Josh Lynott on poetry, running and creating community
More space, less pace.
Josh Lynott thinks people need to slow down. It’s not the advice you might expect to hear from an elite runner, but Josh’s relationship with running has become, in recent times, both a lot more complicated and a hell of a lot simpler.
Though Josh and I have spoken previously online, we meet for the first time at At the Above – a gallery space in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Josh is staying here as part of an artist residency. His project, A Note to the Runners, blends poetry and running with the aim, he says, of making running real again.
The space is spartan – bed, table, books, chairs – and my eyes are drawn to a collection of running bibs pinned to an enormous sheet. Poems and messages have been scrawled across the bibs, and when I arrive, Josh is in the process of sorting and arranging them. He battles a light breeze blowing through large windows overlooking Gertrude Street.
The poems were written by those turning up for Josh’s weekly Notes Night Runs (NNR). Every Wednesday, Josh leads forty-plus participants on a five-kilometre route departing from – and returning to – At the Above. After the run, everyone is invited to stay for a cup of tea, a chat and, if they wish, a chance to contribute a poem. These poems will form part of an exhibition celebrating the launch of A Note to the Runners – a book of Josh’s own poetry – to coincide with the Melbourne Marathon.
‘One of the [project’s] catchphrases is “make running real again”,’ says Josh. ‘When I introduce the run each week, I explain that in terms of making a connection to the ground or your body or someone around you. And rather than finishing the run and posting about it on your phone, or going straight to Strava or Instagram, it's like, let’s make something real.’
When Josh held his first NNR, he was careful not to be too prescriptive. There were no guidelines or required outcomes. He simply invited people to come up to the gallery, provided the tea and honey, and let the rest unfold naturally.
‘For the first five minutes there’s a buzz about the room,’ Josh says. ‘I go straight into boiling the kettle and getting everything prepared, but if you actually stop and listen, there’s a lot of laughter. Once everybody has had a glass of water and their tea, they dissipate around the room and find a nook and someone to talk to. Some people started bringing brownies and cookies too. There was another artist here during my last residency who was like, this is the most wholesome shit ever.’
A Note to the Runners was born out of Josh’s frustration in the wake of a number of unsuccessful pitches to brands in the wellness and running space. He wanted to interview athletes in unforgettable locations – a clifftop at sunset, for example – but logistical challenges and a lack of understanding made it difficult, he says, to bring the idea to life. Determined to validate his idea, Josh recorded himself performing his own poem, You don’t actually like running, on – you guessed it – a clifftop at sunset.
‘I suppose the poem is a commentary on where running is at,’ Josh says. ‘It’s definitely having a moment. And I guess I was observing that lots of people have taken up running, which is an incredible thing, but I wanted people to be more conscious of why they are doing it. Is it because they want to be seen with a crowd? To be seen in an outfit? I was just like, here are my thoughts, you can have them for free. And that was the most traction I’ve had [online] for years.’
Buoyed by the response to his words, Josh doubled down on his idea. He continued writing poems and saw an opportunity to combine his love of poetry, running and building community as an exhibition. He emailed At the Above and A Note to the Runners began to take shape.
‘It’s about exploration,’ Josh says, when I ask what running means to him. ‘Going out on the trails and seeing a new place. Initially, that was why I loved running so much. You go to a new city and running is the best way to see it. And then the further you get into it, [the more] it becomes an exploration of your own mind, soul, values. Your dark thoughts, your best thoughts, and everything in-between. It’s curiosity and connection.’
It’s easy enough to draw a parallel with poetry; the curiosity and connection, the dark thoughts, the best thoughts and everything in between. And though Josh is quick to admit he hasn’t studied poetry and doesn’t know much about the form’s technical aspects, he believes poetry, like running, can be simple – in the end it’s about feeling something.
‘You might feel nostalgic, or really sad, or you might feel confused,’ he says, gesturing towards the poems written by runners. ‘Some of these poems are reflective. Some are grateful, some are funny and some are quite eloquent.’
Josh says his own poetry is inspired by a friend, Joshua Van Leader, who published three volumes of poetry and a book of illustrations before his death in 2022. He wrote about the magic of life, Josh says. About love and heartbreak and how beautiful and incredible life can be.
‘He was one of my best mates, an amazing poet, who is my biggest influence for poetry and anything creative. He said that if you have a talent, it’s your duty to put effort into it and give it to the world.’
What, then, would Josh consider his talent? Photography has long been his bread and butter, and writing a constant throughout his life, but Josh believes his real talent – and the way he can make the greatest impact – lies in creating spaces for people. It’s why he not only came up with Notes Night Run, but also facilitates The Sessions, a series of running retreats combining time on the trails with mindfulness.
‘I like running, I like poetry, I like tea and I like bringing people together, so that’s how a night [at NNR] goes. And it’s the same with The Sessions. I like adventure, I like personal development, and I like running, so I’ll bring ten people together for a retreat. I try to do the things I love, and I think what most people need is space. Space, and to slow down.’
Josh is no psychologist. He’s not out to solve specific problems or give advice. Instead he hopes to provide a space for people to slow down, reflect on their lives and aspirations, and hopefully grow.
‘None of my questions are groundbreaking or revolutionary,’ Josh says, ‘but nobody is going to take a week off work to sit and be like, “Who are the five people I spend the most time with? Am I actually a good decision maker? What is my capacity for risk at the moment?” Most people won’t do that for themselves, or do it [in a] distraction-free [environment], unless a space is created. Not many people are going to finish a run and have the discipline or motivation to write a poem, or to not go on their phone, or to get home and sit down with their partner for a quality chat. There are too many distractions. All I’m trying to say is, “Hey, think about this. Here’s a space to do it.”’
These spaces Josh creates continue to be filled. And though it remains to be seen whether he is successful in making running real again, the messages from the Notes Night Run community suggest he has tapped into something powerful, something human. Something to run towards.
Interested in joining Notes Night Run? It departs from At the Above in Fitzroy, Melbourne, every Wednesday evening until October 4th. You can also preorder Josh’s book, A Note to the Runners, or stay up to date via Instagram.
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Love every aspect of this !
Thank you Pat.
"More space, less pace."
I might have to borrow that moving forward.