Why “Midlife Crisis” Is the Most Ridiculous Term Ever Invented

I saw something on Facebook that made me roll my eyes!

Apparently, endurance running is now being labelled the new “midlife crisis”.

Yes - deciding to train for a half marathon, or God forbid a full marathon, in your 30s is now considered... a crisis?

Give. Me. Strength.

Since when is wanting to better yourself a crisis?

At what point did choosing a 10K over tequila now means you're in meltdown?

I ran my first half marathon at 35. Not because I was spiralling or searching for meaning in the bottom of a Lucozade Sport bottle—but because I finally had the clarity, discipline and desire to challenge myself. I’d watched my mum complete it a few years earlier—at 60, no less—and it lit a fire in me to give it a go (and quietly try to beat her time, of course).

I wasn’t doing this in my 20s. Back then I was busy chasing deadlines and dating disasters. If I’m honest, I spent more time running away from red flags than I did running for joy. Only turning to running in times of sadness where I needed an escape.

But for years, I held a quiet belief that I just wasn’t that kind of person – do the words “I could never do that” sound familiar?

It wasn’t true. Nothing changes until you challenge those beliefs.

Here’s the truth no one tells you

The supposed “midlife crisis” isn’t a crisis. It’s a reawakening.

For so many of us, our 30s are the first time we actually stop sleepwalking through life. We realise we don’t need to numb our feelings at the end of a long day. We start questioning everything—our habits, our priorities, even the social scripts that told us a bottle of wine was self-care.

And yes, sometimes that awakening looks like signing up for a marathon. Or quitting drinking. Or changing careers. Or simply deciding you want more.

So no—it’s not a crisis.

It’s a power move.

And if the world wants to call that a crisis? Let them. We’ll be too busy lacing up our trainers, choosing presence over Prosecco, and building lives that actually feel like ours.