Strangers who try to “race” you during a run: How often does this happen to you?

Yep that has happened to me more than a few times but if they are running in the same direction they will get the gyst of what you are doing.

8:30 or 7:30 pace will make no difference to your fitness unless your threshold is like a 22 minute 5K.

We had a rule back in the day that no one would pass us on the prairie path (Chicago burbs). Buddy and I were getting ready for a marathon and doing a steady-state run cruising along around 6:30 pace when we hear footsteps. A really nice looking woman caught up to us and said "hi." There was no way we were letting her go by us so we pick it up. Before long all three of us are running 6-min pace totally blowing our workout. Anyway she ended up finishing at the same parking lot we did and it was great, turns out she was a trials qualifier (Mary Knisely) and a wonderful runner. We invited her to join the North Central College track club and she spent the summer working out with us.

Now as old, injured more than we're healthy, runners, when a fast guy (or gal) approaches we usually say, "Normally we wouldn't let you pass us, but today is our easy day!!!" that usually gets a laugh from them.

A perennial topic...

I've experienced this many times over the years - though not so much anymore. Maybe that's because I've gotten slower as I get older (i.e. easy runs at 8:00 to 8:30 instead of 6:30 to 7:00), so my easy pace is less likely to correspond to "unofficial race pace" for the type of "competitive person but not serious runner" who does this.

My wife's also a good runner (All American back in the day, etc.), and it happens to her about a billion times more frequently than me. Random jogger dudes just love to race her. They don't do it if I'm running with her. But if we're doing some sort of workout at the same time (i.e. each running our own paces, so not side-by-side), someone will try to latch on. If any of you are wondering whether women think it's really awesome when some random guy ramps it up to warp speed to try to run with them, I can assure you the answer is no.

i'm a college-aged female who doesn't run for my university, but i'm relatively fast for a girl (usually doing my runs around 7:30 pace). This happens to me almost every run. The perpetrators are usually guys around age 20-30. Usually they look over to me as I pass them and then run alongside me or pick up the pace and try to run ahead of me. I'm competitive, so whenever this happens, I start tempoing for a bit.

I've chalked it up to them being embarrassed that a chick is passing them. It's annoying as anything -- just mind your own business when someone passes you

I’m not fast so it hasn’t happened much but I don’t like running near another person unless we are talking or in a race. All I can say is don’t sacrifice your run. If I’m running easy I’m running easy and if it’s a workout then I like sticking with my plan.

You have never finised a 10k, and certainly haven't done one at 5:20 pace. Why the bragging? Just waiting for threads on which you can write about your imaginary accomplishments?

I have daughters who run in college and this happens all the time to them. Fragile male egos and all.

My personal rule -- which I think is just common courtesy whether the other runner is male or female -- is that you shouldn't be trailing any closer than say 30-40m. I have picked it up when a faster runner has gone by me at times too, but I never follow closely. If the person can hear your footsteps or your breathing, you're too damn close! And it's especially creepy to do that to women.

I raced the devil in Georgia who was looking for a soul to steal. I was able to outrun him thanks to my Vaporflys.

If I speed up to drop them, I hate that they're dictating the pace of my run. I prefer to just let them boil. While I still find their behavior annoying, I get a lot of satisfaction out of staying right behind them, right on their heels, until they double over (or on a trail run, they'll "stop to take in the view"). That way I know I've made them suffer the maximum amount. If they want to race me, they can. But I'm gonna go my pace.

I know lots of fast women who report the same thing. Basically, they will be doing easy runs at 7-8m pace and as they pass a hobbyjogger, they try to race but only last a few minutes before dying. The profile is male anywhere from 20-60 y/o - but definitely hobby jogger. Real runners don't care about getting passed on an easy day and more often than not they probably know each other since the running community is small here. So they'd more likely wave or say hi than try to race.

As a guy, it is only 20-30 y/o guys who do this crap to me. It is always on easy runs. No hobby jogger is likely to be able to compete with tempo or interval paces. I try to not respond and just do my easy pace, but it is tempting to just gun it and see how long they can last.

Most people run "greyzone" for every run.

They're exercising, not training, which means they have the luxury of going as hard as they like without any consequences.

It's a sign of immense insecurity, for someone who is actually training, to give a sh*t about what an "exercisist" does around them.

Stick to what the purpose of the run is, and measure yourself on race results, not little ego trips.

Yes, it does annoy me, but for a different reason. I’ve had to deal with this a few times at about 7:45 pace which means they were probably running at 8-8:30. One look at me, they probably figured I’m being a jerk because I’m 60 years old and there’s no logical explanation (in their minds) that an old dude like me should be passing them. That’s when they suddenly quicken the pace just to pass and maintain a 5 yard gap. So what do I do? I follow right on their shoulder. It’s funny actually because they’re really only doing low-7 pace but I guess that’s supposed to drop me. This lasts about 800 meters sometimes. But I just keep putting the pressure on them until they gas out. However, there was just one case that back fired on me. It was a real runner, I guess… he just kept getting faster and faster until I finally gave up. LOL! Easily going 5:30-45 pace…I tried to find out who he was on Strava flyover, but he wasn’t listed. Oh well …

How else do we impress them with how alpha we are? Wonder if I should run up and pole vault over her with my sufficiently engorged ginormous endowment?

No one in my running area is really fast. I suppose if I lived in Boston or Oregon, there'd be all these people out running fast, but everyone around here is running with a piano on their back.

All you peeps here complaining about hobby joggers getting a little competitive, when you're out there modifying your workout just to try and embarrass them. What's the problem? Maybe the person was tired and looking for motivation, or finds it cool that there is someone fast enough to run with, or a thousand other reasons. It's only truly annoying if the person won't go faster and won't move over to let you pass.

In any case, either run your own pace and let them do them, or embrace the competition and have fun. But don't whine about how you had to overrun your easy jog to put someone in place.

Back in 2003 I was running on a treadmill at a Lifetime Fitness in Tempe, AZ. I was at the end of a ten miler at 6:00 pace and was locked in. In my peripheral vision I noticed a guy walking on the treadmill next to me. He suddenly cranked up his treadmill to 6:00 pace and had to hang on to the sides just to run that pace for a minute. After returning to a walk he said "Nice pace, mate" in a funny accent. I looked over at the guy and it was Phil Keoghan, the host of the Amazing Race. They were in town filming the season finale in Papago Park.

40-year-old guy here that is long past his 29-minute 10k's. Since my knees are rocked at this point the only running, I do these days is on a treadmill. I would be very entertained though if some random hobby jogger hopped on the back of the treadmill that I was on and tried running tandem with me!

I guess majority of you are antisocial or can’t get past your egos. I remember in 2018 visiting OR for the 1st time with my then girlfriend, now wife, and exploring UO campus and Pre’s Trail on my LR. Mid run I’m running maybe mid 6’s and am making my way back to my car when I see someone on the other side of the road running the same pace as me. We continue to run the Dane direction on opposite sides of the road for a quarter mile before I asked to join him. I figured if he’s fast enough to run mid 6’s then it must be a decent runner. Turns out it was Sam Prakel, who I didn’t know at the time. Super nice guy. We talked for a few miles and he told me how he wanted go pro (I think his PR was 339 or something at the time). I told him how being a post-collegiate, working in corporate America, and still trying to compete was hard and how I was training to break 230 in my 1st marathon a few months later. Great memory all bc Sam was a douche thinking a slower runner can’t run in his vicinity. I’ve also been in the other end of the situation and have slowed my run to run with a stranger, who I later make friends with. As long as it’s not interrupting a workout or key run, why not run with and meet as many people as you can?