What's the point of being a professional runner, when motorbikes exist?
People can get enjoyment from doing (and watching) people doing things, even if machines can do it better.
People can get enjoyment from doing (and watching) people doing things, even if machines can do it better.
Amateur running seems to make more sense.
Someone once commented that men make extraordinary efforts to impress women, yet in general have very little understanding of what women actually like. This explains jacked-up trucks, professional chess, professional running, etc
EDIT: I'm talking about professional-level running or chess, not the hobbies of running or chess
We humans get a lot of satisfaction of improving and competing in all sorts of activities.
The world is so big that for any activity you'll find a good deal of people obsessed with that activity, and making it their life's work to perfect it.
You are seriously suggesting that people go pro in X/Y/Z mostly because they want to impress girls? Oo
While that is undoubtedly true, I suspect no one becomes a professional chess player for the ladies.
They do it because they like, they're good at it, and they (if good enough) can make a living with it.