or pull it back,” he said.

Body Glide

“One of the things I wish I would’ve known when I first started running was this product called Body Glide,” Evans said, referring to the brand name of an anti-chafe balm. “It will prevent what I call the chafe monster: you’re out there running and then you take a hot shower and feel like you’ve been cut by a thousand blades.”