A Running Enemy: Jogging at the Time of Covid-19 Pandemic

The article investigates the impact of the early months of Covid-19 pandemic on the life of joggers in NW Italy. Based on ethnographic research conducted in 2020, the chapter confirms sport physical activity has an impact on the perception of individual well-being, even during the lockdown. Where in normal conditions jogging can improve the perception of wellbeing, during the period of maximum limitation, the relationship is inverse, reinforcing the sense of insecurity. Significantly, the research points out, the sense of insecurity is not (just) generated by viral threats, but rather by the people surrounding the joggers and controlling them. Thus, the chapter analyses this process of hostilization of jogging and joggers providing insight in the emergent geography of a lockdown.