11 Race-Day Rules for Being a Super Spectator
When our SparkPeople team ran the Flying Pig half marathon in May, we were blown away by the energy and enthusiasm of the spectators along the course. At 6 a.m. on a rainy, windy Sunday morning, hundreds of people came out in droves—garbage bag ponchos and all—to show their support. It didn’t seem to matter that each spectator was there to see a specific friend or family member—their cheers were universal, and the cumulative effect was motivating. From the woman ringing the cowbell to the high-school cheerleading squad to the Elvis impersonator, each fan played his or her part in propelling us to the finish line.
After the race, as we swapped stories about our favorite people along the course, we wondered if there might be some unwritten rules of the road—spectator etiquette, if you will. We talked to a couple of our running experts to get their take—and it turns out, there are some roadie rules. Below are some of our curbside takeaways.
Unwritten Rule #1: Don’t make false promises.
Around mile eight of the half-marathon course, a well-meaning man called out, “You’re almost there!” At first, I perked up—For real? Almost?—until I spotted the mile marker and realized there were still five very long miles to go.
Beth Weinstein, an NYC-based ultramarathoner and owner of Only Atoms, advises spectators to avoid calling out the “almost there” claim unless there’s less than a mile to go. “It may seem ‘close’ to someone who’s not running, but one mile is far when you’ve already run 12.1 or 25.2,” she says.
And if you’re going to tell a runner how much distance is left, make sure you’re accurate. “There’s nothing worse than than being told you’re a quarter mile from the finish when you’re actually a half mile from the finish,” says running coach Kyle Kranz. Instead of focusing on distance, opt for one of the always appropriate, “looking good” or “great job.”
Unwritten Rule #2: Come bearing (useful) gifts.
I’ll never forget that moment during last year’s half-marathon, when severely painful chafing had me literally about to call it quits at mile 11—and then I spotted her, my guardian angel. She was standing at the curb holding out wooden sticks with big, beautiful globs of Vaseline on them. Without her just-in-time remedy, I most likely would have ended that race with a DNF status.
If you’re planning to watch a race, consider bringing along some helpful handouts. “One of my favorite things at races is [when] spectators hand out things like tissues, paper towels, bananas, orange slices, Swedish Fish and sometimes even beer,” says Weinstein. “New York Marathon, Cincinnati Flying Pig and Vermont City Marathon are all great races with spectators handing you stuff you want.”
Unwritten Rule #3: Keep strollers to the side.
While a race can be a great source of family fun, make sure to keep strollers clear of competitors. Weinstein points out the potential danger of walking, biking or pushing a stroller across or through a race course. “It’s not only annoying for racers, but it’s also dangerous for both them and you—and especially the baby in the stroller.”
Unwritten Rule #4: Don’t cross a (busy) course. I saw this happen during the half marathon: An overly optimistic spectator thought he had plenty of time to dash across the course to the other side of the street, only to realize he’d misjudged and collided with a female racer who ended up landing on her butt. As a general rule of thumb, if runners are in sight, you should probably avoid intersecting.
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