What is the most awkward thing you have ever done or seen on the starting line?

An old man with a gun telling the girls to "take em off"

I took a crap 10' away from the line at the state meet. tore up my spikes going through a thorn bush.

In my teammates' heat during districts of my Freshman season in highschool, a kid from another team was asking several runners for "head". My teammates weren't asked but got a good laugh out of it.

A teammate an I used to joke about having an extreme hard-on on the starting line due to the presence of a hot female runner doing something suggestive...

I guess you would have to have some weird body chemistry issues to pull that off. All that adrenaline and tension before the race usually steals junior's thunder.

Ted Casteneda (former Colorado runner) used look over at the guy next to him (this was at a big race), and say to the guy in a lisp: "Hey big fella, wanna touch dicks?" The guy would then freak out and usually go out in 57-58 for 400 and die in a 5,000.

Had teammates in college that would have no problem doing the crouch-down-out-the-leg-of-the-shorts pee right on the starting line while everyone was doing striders or too busy to take notice. Lucky we weren't DQed.

I had to pee one time as we were called to the start of the 1500 in track, so I jogged over to a set of hurdles on the infield only about 20ft away and used the same technique, being very partially obscured by the hurdles. Looked like I was just tying my shoe with my back to everyone. Lucky I didn't get DQed for that too.

survival vacation wrote:

Ted Casteneda (former Colorado runner) used look over at the guy next to him (this was at a big race), and say to the guy in a lisp: "Hey big fella, wanna touch dicks?" The guy would then freak out and usually go out in 57-58 for 400 and die in a 5,000.

Dude, that is awesome. imagine saying that to bekele.

survival vacation wrote:

Ted Casteneda (former Colorado runner) used look over at the guy next to him (this was at a big race), and say to the guy in a lisp: "Hey big fella, wanna touch dicks?" The guy would then freak out and usually go out in 57-58 for 400 and die in a 5,000.

I don't think anything has ever been as funny as the verb phrase "Touch dicks." Whenever there is sadness in my life, I will remember this post and feel a little better.

my buddy took a shit ON THE LINE at nationals. He went out about a foot in front of it and shat. In front of everyone at the race, fans competitors etc... no one seemed to notice because they were all so focused on their races but it was pretty funny. Then he left the tp on the ground that had been used which was in the box right in the middle of the course.

Was at a JC race in SoCal in the mid 90s and these two Kenyans stood on the line and started to pee. A guy on their team looked around and said 'Please excuse these guys. They just got off the plane from Kenya last week'. Thought it was funny, but then realized that these guys were going to kick our ass in the race.

At Azusa Pacific Meet of Champions in 2002, 5,000m in the evening:

Some dude from Southern Utah University (pretty sure that was the school), walks out in front of the whole group of people (about 15+)on the line right after the starter brought everyone to the line and says "we're goin out in 70, and we're going to run that pace. don't anyone try to go out ahead of us." there was about 6-7 of his teammates with him. this guy was tall, and i mean TALL--like 6'6" or so and that just added to the weirdness of it all. he ended up pulling out at the 3k mark, and i think some of the other guys in the race did ok, but one or 2 others might have pulled out also. if there's any SUU guys on here that were at that race, maybe they can shed some light on this race.

During final instructions before the gun, we had an alternate, fully dressed and ready to run in case someone pulled a hammy, turn to a Geneseo guy in the box next to us, and ask him to block the wind for him. At first the kid was happy to oblige, until he realized that my teammate needed the wind blocked so that he could light a cigarette. At this point there was a shriek about a cigarette and a mad scramble to the other side of their box to avoid inhaling the toxic fumes a few seconds before the gun went off.

Also, the classic, "How many laps?"

I was at an invite running the 800 last year (I'm only running cuz the good guys at our school were all in the mile). So I'm standing next to Jon Popejoy, who is an all state mile and 2 mile guy. I dont know why he was running the 8 but w/e. We're starting in alleys, and this is Jon's home track. After the starter explains everything, Popejoy one of the best distance runners in the state that year turns to me, some random kid that will be well behind the pack at this race, and asks "where's is the starting line?"

did do or see this one, but i heard about it though........at an indoor meet at Arkansas a few years ago there were only 2 teams lining up for the DMR - Arkansas' "A" team (which was going for a qualifier) and Alabama's "B" or "C" team (don't remember which, but it doesn't really matter...they wouldn't be close to the Hogs is the point). As the two lead 1200m guys line up to start the race, the Bama guy looks over at the Arkansas lead leg (who was none other than Daniel Lincoln, current AR holder in the Steeple) and says straight-faced, "Hey Lincoln, lick my taint MotherF-er!!" Lincoln just laughed at him and I think Arkansas ended up lapping Bama at least once that race.

THAT is funny!

I'd try that line sometime, but I'm too much of a pansy...

"Hey Lincoln, lick my taint MotherF-er!!"

I don't get it.

I was standing on the starting line for the 10,000 in the 1984 Olympics when they came and got me for flunking a previous drug test. Color me red!

I peed right out of my split shorts at the line. No squatting or anything. Luckily, they thin matterial made it so it was a nice stream, left only a small wet spot. My teammates mother happened to catch the moment on camera. Apparently I looked really relaxed.

I also did the squat and pee in the starting field of a race as everyone strided around me.

I'm enjoying the stories (especially survivor's), keep them coming!