Did you ever encounter a stranger that tried race you on a training run?

I've never had a walker pick up the pace to try to race me, but every now and then, some other runner decides to try to race me on my training run. When I was younger, I used to rise to the challenge and do my best to stay ahead. I probably haven't done that in 10 years though. Nowadays I just ignore them and let them "beat" me. There's nothing in it for me to race somebody on one of my training runs.

I run on a busy lakefront path and similar things have happened to me. A more common occurance is when I pass a runner, I think they are behind me, then they sprint past and stop after 50 feet when they run out of gas.

ya happens all the time... i used to put them in their place like the other poster was saying, but now im just like "eh, go ahead and look like a moron, im not taking the bait."

I once encountered a runner that tried to race me while I was walking.

I was just taking a stroll on a nice local trail that runs for a few miles alongside the river when I heard a runner coming behind me. The breathing was the first thing I heard, so I looked around and it was a guy in a generic racing singlet in his mid-20's (about my age) who looked fairly fit running about 6:30 pace. I turned and said "Way to go" to give him some encouragement since he seemed to be working fairly hard.

Well he evidently took my comment the wrong way and came to a stop right before he got to me. He said "You think you could ****** beat me, fat guy?"

I didn't know how to respond, here I was taking a walk in my tennis shoes and khaki shorts minding my own business when I've been challenged to a race by some anonymous runner. Also insulted, though I am by no means fat I don't run anymore and was a bit put off.

But of course what do I say, "I would kill you" forgetting that I can no longer run miles at sub-5:00 pace.

He says, still breathing a little hard, "Hah! Bring it."

I didn't feel like running at this point but he was really getting me worked up. After a few seconds hesitation I just took off down the path, and I could hear him follow behind. Well I didn't turn around for a while, I probably had put down a 2:10 800m, which gassed me, but I turned around and he was just a little speck down the path. I saw him turn around and start jogging the other way.

To this day, I consider this my last actual "race."

I still enjoy blowing past joggers when I am training. Easy to rationalize the effort as a modified fartlek workout.

victory for the walkers, if that story is true, you rule.

Yeah, good story!

That happens all the time. But what that also says is that I take the bait all the time.

But I have rules.

For example, if someone runs up from behind me and passes me, my rule is that I do not pick up the pace. If he comes back to me, fine, but I don't chase him.

However, if I see someone up ahead and maintain my regular pace and pass they guy and then he comes by me - it's on!

Now, let me also add this. The quality of my competition is getting worse and worse as I age. I'm slowing down. The net result? I have more competitors! The slower I get, the more people are in my range. Last night I was duking it out with three guys!

I run on a busy trail, and this happens ALL the time. I usually just let them do their thing, as they always fall apart after a couple miles. That being said, it does get kind of annoying, as it is hard not to pick it up a notch when someone just decides to try and sit on you or stay in front of you.

They just don't get it.

running in jamaica little kids would come up and sprint past me and my buddy all the time. they have pretty much no concept of distance running there, the kids couldn't figure out why we were running so slow.

finally, in one of the lowest things I've ever done, we challenged a couple of them to an open 200 on a grass track, and proceeded to outsprint a couple of 9-year-olds, all out. kinda let the ego get out of control on that one.

i was just on run yesterday and passing this group of about 15 yr olds when one dousche bag turns around and starts to run w/ me, about 50 meters later, hearing labored breathing he stops, and i look back and yell "thats why we beat u in football and track this yr!" (our football team and our track team beat this school this yr, they are our bitter rivals)

Now that had to be a sight to see. Is this race on youtube by any chance?

It happens on occassion, but two stand out. First time was in 2001. I had just run the NYC Marathon two days earlier and was heading up a nice 8 miler w/ a 2.5 mile hill. At the base of a hill I catch this guy out running who decides he will hold me off and takes off running hard. 1.5 miles up the hill he stops and says "I beat you". I kept running and said I'm going to the top not halfway. Pissed me off since I was not in the mood to race and he was taunting me despite stopping when he decided to stop.

Second time was just a few weeks ago. Saturday morning. Running my 10 mile loop and am at about 6.5 miles. Couple of blocks ahead I see two guys running. They get stopped by a light and I catch up. We start across the street at the same time but they then make an immediate right turn whereas I go another block before making a right. I'm cruising along at 6.15 pace when after 3-4 blocks comes one of the two guys hammering. He goes 5 blocks and stops turns and thumps his heart like Sammy Sosa did as I ran by. WTF? I was tempted to tell the guy to be ready to run again in a couple of hours and we would do his loop and I would run a time on it that for the rest of his life he would dream of running. I didn't though.

Stuff like this gets me fired up. If we have a number pinned to our chest we are racing, otherwise, unless we agree to race, we aren't and don't act like you are better than me when you know I can kick your butt in a race.

Never had it happen on the run but on the bike, yes. It is great to see some ass clown up the road keep looking back. Acting as if we would even race him. This sort of thing can go on for miles. They are riding all out and the group just goes about our normal ride.

Last year around August I was visiting Amsterdam and went for a run in the Vondelpark. Not being in very good shape but not having run for a few days due to travel I was doing ~6 minute miles, fast for me then, for loop after loop. I'd lapped this tall guy who was quite obviously a pretty good runner just out for an easy one, and I thought nothing of it. About 45 minutes into my run I met up with my girlfriend on one of the bikes that we rented, and then we passed this guy again not long after.

So buddy then decides that he wants to race me, 50 minutes into a hard run that he's seen me do. Typically this happens to me twice a year or so, and my policy is usually to out my head down and run as hard as I can for 5 minutes and then see where they are after that. This time, no gas in the tank. I give'r for about a minute or so but the dude sticks like glue. This, rather embarassing being with the girlfriend. So, I just slow down and ask him if he's having fun, rather angrily. Yes, he says. I start running again, and he doesn't follow and slows down to his normal pace. Dickhead.

That crap happens to me a couple times a month during my mid-day 5 miler since I routinely run on the busy downtown trail.

I sort of like it sometimes because these runs are often used as 5-mile tempo sessions, sometimes going lactic to prove a point :)

Same scenario everytime: I usually catch up to someone, maintaining my pace (6:00 - 6:20 depending on day), and they latch on. They not only latch on, they try to stay two strides ahead.

Sometimes I'll drop to 5:45 and leave them standing, bust mostly I just maintain at my comfortable pace and watch these lunchtime warriors drop a race effort for two miles just to stay two steps ahead.

Never anything like that.

Personally if I am not running with my club I prefer to run solo and will slow down if I see people on the road. That's my personal quiet time and I enjoy it.

For me it's mostly kids on skateboards (the normal middle class kids, not the freaky ones you see on the X Games). They see me coming then start once I get past them. They'll catch me on the downhill but then on the flats or uphill I'll get past them again. I usually don't adjust my pace because of them.

I don't "race" anyone while out on runs, but every now and then if someone passes me I will latch on. When I'm out of shape I can run 30+ seconds faster a mile easily just by having someone to run with.