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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#235: Running Wild

Every day, countless people around the world participate in some form of running, from jogs to ultramarathons. And that simple act of putting one foot in front of another is a deceptively meaningful one; it’s something that transcends pure sport, and that can be used as a metaphor for various life experiences.

Running has a powerful psychological effect, as it often mirrors or influences our mental state. Just think about how often it pops up as an image in literature, to express a character's behavior or mindset (think running on empty, moving in circles, heading towards trouble, escaping problems, racing against time, and so on). This week, let's explore the theme of running and some of its interpretations in storytelling.

This week's prompts

Start your story with one or two characters going for a run.

Adventure – 37 stories

Write a story in which a character is running away from something, literally or metaphorically.

Angst – 123 stories

Make a race an important element of your story.

Narrative – 44 stories

Write about a character who suddenly cannot run anymore.

Character – 43 stories

Write a story that includes someone saying, “You can’t run forever.”

Dialogue – 65 stories

Stories

“Dirty Laundry” by Sarah Mahon

Submitted to Contest #235

New Ross, Co. Wexford, IrelandJuly 4th, 1970The sound of joyous, excited voices outside slipped through the glass panes of the window above my bed and invaded my ears. It didn't matter how intensely I tried to drain them out and focus on getting some sleep for the gruelling day ahead of me tomorrow, they bombarded me.With a soft groan, I pushed myself to sit up and let out a slow breath through my lips before turning to peer out of the grimy window. A group of boys, not much older than myself, laughing and joking around, shoving each other p...

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“The Good Habit” by Geraldine Donaher

Submitted to Contest #235

The Good Habit By Geraldine Donaher Pushing away doubts about a vocation is exhausting. My spiritual director says, “Prayer is empowering and peaceful when done with an open mind.” I answer, “Then I’m a hypocrite staying in a life that I think God doesn’t want for me.” He sighs and tells me I’m not praying the right way. I don’t think I can do this much more. It’s been the same conversation every month for about a year. As I pull out of the seminary parking lot, I take one more look at the ominous building in my rearview mirror...

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“Romance on the Run!” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #235

Imagine the future is now, some when. Once upon a love story sat a romantic dreamer, an undercover Renegade. Her real time name was Rianna. For starters, all our heritage properties and 21st Century ticky tacky town houses had been swept away by progress. The future consisted of towering apartment blocks, with one bedroom each. These towers were interspersed with high-rise hydroponic farms. Here only certain foods were grown, pest-free, cultivated by clever robotic devices. These were the food sources of the future. All the present farming c...

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“Running Against The Wind” by Karen Hope

Submitted to Contest #235

Twenty-eight years ago, my life was swept up into a tornado. The winds came on almost without warning, blowing around everything in my predictable world. I knew it was coming. I had seen the forecast. But I had no idea how dramatic its impact would be. It was weeks away from the birth of my first child, but I thought I had it all under control. The baby’s room, painted a serene shade of yellow to accommodate any gender, was in perfect order. Stacks of newborn diapers and freshly washed baby clothes and blankets sat neatly folded on the dre...

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“Sneaky, Sneaky ” by Vesta Bartholomew

Submitted to Contest #235

MONDAY Sarah's bright green eyes grew large-a mixture of surprise, consternation and happiness. Her fair skin flushed bright red and she exclaimed, “ Raven, say that you didn't ! “ Raven's cheeks also grew hot as she nodded up and down, even though she was responsible for this embarrassment. &n...

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“Dodging Death” by Courtney Caruso

Submitted to Contest #235

In the small town of Perkasie, there lived a little girl named Courtney whose life was pretty ordinary. She was very creative and loved to draw, color, and play with her Barbies. Courtney lived with her mom, and she had many friends that she played with in the neighborhood. They were always putting on dramatic plays, singing to movie soundtracks like ‘Annie’ or swimming in her pool in the backyard. One time, there was a cat that snuck into their backyard. Of course, Courtney saw an adora...

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“The Girl on the Gravel Path” by Sue Hunter

Submitted to Contest #235

Torrential rains poured from the sky, obscuring the gravel road in a mist of white. Nadia’s sneakers sank into the ground as she ran. Her hair clung to her skin, its brown color darkening to a pitch black. She had no umbrella or coat. She was forced to blink the ice-cold raindrops from her eyes. But she didn’t have time to sit under a tree and wait out the storm. This would be her only time to escape. So, Nadia clenched her teeth, tightened her grip on her backpack straps, and kept runnin...

