What is THE WORST race day scenario you have encountered?

When I was 23 I signed up for a dumb local 5k with only a few serious runners. The same high school stud won the race the previous 2 years in 16's. I hadn't done this race before but I was in low 15 shape so I was hoping to win o/a.

My pre-race routine was going perfectly. I was even feeling good enough to trot off to the john to take a pre-race dumper, still 15 mins ahead of the scheduled starting time. While I'm in there, I hear on the loudspeaker, "The race is moving up ahead of schedule. We must start the race NOW. Everyone to the start line. 10, 9, 8..." I start major panicking as I still have my trainers on and matter is still exiting my body WHILE the gun goes off. I watch the lead runners sprint off the start line from the ventilation screen in the port-a-potty.

I don't wipe, change my shoes, and started running from the very back. I officially started 50 seconds behind everyone. Blasted the first two miles on the adrenaline from pure rage/anxiety, having to dodge and weave around 800+ hobbyjoggers, caught and passed the chase pack, and caught up to the HS stud in the third mile. Thought I had made this big miraculous comeback to win from the very back, but faded bad the last 1/4 mile and got 2nd overall. I technically WON the race by chip time (in 15 minutes), but ran 16's by gun time (+ 50 seconds) and got 2nd. They awarded prizes by gun time and HS punk ended up winning like $250 plus a bunch of sponsor crap. It sucked because I clearly had the best effort, but had to stand in 2nd on the podium and went home with nothing all because of the RD rushing the race start.

Boston Marathon 2013

Cramped up starting at mile 6, started walking at mile 10. This being my first Boston Marathon, I had to finish, so it was a walk/jog death march the rest of the way.

Then there was the bombing about 10 minutes after I finished and our cell phones didn't work, so it took a while to communicate with the rest of the world that we were (relatively) safe,

On about my 4th phone call home that night, my mom told me they had to put the dog down.

Worst race day ever. Sure it could have been worse, but I'd rather it not be.

On the upside, I returned to the Boston Marathon this year, ran a big PR and got engaged the same day.

So last weekend, I woke up and got my stuff ready to leave hotel and head to the marathon I was running. I got a strange feeling in my stomach, ended up in the bathroom for 45 minutes pooping and puking. Left hotel got to race by 6:30, race time was 8am. I ran to bathroom was in there for another 45 minutes pooping and puking. Got changed for race then put on race gear, headed to start. At start line I felt like I had to poop, but did not have time to. So gun goes off, every time I ran past a bathroom, I contemplated stoping, but I never stopped. 26.2 miles later, I won the race, won my 4th marathon in a row. I went to bathroom to poop, couldn't. Could not poop for 2 days, nah nah stick your head in poo poo my poo stories better then yours

/thread wrote:

Footlockers

constipated 6 days

Turtle-heading in portapotty 5 mins before race goes off

Can't go

still get 14th

/thread

Showed up to a 10 mile road race one time and realized I forgot my shoes. I customarily like to keep it fresh and loose and show up to races in sandals. My friend had a spare pair of shoes in his car. The problem? He's a tiny Asian with smaller feet and they weren't running shoes. They were Reebok Jump Tones (think Sketcher Shape Ups lol).

Finished in 2nd but was in agony for a week after. Almost ran the race in sandals.

Cicirunner wrote:

Showed up to a 10 mile road race one time and realized I forgot my shoes. I customarily like to keep it fresh and loose and show up to races in sandals. My friend had a spare pair of shoes in his car. The problem? He's a tiny Asian with smaller feet and they weren't running shoes. They were Reebok Jump Tones (think Sketcher Shape Ups lol).

Finished in 2nd but was in agony for a week after. Almost ran the race in sandals.

That had to suck

Had a good race going until 20 miles at Hartford Marathon and then started feeling like I was getting stabbed in my side, I was passing kidney stones, pissing blood and throwing up on the side of the road for an hour and a half final 10k

Southern California HS track invitational, late 80s. I'm in the open 3200, ready to watch Bryan Dameworth and his rival from TO duel for the win. My goal is not to be lapped.

We line up at the starting line, and the starter points to the TO guy's running tights under his shorts, tells him they're not part of his school-issued uniform, and that he'll be DQ'd if he doesn't take them off. And there's no time to go change. So the rest of the guys congregate around the TO guy to shield him as he sits on the track, pulls off his spikes and shorts, and tries to get out of his tights without the whole stadium noticing.

Except what do HS guys do on the starting line while waiting for a race to start? They run strides to stay warmed up. First one, then another, then the whole pack takes off, leaving the TO guy sitting on the track in his underwear as he struggled out of his tights. Eventually the race started, and he took 2nd to Dameworth. I successfully avoided being lapped.

It may not have happened to me, but it was definitely the worst race scenario I've encountered.

My senior year of track I was in the best shape of my life. I unfortunately missed our opener meet because I was sick but was amped up for the 5k in our second meet of the season.

