Don't Forget The Tissues: Race Etiquette

Blaze Travel Guides lost its race virginity last weekend. The running world as we know it will never be the same. (Okay, enough of the drama)… Taylor and I ran our first race as the Blaze Co-founders in Boulder, Colorado last weekend, and we had some interesting post-race banter about race etiquette. At Blaze, here are a few of our rules of the races:

1. Snot Rockets: A necessary evil. Anyone who has races while recovering from a cold knows that sometimes you just need to blow it out. A simple rule to abide by: look both ways before letting it rip. A fellow racer has every right to throw a bow if you nail them due to negligent nose blowing. And if you’re feeling extremely generous, wait until a moment when the droves spectators are thinning. No need to take down an innocent bystander.

2. Chatting: This is a tricky one. If you’re racing with a friend, you have every right to chat, sing, gossip and discuss. Then again, if no one else is talking, and you’re stuck in a pace group, does everyone else have to listen to your Saturday night war stories? In general, I like to follow the pack. If it’s a particularly quiet race, try to keep the commentary to a minimum. After all, if you have enough energy to recap the frat party, are you sure you’re running hard enough? Then again, if you have something to say- or you’re running with someone you haven’t caught up with in a long time- or you need an amusing story to help carry you through the next few miles- try to keep the volume down.

3. Passing: In a race situation you should stick to the rules of the road. If you’re in the US, passing on the left is the way to go. That said, once you pass, get back in towards the right, so someone could pass you as well. It’s just plain old rude to take up the left lane, and expect people to move around you!

4. Racing: If you find yourself playing leap frog with a fellow competitor try to keep the testosterone (men AND ladies) to a minimum. Racing doesn’t have to be mean-spirited. A good way to flex your racing muscle while still keeping the competition friendly is to smile and drop a “you sure are pushing me!” while you pass the slow-poke (on his left). A friendly “great race! Thanks for the push” is always a nice way to compliment your adversary upon whooping up.

5. Running to the finish line – AGAIN: What do you do if you finished the race and you want to go back and help your friend? Take this advice with a grain of salt (or a drop of sweat), but I am a strong believer in going back to help a friend. As long as you know the friend racing would not construe your presence as mockery, go back and lend a figurative hand. Just DON’T RECROSS THE FINISH LINE. Finish lines are meant to be crossed once. Try to ditch out of the race before rehashing your glory moment (and stealing it from your friend).

Please, let us know your thoughts on these issues by commenting below!