It's one of those New Year's resolutions often blurted out after a big family meal. "I'm going to run a marathon!" But like the cautionary saying "puppies aren't for Christmas, they're for life", one wonders how many realise the error of their ways when they're gasping for air during that first January training run. Or not.

Not everyone will run a 41-kilometre race in 2026, but more and more will take up what's arguably the world's oldest sport. Why the trend? Is it a mere post-pandemic fad, or the sign of something deeper?

We think of running as a solitary pursuit, but it's increasingly a social activity. Running clubs are particularly in vogue among the young, who seek a release from a life that's increasingly happening in front of a screen.

Technology is also seeping into the experience, be it with equipment, monitors or apps, to the point that some bemoan the gamification of running.

So what's running about: a pursuit or an escape? Goals to achieve or the experience of the journey?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.