It happens. People get an inflated sense of self worth from running amateur race times. It's pretty strange.
I think they can't accept that their times are totally meaningless from a real running perspective, and they channel their anger towards other people via rudeness and some sort of warped superiority complex.
most people like that probably think really outgoing having fun at the race types are fake. so they are jerks and you are fake.
I will add that during both training runs and at races, I have had the fortune to chat with Meb and his humility and behavior towards others is remarkable.
And yet nobodies who couldn't even run close to Meb's training pace often act as if they are gods gift to running.
It happens wrote:
Meb behavior towards others is remarkable.
That's what Galen thought before he showed him the future!!!
I recently talked to the winner of the local brew-pub 5K and found that he was only mildy autistic. You could have knocked me over with a feather.
It's just the local culture. Up here in the upper Midwest, the faster locals are a friendly bunch and like to socialize, congratulate other finishers, and do a warm down run together after a race. Nice folks.
The one race I ran recently in my West Coast hometown, though, I found that attempts to make conversation after the race were not welcome. It was more like, I outkicked you therefore I am, and you are not.
Fortunately local running scenes are pretty small cultures, and one person can change things for the better with enough consistent effort.
I wouldn't say everyone in the midwest is friendly. In parts of Ohio they don't respect you unless you run over 100 miles a week
Tru elite wrote:
Pralo wrote:
Here’s a truth for you that many would prefer to deny:
If you’re a post-collegiate, non-professional runner who still structures your life around training and racing , it’s more than likely that you take yourself too seriously as an athlete.
It’s just a fact that many people who fall into this group (I.e. hardcore hobbyjoggers) are the sort who want to feel like big shots even though they’re just above-average hobbyjoggers.
So you get things like little cliques of local “elites” who validate each other’s hobbyjogging dedication and prowess. It just come with the territory.
This +1000000.
Works like a bell curve.
Slower than 20 minute 5k and friendly. Gradually gets more douchey getting closer to 15 minutes and gets more friendly slowly until sub-13 where all is left is Kenyans and Ethiopians who won't stop messaging you or loving your statuses on Facebook because you talked to them for 5 minutes once.
I can't relate to Kenyans liking my social media prowess, this is hilariously accurate. I've been welcomed by a few locals, but as more time passes, I sadly have realized a lot of these guys are "threatened" by younger legs and stronger lungs. It's kinda sad actually. Instead of supporting and engaging with the next wave of hobby joggers, they take it as a threat. I just want to tell them, be happy you're healthy and running past 45-50 and running well for that matter, check your ego elsewhere my friend.
Elite runners who snub because they're fast and you're not are really just living a genetic caste system in their heads. A fast runner was born that way and really is no different than someone being born with a pretty face--doesn't mean a thing, and it wasn't earned. Surely beating other genetically blessed runners is earned, though. One must grant them credit for their hard work, but not for their genetics. Don't buy into their caste system. Make fun of them. If they snub, call them a snob to their face.
Kennekuk Jack wrote:
! The worst offenders seem to be the 14:30–15:30 guys.
Snobber Joggers lol
Lol, thanks for all the replies, guys. Brings some perspective.
There are a couple guys that have been alright to chat with, and I think they are similar to me, in the sense that they started training harder years after college and discovered the joy of running and talent they didn't know that they had. Seriously, I am just grateful and overjoyed to be running times that I never thought I would be running again.
And maybe I should hit the trails!
This thread is rather sad. Lots of stone throwing I glass houses. Some people are introverts. Some are extroverts. Half these post are complaining about people who don’t swoon and socialize with everyone after a race. What does the speed the person races have to do with the requirement of being a social butterfly or not? To those who tried to socialize and felt snubbbed, did you try to socialize with the 35 minute finishers and tally how many of them where all about talking to you vs not giving a crap to talk to you?
These post come across as people with butt hurt egos. “Jonny ran faster then me. He doesn’t know me but I’m special and he’s supposed to want to talk to me because of how great I am. If he does want to talk to me it must be because he’s an ass.”
that's human nature.
most people are goofs and are concerned mainly about themselves.
granted, a lot of road racers are goofs, and also,
a lot of restaurant workers are goofs.
a lot of supervisors are goofs.
a lot of postal clerks are goofs.
a lot of young people are goofs.
a lot of middle-aged people are goofs.
Take perspective wrote:
This thread is rather sad. Lots of stone throwing I glass houses. Some people are introverts. Some are extroverts. Half these post are complaining about people who don’t swoon and socialize with everyone after a race. What does the speed the person races have to do with the requirement of being a social butterfly or not? To those who tried to socialize and felt snubbbed, did you try to socialize with the 35 minute finishers and tally how many of them where all about talking to you vs not giving a crap to talk to you?
These post come across as people with butt hurt egos. “Jonny ran faster then me. He doesn’t know me but I’m special and he’s supposed to want to talk to me because of how great I am. If he does want to talk to me it must be because he’s an ass.”