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“Roar ” by Oizys …

Submitted to Contest #235

For weeks, the tension had been mounting in the cramped little house. Money was tight and jobs were scarce, putting strain on Ronnette's parents' already fragile relationship. Her father, once a loving man, had taken to drowning his failures in a bottle of whiskey night after night. And with each swig, the darkness inside him grew. More and more, he'd come home spoiling for a fight. Any little thing could set him off - a burnt meal, the kids being too loud. And he always seemed to direct his rage at her mother first. This p...

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“Seeds of the Unspoken, Water of Change” by Talulah Pellon

Submitted to Contest #235

The buzz of anticipation had created a charged atmosphere of resolve and silent narratives that each of the eighty-eight runners carried with them. Kael's assertion, almost to herself, was a whisper lost in the cacophony of nervous energy, "We're chasing after a finish line that doesn't exist." The runner beside her, his long limbs a stark contrast against the short, sharp shadows of the morning sun, glanced at her with a bemused expression. "Sorry?" he asked, his brow furrowed under a bandana streaked with sweat before the race had even beg...

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“The Dark Forest” by Ashley Quinn

Submitted to Contest #235

Seventeen years of running, and I’d gotten no further away from her. My whole body ached, my muscles burned and quivered from fatigue. Exhaustion consumed me. In that nanosecond of acknowledgement, I lost focus on the path in front of me. A gnarled tree root that pierced the forest floor caught my foot and nearly sent me sprawling to the ground. Somehow, I remained standing, but my pursuer didn’t see the obstacle coming and a low groan escaped her as she collided with the ground. I didn’t want to look at her—this hot mess of a human being ...

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“It Was a Two-Part Competition” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #235

It was a two-part competition. First of all, it was a mile race on the high school track. There were 16 teenage boys in the competition, representing different schools in the area. This was, of course, well known to the bulk of the audience that had gathered to watch the boys running. They were rooting for the boys that went to their school, named Hilton High School. Current and former students were there to cheer them on. Then there was a second competition, known only to two of the runners, both representing the s...

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“The Ultra” by Arlin Dixon

Submitted to Contest #235

It started with a letter. Sundays at the pub. The ultra-runner would sit beside the fireplace with his beans and chips and a glass of Guinness, still in his gear. I sat at the bar and watched him. Wishing I could be him. There was something about him that was so pure. So honest. He was a runner. It was in his blood. I ran too, but not like that. I did races where there were water tables set up and cheer stands throughout the route. Where an entry fee would get you a goody bag of pins and gels and a t-shirt with a reflective strip down the...

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“The Ten K” by Sam Newsome

Submitted to Contest #235

The Ten K “You’re going to do what!” “I’m going back to Ghana on my vacation.” Mike said this with more conviction than he actually felt, but it fell into the category of unfinished business. Two years ago, he was doing a Foreign Service internship in Ghana that nearly took his life. The embassy was being threatened by a menacing crowd when he suffered a nearly fatal neurologic event. He could not be more specific as the...

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“Above All Odds” by Michele Platz

Submitted to Contest #235

The streets were lined with spectators, all cheering, but all I could hear at this point was my own labored breathing. I’ve been training for this moment for years. The Olympic qualifying race. I had been running for the University of Oregon for four years and running for even longer. It was my release from life. I loved every tortured stride of it. My legs burned at every land of my long stride, almost 26.2 miles down, 100 yards to go and I had it! “You got this Alexis,” I muttered to myself. “You’ve worked most of your life for this moment...

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“The Marathon” by Deborah Alexander

Submitted to Contest #235

Sensitive content warning: mention of infertility and pregnancy loss. # The rhythmic sound of her shoes smacking the damp pavement drummed in her ears. Only 4 more miles. Her breathing was deep and steady, just as she had practiced. Running this half marathon has been easier than she thought. Soon I’ll be able to add that 13.1 sticker to my car. Training four days a week for the last six months has really paid off. Not to mention the diet. Lean protein, rice, veg...

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$250

Prize money

312

Contest entries

121

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 02, 2024 EST

Won by Kajsa Ohman 🏆

Title: KILLER IN THE WILLOWS

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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