You Know You're at a Local Fun Run When....

When you stop mid race to have a conversation with a child who thinks that you look like a big cat. After the conversation you take off running and easily win the race. You jog home after winning the race before your competitors come in and you don't wait to see if there is any award ceremony.

...Despite naming your event a "fun run" to disuade hyper-critical people from attending, such people show up and complain about trifles which should really just be considered humorous.

Since when is 2.9 and 3.4 miles not a "5k?". Come on, people, remember your sig figs!

Canova>God wrote:

When you stop mid race to have a conversation with a child who thinks that you look like a big cat. After the conversation you take off running and easily win the race. You jog home after winning the race before your competitors come in and you don't wait to see if there is any award ceremony.

I can't be the only one who's ashamed to get this reference.

also... sig figs heh heh...

When you run in a race called, "Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure"

True this:

When you take off in pursuit (and ultimatley in vain) against a couple of DIII all-Americans and people from behind yell somewhat angrily "Hey this is supposed to be a fun run!"

This happened to me in the Twin Cities a long time ago, in a 2.7 or 2.8 mile fun run around one of the many lakes there. It was funny to hear, but those behind us were not amused.

When the top runners warm up together.

If the race is in a closed circuits where you have to run laps, there is always an annoying speaker.

Enlighten please not a clue thanks

a fool wrote:

Canova>God wrote:

When you stop mid race to have a conversation with a child who thinks that you look like a big cat. After the conversation you take off running and easily win the race. You jog home after winning the race before your competitors come in and you don't wait to see if there is any award ceremony.

I can't be the only one who's ashamed to get this reference.

also... sig figs heh heh... this I get

Local 10k Guy wrote:

Think it\'s be fun to post jokes about your experiences at your local fun runs.

Ill start off,

You know you\'re at a local fun run when the race official asks for all the \"fast people\" to get to the front of the line, and a lady in your mid 30s with a baby stroller steps up to the in front of you (a 36:30 10k guy). And refuses to me.

You know you\'re not an elite runner when you\'re so insecure you feel the need to make fun of fun runs

The lead pack of teens cut the course and accident and finish the 5k in 16 minutes and the RD looks the other way because if he DQ'd them the next best time would be 23 minutes.

everyones a hobbyjogger wrote:

You see everyone in this thread walking around like they're hot stuff. When in reality, they're nothing but washed up half decent ex-college runners with nothing better to do on a Saturday morning.

+1

ummm wrote:

everyone who complains about going off course, even if led by a pace car/bike, needs to shut the hell up. You're a smart person, if you're going to pay money for a race, you should at least take the time to learn the course, or at least pay attention when the course is being explained before the race, if it's that bad of a race.

other than that, this is my favorite letsrun thread ever

I was at a 5K that was marked with arrows on all turns, had maps for review beforehand, but no lead vehicle. I'd run before and knew the course. I was a close 2nd at 2 miles but starting to fade. Four more guys slowly picked me off. At 2.75, some neighbor had put up a yard sale arrow and I saw those 5 guys follow it the wrong way. I started laughing but didn't want to take the win and have the 5 guys giving me the stink eye at a dinky 5K. I ran after them and told everyone it was a wrong turn. Meanwhile, another half dozen had followed me. Everyone clumped togrther and I told them the way. Funny watching some of them sprint off again all out. The winner, who should have been 12th, finished in 19 and change. On top of that, the timing company had a mixup giving wrong numbers to day of race registrants. Completly ridiculous - glad I wasn't that race director.

When you run with your 7 year old son in his first 5K and you both get second in your respective age groups

I didn't try at a race, won by a full minute... I ran 23 minutes for a 5K that day... I won a 100 dollar gift card to Marathon Sports though

When you have to wait an hour for the awards because some lady ran backwards for the entire 5k

you know you're in a fun run if you see me lined up next to you

(never thought I'd be posting this, but in today's America....)

... after you finish, you see a walker amble in wearing his holster.

... and having a conversation with your preschool-aged child about it: "What's in that guy's belt, Daddy?" "A gun." "Does he need it because there are criminals... or wolves?" (race was in a rural, northern US town)

- race start line is a road marking such as crosswalk line (could be worse, at least it's permanent?)

- course road crossings across major highway not controlled (racers waiting for a break in traffic)

- racer run in bike lane because road is not closed or police patrolled (bonus points for almost being hit by a car); no indication of what "lines" are permissible

- you are the only person doing a warm-up

- kid wearing track spikes with pins for a race purely run on pavement

- hydration systems for races less than 10k, bonus points if temperature is cold enough for half tights

- over-exuberant water/aid station volunteers (no, I don't need gatorade 2k into a 5k)

- open prizes are last season's discards from local running store

- if female: place top 5 in race outright

- if female: laughing as deluded male rec runners try to avoid getting chicked, die swiftly and painfully

When the pacer of a 5k is a guy in a Corvette who pull up 10 feet in front of the start line and is immediately overwhelmed by runners when the gun goes off. Somehow we got on fine without him but his big day was pretty ruined.

Also got stopped by a train once 200 meters before the finish. It was a mad dash mixed with people laughing and people swearing.

When they ask for anyone who can run under 6 minutes/mile for the 5k to step to the front. And I'm the only one.