being asked for autographs after a 16:21 5k
when the race winners get to ride in the town's parade later that day
being asked for autographs after a 16:21 5k
when the race winners get to ride in the town's parade later that day
You win the 5k in 16:08, and after accepting your trophy at the July 4th town festival, you're offered the microphone and asked if you'd like to say a few words to the crowd.
You win the July 4th 5k in 16:40 and get congratulated by everyone in the town government and have an article written about your race, complete with quotes in the next day's local paper.
These were in NH and UT respectively. While it's easy to make fun of races like these, I tend to like the atmosphere of them and they make for good stories afterward. Also, keep in mind they usually raise money for quality local causes and the work is taken on by people who have good intentions, despite not usually having any running or RD experience.
I enjoy those types of races as well. I was interviewed on the radio after a race one time, very strange but interesting.
Were you asked if you had run before?
WhitePony wrote:
I enjoy those types of races as well. I was interviewed on the radio after a race one time, very strange but interesting.
mo f wrote:
Were you asked if you had run before?
WhitePony wrote:I enjoy those types of races as well. I was interviewed on the radio after a race one time, very strange but interesting.
POD
1) The start commands are one...two...three...four...five...six...GO!!!
2) 35 is considered a "masters runner"
3) You win multiple awards... overall, sex, age group, and masters in the same race.
4) After the first 150m, the only people next to you are wearing jeans. After the first 300m you are all alone.
5) A woman beats all the guys (by several minutes).
6) Your prize money is $200 all in 5 dollar bills.
7) When you are going back, in an out-and-back course, you have to weave through all the runners still going out because the course was the same shoulder/lane of the road.
8) The 10k starting line is 200m behind the 5k starting line and both races start at the same time.
9) The race director thanks everyone for coming out to the "marathon" even though it is a 5k/10k.
10) A fellow participant ask you how many miles are in the 5k. You respond 3.1. You are then asked, by the same participant, how many miles are in the 10k.
When the top 4 guys are all former college runners and get led the wrong way by the volunteers and end up running 3.35 miles for a 5K while the rest of the field gets led the wrong way too and end up running 2.6 miles for a 5K...top 4 that ran the 3.35 end up finishing with the front of the peloton that ran the 2.6. Top 4 protest the results together to the RD who doesn't know what to do. She admits "I just want to cry" and runs off to make sure the kids run gets started on time. Nobody in the field ran a 5K and two different races ended up happening but the RD doesn't have the stones to admit the mistake to the crowd during awards and apologize.
When you make the turn at an out and back 5K and realize, while looking at the runners yet to make the turn, that the biggest risk to winning your age group is the local cross country coach wearing the full Easter Bunny suit.
bobby g wrote:
I agree. screw these people. you almost always see at least one them at a 5k race. come by themselves...then win the race...and then sit around and think they are the a pro. everyone else just ignores them. you may be good..but i aint kissing your shoes. lol
I think you guys who posted thoughts like these are really inferring a lot of arrogance on these "wanna-be-pros". Maybe they were just in town for another reason, saw there was a race, and decided to join. And maybe they don't want to be approached, they just want to come, get a good workout in, and go home. Perhaps they stick around because they feel it would be rude to not come to the awards.
Maybe your perceptions of these people are wrong....Maybe you are just jealous that they won so easily and you couldn't...and they took the $20 gift card for first place away from you...
When youre crossing the finish line to win the 10k but no one even notices because there are so many strollers and water belts finishing their 5k at the same time.
How about when people at the gym keep congratulating you post-race for winning the local 5k/10k with a sluggish 36:30?
When the guy who wins the race in 16:40 acts like he's a pro rather than a guy at a fun run.
When the race start is delayed by 10 minutes so the director can finish measuring the course with her mountain bike.
not a med student wrote:
please tell me that actually did not happen with awarding prize money to the 5kers?
Actually happended. $100, $75, $50. I knew the 1st place female and she missed out as well.
Like somebody else described, the people that accepted the prizes were very a) happy, b) surprised, and c) oblivious.
I wasn't happy at the time, but now I can't help but smile when I think about how ridiculous it all was.
When you win the race and decide to stick around for the awards ceremony to be respectful. There is a large crowd at the start of the ceremony which lasts over an hour since they are giving out the age groups awards in two-year increments.
But everyone leaves after they receive their award (and 95% of the field gets a trophy). When you finally get your overall award (a gift certificate for 25% off a month-long gym membership) the only people left are you, the race director, and the race director's wife who is trying to compensate for there being no one left to cheer by being overly enthusiastic.
Like somebody else described, the people that accepted the prizes were very a) happy, b) surprised, and c) oblivious.
I wasn't happy at the time, but now I can't help but smile when I think about how ridiculous it all was.
I would be the same way. Pissed at first, but later it would just be funny. I'd be pissed because there are so few races I'm able to win cash at, that the only ones I'm capable of winning at are ones with small prize purses that no one travels for. So I'm be so excited to actually win a prize at a race(probably one I've been gearing up for in my head to have a shot at winning the $) that when a mistake like that happened I would become Incredible Skinny Hulk.
how about this...you win overall. at the awards ceremony they announce all the age group winners, costume winners, etc and ....then forget to announce the overall.
when you get 30 sec deducted from your time for grabbing a "box" out on the course.
when the winners are based on prediction times. so you can say you wanna run 30 minutes in 5k, run at 28:00 and then stand there and make sure you finish at 30:00....so stupid
- When Fleet Feet is in charge of the timing!
when hard core runners show up to show how bad-ass they are, and act like they don't care about the local 5k, but then pretend it's the NCAA champs, and are upset that it's 2.9 miles and they went the wrong way (their own fault for noth knowing the course), ran 3.2 miles and still win, yet want to complain to some volunteer over next to nothing.
gosh, some of you clowns are so funny at these local races. if it's not a usatf certified race, why do you put so much pride into it???
After nearly 35+ years of working/organizing road races (including Olympic Games, NYCM, Boston, etc), the weekly "fun runs" are my favorite. Many of the posts are entertaining and unfortunately true at some events but we have tried to bring a little bit of "big time" to each of these - even making the local studs (15 min 5k guys) feel special.