why do some Slow people line up at the front of a race??

It doesn't matter if it's just a local race, or even a workout for that matter. There is no reason to line up on the line if you are going to finish mid-pack. Runners who are trying to win, or just trying to get in a solid tempo workout, shouldn't have to weave through a bunch of people who are going out at 6+ pace. What makes these people even more annoying is that most of them act like the runners are being rude by squeezing in between them even though they created the situation themselves. You wouldn't get in the fast lane and drive your car 30 mph down the highway, have the courtesy to apply the same principle to racing.

Two words: photo-op

I agree with the safer smoother part. At a 10k I was in 4 or 5 guys maybe 15 all pretty chubby got in front of me and some friends right before the start. The gun went off and they sprinted out as fast as they could for about a quarter mile, one tripped, with me right behind him and I ended up jumping over the majority of him (instead of just running around him for some reason) but my right foot landed on his wrist. I burst out laughing. The Enc

They should keep doing that though, makes for a good, stupid, 30 second story.

For the same reason joggers don't yield the inside lane on a track even when you yell "Track!" at them. They just don't know any better. Driving on the road, everyone knows the rules. They don't mix in putt-putt cars in the Indy 500, but in local road races you have all types and kinds of runners mixed together, some knowledgeable others totally ignorant. Some take it very seriously. Others do it just for the t-shirt. That's road racing. (One of the reasons why I prefer the track - you don't get rank amateurs even in local all-comers meets.)

Same scenario with the five year olds that the parents plant on the front line. I've had to hurdle several of them in the past, sometimes successful.....sometimes not!

You are right. I was once in a 5K, a guy I knew was in his first race ever. He was convinced that not only would he win, but that he could be a world class runner (I'm serious).

He refused to line up behind the faster runners. We went out, he was shocked, did not break 20 minutes and his dream died a painful death.

I always have people asking if they could run with the high school team I coach, they have no clue that HS girls actually run that fast- like 7:30 per mile. They think they are running hard and everyone is that slow.

MachoTime wrote:

Shouldn't the person starting the race and giving the pre-race instructions try to keep the first 3 rows for the faster runners?? It would make it safer and smoother.

I was at a 5K race last year, where the race starter did a very good job of putting the 5 min/mile runners first, then 6 min/mile, then 6:30 and so on. He explained the importance of this from both a fairness and safety point of view. Anyway, one of the race pictures shows a runner front and center ready to take off at the start. I looked up his time and it was about 9 min/mile. Even after being educated some people just don't care.

Yeah it is pretty annoying when people do that stuff. I remember last year at Run Thru hell (4.8 miles), the race director calling people up to the line by pace. He calls 6 minute pace and a bunch of people line up that look like they would struggle with 8 minutes a mile. So he says " I am going to be looking for all you in the results", he was getting pretty pissed about it too. Needless to say not many of them held the pace.

at the bay to breakers this year the race officials ligned up an entire radio station or something like that and thier guests right after the elites/second seed. it was somewhat hard to negotiate through them.

Because you touch yourself

What is the etiquette for someone who plans to run the first quarter in 60 and then slow down to 9 minute pace? Would such a person be justified in starting on the line, idiotic strategy notwithstanding?

same reason idiots drive slow in the left hand lane of a highway. they are either clueless or have no respect for others.

If someone runs the first quarter in 60, then by all means start on the front line. The rule should be: those who plan on a fast start are entitled to the front. As long as they do not slow down others in the first 400 yards before the race widens up, let them go.

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you also have older people lining up front to make sure they can place in their age group.

Older people lining up front to try to win their age group

New runners who don't realize they are breaking an unwritten rule

Formerly fast runners who can't yet admit that they're not going to compete for the win

Guys who think 17:30 is fast because in a smaller race they finished 5th. Now in this larger race, a 17:30 will get about 25th place, so they should be at least in the third row and not on the starting line.

Some just don't want to run a step further than they have to

baytobreakers wrote:

at the bay to breakers this year the race officials ligned up an entire radio station or something like that and thier guests right after the elites/second seed. it was somewhat hard to negotiate through them.

Unless you're among the elites, is it even possible to run the bay to breakers start to finish. I did it over 20 years ago, and as I recall I was nearly 2 miles into the race before I was able to turn my walk into a very slow jog. It was so jam packed, it was impossible to negotiate through anybody for a very long time. Fun event, though.

i was injured and pretty much jogged baytobreakers this year at 7:40 pace(my hamstring was sprained and my back was twisting with my bodies accomidation). i finished something like 450th. obviously it wasn't that crowded 'near' the front. i hope to return uninjured because the course is awesome (front -loaded uphill, downhill pretty much from mile 3).