Originally Posted by
rsbob
IMO: You don’t have to win to be considered an athlete. It’s a mindset of striving to be your personal best in an athletic endeavor/s. Nowhere is an athlete defined as someone who out excels everyone else.
Agreed, and I'll go even further: You don't have to
compete in formal events to be an athlete. Working towards a goal, whether it be a
PR in the 40k or a local Strava KOM, is just as athletic an endeavor as entering races.