Actually, the way I see it, it's about camaraderie with people that enjoy the same activity as you and are at a similar level. It's like meeting other people that engage in and enjoy your hobby, acknowledging their effort, and having a bit of a chat about it. If I start seeing the same people at events once a month or so, I would consider it a courtesy to just hi or whatever. I'm not saying we have to share a beer and a pizza and become best friends, but just something as simple as acknowledgement and encouragement for others involved in the pursuit.
Because running is basically the only adult hobby/activity I have done where others participating in the activity have a tendency to be introverted, clique jerks to each other and just not be very welcoming. No wonder the sport lacks popularity, the people participating in it,
And yes, if I know other people at the road race that are way slower than me, I chat with them about their races. Regardless of how fast you are, running is something you have in common and can relate to, because of the principle of challenging yourself.
You have this all wrong, and i suspect it is because you are "looking for love in all the wrong places."
Runners are for the most part a bunch of straightforward upright people. I know because i have participated at a fairly high level in other sports.
But to my point: You need to get off your ass and do your part by participating at the level which you so sorely are missing. That would be a RUNNING GROUP. That will give you all the camaraderie you are lacking. That's practically its expressed purpose and there are so many that it's hard to keep up with them, at least around here.
The expectation is, if that is what you desire, you would have made the effort.
The race is a very different beast, as you are figuring out.
Hopefully you may find the social fulfillment at the end of the day, but presently, i think you could do better at where you are and are not looking for them.
All you keep saying is “this is what I think and the people that don’t behave how I think they should are jerks.” That is the massage you are sending. Just because someone isn’t all about wanting to wave to you doesn’t mean they are a jerk. The problem is your expectations. Pull you head out of your butt and think about who the jerk is right now.
Who is the jerk?
Guy 1 goes to a race. Hangs around with his friends and races. He says hi to people he knows but mostly keeps to himself.
Guy 2 goes to a race. He stares averyone down he passes he has to have every person acknowledge him. Anyone who doesn’t make eye contact goes on his “jerk list”. The guy then goes to the internet to talk shat about all the people that didn’t do exactly he thought they should do in regard to validating his existence.
This thread is useless without pbs.
seattle prattle wrote:
You have this all wrong, and i suspect it is because you are "looking for love in all the wrong places."
Runners are for the most part a bunch of straightforward upright people. I know because i have participated at a fairly high level in other sports.
But to my point: You need to get off your ass and do your part by participating at the level which you so sorely are missing. That would be a RUNNING GROUP. That will give you all the camaraderie you are lacking. That's practically its expressed purpose and there are so many that it's hard to keep up with them, at least around here.
The expectation is, if that is what you desire, you would have made the effort.
The race is a very different beast, as you are figuring out.
Hopefully you may find the social fulfillment at the end of the day, but presently, i think you could do better at where you are and are not looking for them.
Probably. I joined a local running club and everybody I have met so far is much slower. Many of the faster runners are out in the suburbs or seem to be hiding out somewhere else. I am averse to joining groups of any kind in general. But I probably could make more of an effort regarding training groups.
You still don’t get it wrote:
All you keep saying is “this is what I think and the people that don’t behave how I think they should are jerks.” That is the massage you are sending. Just because someone isn’t all about wanting to wave to you doesn’t mean they are a jerk. The problem is your expectations. Pull you head out of your butt and think about who the jerk is right now.
Who is the jerk?
Guy 1 goes to a race. Hangs around with his friends and races. He says hi to people he knows but mostly keeps to himself.
Guy 2 goes to a race. He stares averyone down he passes he has to have every person acknowledge him. Anyone who doesn’t make eye contact goes on his “jerk list”. The guy then goes to the internet to talk shat about all the people that didn’t do exactly he thought they should do in regard to validating his existence.
Lol, I'm the jerk now because I´m trying to foster a more positive, encouraging running environment. The "Guy 2" in your scenario seems like quite the character.
I don't expect people to act in a certain way. I'm just saying we are all adults engaging in an amateur, albeit competitive, hobby. It's only running. Why so uptight? Let's remember to have some fun. Be more like Meb and less like Rupp.
But whatever.
i think that running by its very nature is a solitary pursuit. Many, if not most, runners at an event are competing against their own best time, not necessarily racing to place. Unless they are podium material, and at fifth place, that's not podium. So, the emphesis is not about the group at all.
Add to that the fact that runners look forward. After a race, i only really congratulate other runners that were in my field of vision. IF someone was behind me for the whole race, i simply don't know them from Adam.
I've found that you get out of this what you put into it. When i've talked to people at a race, they've talked back. If i didn't take the initiative.... nada.
And running is pretty much a do-it-on-the-fly sport. Not much gear, not much prep. time., not much of anything really. The downside of that is that a lot of runners just want to slap on the running shoes, see how their time stacked up against the personal best, and get home to download their race onto Garmin or stava site or whatever.
Again. You need to pull you head out of your butt and think about what you have done. You are runner 2 in the example. You have expected people to act the way you want and because they didn’t you came to the internet calling then jerks. People do not have to want to go out of their way to be friendly to you just because you want them to. That does not make them jerks. What make you a jerk is the fact that you started this thread throwing stones to stranger you don’t know.