The Mercedes Marathon this past Sunday went amazingly well. I thought the race would be a disaster between my many interruptions in training & the hillier course, but in the end it was definitely one of my best races in terms of enjoyment. The weather was perfect. I felt great the whole time. The spectators were spectacular. Overall a good time. I'll write up a full race report soon.
In the meantime, I have a question about race etiquette:
I'm a poor grad student, so I'm all about grabbing freebies at expos & races. I recently wrote about hitting up all the booths with free stuff at the Mardi Gras RnR expo and wrote about how I try to come out even with Gu at races (finish with the amount I started with). At finish lines I might grab an extra banana or water - something I'll eat as I recover.
But here's my complaint: I saw some people hoarding food at the finish line and filling their bags with goodies. Once I'd recovered and stretched out I went back to the finish line to cheer on those coming in behind me. In doing so, I couldn't help but notice that the runners who came in around the 4:45-5:00 time where left with some scrawny oranges and a couple warm waters at the finish line. It's nice to get your money's worth at expensive races, but not if it means that others are left with nothing. But that's just me. Am I being too harsh?
Free for all in the grab for freebies, or truly free for all finishers - regardless of time? What's your thought?
Busted! I definitely loaded up at RnR Mardi Gras. But only because they had tons and tons of stuff and because...it's RnR. I know they have a lot of goodies and aren't going to run out, since the food is supplied by the vendors. At small races (like the Wall 30k in January) I would just take what I have to have - like I just took the one Gu I ate on the course and a beer at the finish.
ReplyDeleteYou're right - greed is not good!
ReplyDeleteNothing drives me more bonkers! Last October I was one of the last people to cross the finish line at Twin Cities Marathon....there was NOTHING left except a bottle of warm water. So yes, even big races run out of stuff.
ReplyDeleteI also have worked the finish line and I could not believe how people hoarded the finish line goodies. It is one thing to grab an extra banana or bottle of water, but people were walking away with arm loads of stuff and asking for bags to haul it away. That is ridiculous.
I don't know...I think it's not so great hoarding the freebies. I might grab an extra banana or water, but I actually eat and drink it relatively soon after running. There should be stuff for everyone at the end of a race.
ReplyDeleteI think you should only take what you are going to consume right there. That being said I have been chastised about the beer consumption post race.
ReplyDeleteIt always comes down to "Just because you can doesn't mean you should."
Hi, I'm a new follower ... I agree, it's frustrating after a 10K, for example - when all of the 5Kers have taken everything. I don't know if it's more people hoarding or the race organizers not planning a little better. Good post!
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those late finishers in all of my races (5Ks up to halfs - never done a full) - and yep, we usually get "the left overs" if anything at all. On more races than I can count, I've finished without any cups left to get water out of the jugs or without water left in the jugs. I ran a race where they gave away small subway sandwiches and all that was left were some messed up veggie subs - the turkey and ham ones were already gone. There's been no bags of pretzels or crackers left by the time I finish. I always finish within the event requirements and thankfully have never been last - it's really disappointing. I did the Women's half marathon in St. Pete and they boasted about their 5000 cookies in their cookie cafe - not a single cookie left. You're not wrong. I think it was great you noticed. Most people don't think about those that are slow - they just think they deserve it since it's so massively stocked when they cross the finish line.
ReplyDeleteI am with you! I think that everyone should get what they need, but not just fill up their bags because the stuff is there. It really is not fair for the slower runners (like me) to end up with nothing. I have seen it happen on more than one occasion!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure who is doing the bag-stuffing. I take only a piece of fruit and some water. I'm nosy, though, so I tend to look to see what people are doing around me. I don't see the people who finish with me stocking up on stuff.
ReplyDeleteI also don't think it's appropriate. What if someone gets too dehydrated because they can't get water at the end of the race because it's all gone?
The etiquette is especially important for 1/2 marathons and over.
Sorry, but you don't need bagels and other assorted calorie bombs after either a 5k or a 10k, for example.
p.s. I took an orange slice, a bottle of water and an apple after the Mercedes 1/2 marathon. It was the perfect amount!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more! It makes me crazy when people (espcially the 5K-ers that really DON'T need all of the food) hoard and then there isn't anything left for the half and full marathoners.
ReplyDeleteYeah, hoarding and taking a bunch of stuff at the end of the race is just plain rude. I was a 5 hr finisher once and there wasn't much left at the end. And it was a huge race too, there should have been plenty. Learn your manners runners! :)
ReplyDeleteoh and congrats on another marathon!
ReplyDeleteI am against hoarding at races... I mean an extra banana or bottle of water, no biggie, but taking food to last a week? Not cool in my book UNLESS you truly stuck around to make sure all runners got enough. We all pay the same entry fee, just because someone is slower doesn't mean they shouldn't get the same post-race refreshments. And, it's a race entry fee - not a buffet ticket. Some races are expensive because you're paying for the brand name, not a bag of groceries.
ReplyDeleteAnyway... Sorry for my little rant. I also get irritated at parents who let their kids eat the food while they wait for mommy/daddy to finish running. I don't really know why this bugs me so much - half the time I don't get anything other than water/Gatorade because my food allergies keep me from eating the other stuff.
I'm pretty much on the same wavelength as you. I take a little bit of extra, but try to be mindful of those around me. If I can break even on Gu's, I'll be a happy camper. I can't stand hoarders. The last couple of races that I've run, I've seen people walking around with box fulls of stuff and then overheard others saying how there's nothing left...when people are still finishing! If you're helping clean up a race and nobody else is crossing the finish line, then fine, yes, take what you will. Otherwise, people should be considerate and remember that there people other than themselves in the world.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's my two cents!
Can't wait to read the race report!
I agree, but take more than normal b/c i know I am extra hungry following a race!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your race report!!!!
agreed... getting a few free things is cool but hoarding is NOT! hope your race was good :)
ReplyDelete