![\"Exercise](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-1697030004.jpg\")
\n\t\tA gag-inducing behaviour (Credits: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tA gag-inducing behaviour (Credits: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
A run in the sunshine<\/a> should be a chance to switch off, and get those sweet endorphins.<\/p>\n But a few minutes in a recent 5k jog<\/a>, and something seriously vile interrupted my groove.<\/p>\n A runner ahead closed one of his nostrils with a finger, then exhaled \u2014 hard. I later learned there\u2019s a name for this gag-inducing behaviour: snot rockets.<\/p>\n And, it turns out that these snotty hazards are plaguing parks this spring.<\/p>\n Published in the International Journal of Otolaryngology<\/a>, one 2017 study found that between 27 and 74% of athletes deal with rhinitis (which is a fancy medical term for having a runny nose). But why?<\/p>\n Essentially, breathing in through your nose becomes harder when you\u2019re exerting yourself, and if it\u2019s particularly cold, dry, or filled with pollen, the nose\u2019s lining can become irritated, which triggers more bogies.<\/p>\n \t\t As Dr Adam Staten explains, a bit of snot is a completely normal response from the body during intense exercise. I\u2019d argue, though, that shooting it out towards other runners is not. <\/p>\n He tells Metro: \u2018When you exercise, your breathing speeds up due to an increased demand for oxygen, which causes you to pull a lot more air through your nose and airways.<\/p>\n \u2018The nose then warms and filters this air before it can reach the lungs, and mucus production is part of that process.\u2019<\/p>\n There\u2019s no difference in terms of gender<\/a>, as neither men nor women are scientifically more likely to produce snot rockets. When a sniffly nose is driven by allergies, Dr Mohammed Ditta reports that it\u2019s more common in boys during childhood, but this switches to women in adulthood.<\/p>\n He adds: \u2018Non-allergic rhinitis, which is triggered by things like cold air, strong smells, pollution, or exercise, is frequently reported by women, although anyone can get it.<\/p>\n \u2018If men seem more likely to do visible \u201csnot rockets\u201d, that is more plausibly down to behaviour, social norms, and exposure patterns rather than a biological factory making extra mucus.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m like a faucet that doesn\u2019t turn off\u2019<\/p>\n Snock rockets are so commonly witnessed by runners that there are entire online forums dedicated to debating them. <\/p>\n Over on the r\/Running Subreddit,<\/a> @curtisbbaker admitted to spitting and \u2018shooting snot rockets\u2019 while running, but added that he has a \u2018constant flow of phlegm that has to be released.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018I am like a faucet that does not turn off until I\u2019m finished running. I would love to find a way to spit less while running, as it\u2019s a bit gross when running with new friends that aren\u2019t used to it,\u2019 he confessed.<\/p>\n @MonarchGrad2011<\/a> said that once the temperature drops, their \u2018nose runs faster\u2019 than their legs, while @Able-Drink3189 joked that running is \u2018gross.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018If you meet someone who\u2019s run a marathon, chances are high they have pooped behind a dumpster, or in the woods, which is pretty high. They also know where a good porta-potty is at all times,\u2019 they wrote in the r\/Marathon_Training Subreddit.<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018They send that snot rocket, they wipe it on their clothes if need be. So if you want to run, you gotta be comfortable being gross.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tPrefer us to the others? Then tell Google!\t\t\t<\/p>\n As a loyal Metro reader, we want to make sure you never miss our stories when searching for your news. Whether it is the latest politics news explained, live football coverage or a showbiz scoop.<\/p>\n Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.<\/p>\n \nAdd us as a Preferred Source<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018Rude, gross and unsanitary\u2019<\/p>\n But for every runner who confesses to sending out a cheeky little snot rocket, there\u2019s a traumatised park-goer \u2013 or even a fellow runner \u2013 who has to deal with the consequences.<\/p>\n Emma*, 26, tells Metro, she often runs with her boyfriend. While he\u2019s supportive enough to go at a much slower pace to accommodate her, she says that his snot rocketing makes her \u2018want to hurl.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018We\u2019ll be on the side of the pavement and out of nowhere, he\u2019ll take his fingers, block one nostril and exhale sharply, releasing a projectile clump of snot,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n \u2018Granted, he never does it when anyone is walking by, lest they be assaulted by a bogie,\u00a0but all I can think as it lands on the road or pavement is that some poor unsuspecting pedestrian will step in it and track it home where it will become encrusted into their nice carpet.\u2019<\/p>\n She adds that he does it every single time they lace up their running shoes together, no matter what. She also admits to feeling slightly congested on runs, but firing a bogie out of her nose has never occurred to her.<\/p>\n \u2018I tell him off time and time again, and make sure he knows it disgusts me, but alas nothing changes,\u2019 she says. \u2018For the life of me, I can\u2019t understand why he can\u2019t wait 10 minutes to blow his nose when we arrive home.\u2019<\/p>\n Etiquette expert Laura Windsor agrees that snot rockets are unacceptable, even if there\u2019s a scientific reason behind getting a stuffy nose on a run.<\/p>\n \u2018You should never do it in places where there are other people, first of all because it\u2019s disgusting, and secondly because you\u2019re making people feel uncomfortable,\u2019 Laura tells Metro.<\/p>\n \u2018Etiquette is about making people around you feel comfortable. In a public space context, no, definitely not. No one wants to see you excreting mucus from your body.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tWhat do you think about runners doing snot rockets during their runs?<\/p>\n It can’t be helped sometimes.Check<\/p>\n It is unhygienic and so gross.Check<\/p>\n I understand the need, but can we be more discreet about it?Check<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSign up to Metro’s The Slice newsletter for your guide to what’s on in London, with trusted reviews, offers and giveaways.<\/p>\n Jo Hayes, founder of EtiquetteExpert.org, suggests that runners who regularly experience snot build-ups should simply carry a handkerchief.<\/p>\n \u2018Or, at the very least, remove yourself far from the sight\/sound of any other human and deliver your snot rocket into a bush. Ensure it hasn\u2019t landed on a walking path, or anywhere other humans will be,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n \u2018Further, ensure there is no residual snot on your face or body. We\u2019re humans, not animals. We have (most healthy people) control over our bodily excrements, and can hold their release for appropriate situations.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019ll end with a reminder of the Golden Rule for life: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.\u2019<\/p>\n Perhaps runners have been emboldended by seeing Premier League<\/a> footballers shoot snot rockets on the pitch. Even more horrifyingly, some pool-goers<\/a> have recalled seeing fellow swimmers release them into the water.<\/p>\n On Reddit<\/a>, @JenksbritMKII admitted: \u2018I blow my nose and spit in the pool and push it into the gutter. Also spit out any phlegm whilst I\u2019m swimming if I need to.\u2019<\/p>\n So, the next time you pop out for a walk in the park, you might want to keep an eye on the pavement, for fear of treading in something stickier than you bargained for on your morning stroll.<\/p>\n Do you have a story to share?<\/p>\n Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Young](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2227437931.jpg\")
\n\t\tAre you guilty of firing off some snot rockets? (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Headshots-1-78d4.jpg\")
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