The week of the meet I get a call that my grandfather has passed away and his funeral is the day of the meet. I had to go home, and I was able to enter a track meet at a local college. The morning of the meet, I served as a Pall bearer at my grandfathers funeral. Following the funeral service and reception, I headed to the meet.

I decided to warm up with some of the guys I knew from a school in our conference. During my warm up around town, I was running with the group when suddenly, the two guys in front of me parted like the Red Sea to dodge a cut down traffic sign. I was not so nimble and tripped on the stub of the sign and slammed my knee on the pavement. I ran it off somewhat but it was still slightly sore when I got to the line.

The gun goes off. It's a cool (almost cold) 40 degree day with significant cloud coverage. After 1 mile, those clouds turn into a downpour. Pushing through it with thoughts of my grandfather and everything that I went through that day, I finished the race with a 20 second PR.

No excuses.

Freshman year district track meet. I was scheduled to run a 4x8/open 8 double. In the relay, I felt kinda slow and ran a crappy 2:24 split, a second slower than my PR at the time. I was really hoping for a sub-2:20 and I was pissed about the race. Later, while warming up for the 800, I got the worst side cramps I have ever experienced. I was only able to run about a lap at a time before stopping due to the pain. Doing drills and strides a few minutes before the start, I still felt like crap and was convinced that I would blow the race. The gun went off and I took off at a full sprint, not really caring about what happened next because I was going to suck anyway. I came through the first 200 in about 33 and the first lap at 68, on pace for a PR but in so much pain that I was really thinking about dropping off the track. But I found I still had something left, and I passed three runners on my 71 last lap. Second place with a 2:19. I have never been in so much pain during and after a race and never pushed so hard, but it was worth it for the medal. This is a good example of playing the hand you're dealt on race day and going for the PR no matter what seems to be amiss.

It's my senior year of high school, and I had placed in every 800m I raced that season. Our regionals meet rolls around an it was stacked. 6 of the best schools in the state were there. Even so I slept well and the weather was perfect. Sunny weather but only mid 60s. After my warm-up I'm feeling amazing. It was basically my dream 800m, so I'm expecting a PR. I usually sit around 2nd or 3rd and kick to place. My coach tells me I need to lead because two of the guys had better finishes than me. We line up at the start line and I'm going through all my usual pre-race rituals. I go out way too fast and blast a 54 first lap about 15m in front of the second place guy. I manage to hold the lead but around 550m I feel like utter shit. I'm tell myself if I just hold on I'll finish first. At this point I'm starting to black out, but I kept pushing even though I was getting dizzy. Right before the 600m mark, I accidentally step onto the concrete ring lining the inside of the track. My spikes had no traction and literally shot out from under me. I faceplanted and broke my nose. Dudes are hurdling over me, but somehow I didn't get spiked. I roll on the ground for a couple seconds, stumble to my feet, and run the hardest and sloppiest 200m of my life. I finished in 2:14. The guy who placed first ran a 1:56 which was my season PR. I had to bail on my 1600m and go to a hospital because I was bleeding everywhere

Call ahead to see if I can run a 3 mile postal, without my coach (team was running a lightweight meet, only chance to set my schools 3mile record), and was told yes, if my coach had sent in the entry and signed it etc.

Arrive for the 3 mile race, and was told I couldn't race because my coach wasn't there?? WTF? I was 18. Could vote. etc.

Old fat men should not be allowed to officiate.

Other worst case, girlfriend drops a stereo receiver on my shin, night before a race. (Don't ask).

10 AM spring race. Didn't sleep well. By race time it is 90 degrees. Only race I ever dropped out of.

My first Cross Country meet ever turned out to be in 95 degrees. The coach's weren't supposed to have the race, but my coach led it and wouldn't let the first meet of our season be canceled. I had been so nervous, I had gone to the bathroom three times in two hours. I felt drained, but ready to run. My coach calculated everyone would be a minute or so off pace because of the heat. I felt great once the gun went off. I was in our top 5 running at 17:30 pace for a good while. Right around the two mile marker I remember feeling dizzy and looking down and seeing "2 Miles-One to GO!" I blacked out and the next thing I know i'm 400m from the finish with my whole team yelling at me. I had no idea what was going on, but looked at the clock and realized I went from my 17:30 pace to 22:30. I crossed the line and blacked out again only to find myself laying on the ground under our tent. To this day I don't know what happened for a good ten minutes in that race.

The footlocker story was much worse than yours.....thought that was obvious.

I did a nude 5k last year, in April. The temperature had been in the upper 70s all week, but Saturday morning dawned in the low 40s. Can you say "shrinkage"?

Arriving at the race, I discover the course isn't marked. Runners are given a xerox of directions, about a dozen turns on local streets. About 8 point type. The course is half a mile short, no clock, no awards.

It was mentioned, but bombs going off that killed and maimed a bunch of people was a bit of a wet blanket.

After re reading it, I agree.

At least mine had good out come