Racing Etiquette & Tips for Road Runners
Most people running road races aren’t actually RACING in the sense of trying win. Most runners are out there to run— to cover the distance, get a good effort in, to socialize, maybe even snag a new personal record. Even those who want to win or place high in their age group aren’t directly racing their competitors because everyone is mixed together. All ages and genders are on the road at the same time so it’s impossible to know who is a competitor in which category.
So is racing even possible? Should we try to muster up a competitive spirit in a road race?
Definitely, yes.
Even for those who don’t care at all about age groups or placing, racing other runners is a great strategy for success. Racing helps us FOCUS in a productive way!
It’s not possible to actively think about two different things at one time, so if we’re thinking about racing people around us, we won’t be thinking about things like: fatigue, bad weather, hills, chafing, or anything else that could distract us from running our best.
How to Race
Keep your eyes UP!
You need to see a person to race them. If you’re looking down at the road all the time, you can’t engage with the other runners.Engage.
By this I mean mentally engage with someone else. We’re not striking up conversations here. You engage by thinking about your running relative to someone else’s running. Maybe you see that you are catching up to someone and lean into that, using it as motivation to keep up your pace and overtake them. Maybe you notice that someone near you is running step for step with you and decide not to let them pull away even when you want to slow down.Be Courteous.
If you target a runner to stick with, do not crowd the person. There is no need to run directly behind them or on their shoulder. You can keep the person in your sight even if you get separated on the road due to other runners, water stops, etc.If you’re passing someone, don’t cut them off or anyone else in the process. Remain aware of the other runners in your general vicinity even if they are not people you’re engaging with. There is room in the road for everyone.
My Racing Approach
Generally I run races with negative splits. Starting slower allows me to feel comfortable early on and only start hurting when I’m in the second half. Many runners rush past me at the start of the race, but at a certain point I decide to try to prevent any more people from passing me. This is how I use racing instincts to motivate myself in a big pack of runners.
In my recent race (read my Crim 10mile race report) I decided after the first mile: no more getting passed. Several runners did pass me after that, but I made sure to pass them back asap. However, there were two runners who passed me and stayed ahead of me.
The first went by looking VERY strong at about the 7th mile. I kept him in my sight but was not able to reel him back in. He widened the gap. That being said, putting my focus on this runner helped distract me from my fatigue and motivated me to keep pushing the pace in those final miles.
Bad Manners
The second runner who passed me: oof. He sprinted past and leaned at the finish line, right beside me. This is VERY ANNOYING. Given that the race has many people who are starting in separate waves, photo finishes are not a thing. Results are based on chip time not clock time.**
Do not sprint and lean at the line unless you are targeting a direct competitor (meaning you are the same gender and you started at the same time). If you are confident that the person you’re battling to the line is a direct competitor of yours, remember, be courteous. The finish line is as wide as the road. Put some space between yourself and the other person.
**In the official results, there is no one listed with the same time (or very close) as me. This means the person who leaned at the line next to me didn’t start at the same time as I did, most likely he started 1 minute ahead or 1 minute behind me in a different corral. The lean made no difference in our finishing order.
Nicole Sifuentes is a full-time Running Coach for adults of all ages and abilities. She is a former professional runner and 2-time Olympian, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Read more about her services, and schedule your free coaching consultation.
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