You’re probably familiar with this picture, you’re running along trying to keep at a certain pace when three people are headed towards you walking side my side and blocking your path. You get closer thinking one of them will notice you and drop back allowing you to pass, but the closer you get the more evident it is that they have no intention of doing this. So you have to stop running, shout excuse me or run into the gutter.
It’s maddening. But it’s not just other pedestrians that seem to lack good manners. Runners too lack basic running etiquette. So if you’ve ever done any of the following, (and I’m guilty of these crimes too) stop it now.
1 You’re running side by side with your running buddies (as described above) but don’t drop behind when you see another runner coming the other way. Maybe you don’t want your training partners to think you can’t take the pace, or maybe you think you own the pavement.
2 In a race you stop dead to walk without thinking that there may be someone running close behind you. Sometimes we all need to walk or stop to tie a shoelace, but move to the side and check if there’s anyone behind you. You’ll probably hear them unless you’re wearing earphones.
3 The same as above but down at the running track – you start your recovery jogs without moving out from the centre of the track thus causing those still running hard behind you to run into the back of you.
4 You’ve picked up some water from a fuel station and discard your bottle on the course without thinking about the hundreds of runners behind you that might just trip over it.
5 You want to run a race with your friend, but you’ve been placed in different timing pens. So you sneak ahead to their pen, which is too fast for you, leaving faster runners to swerve round you in the first few miles. Ditto you put a faster time than you’re capable of on your entry form so you don’t have to wait too long to cross the line.
Next time you’re out running or taking part in a race, think about other runners around you and be kind.
Is there bad running etiquette that really bugs you? Let me know in the comments.
Ha I completely agree! My blog this week was on runners being more friendly so I know your pain!
I’ve had pedestrians do this (which is very annoying) but never runners. I hate it when other runners don’t smile or nod as you run past each other. I’ve even had cyclists smile at me where a runner won’t.
Not quite running etiquette, but when running on the pvaement and coming up to a junction in the road to cross over. I’m always very careful and look over my shoulder multiple times when approaching the junction for cars that may be turning… You see a car coming but they don’t indicate, so you start to cross the road, and (wouldn’t you just know it) they turn and cut you off, often giving you the death glare -.-
Completely agree about people running together. I’ve seen up to five abreast in some races – v frustrating! And also those who lie about their possible finish time to get nearer to the front. What’s the point? Everyone gets a chip time anyway! Love the blog, hope your leg is better soon x
Couldn’t agree more about the comment about runners thinking they own the pavements! My group has been known to do it and it makes me so annoyed.
Guilty as charged! Not really though. I think I’m pretty mindful of other runners, walkers, and bikers when out and about. What I’m guilt of most is not saying “on your left” when passing someone. My biggest pet peeve about manners are the bikes that expect you as the runner/walker with the right of way, to move just because they are hauling ass and don’t want to slow down.
I actually find that 99% of people will move over to give runners a bit of room. Given that I am prone to complaining (high standards, I always say), it’s remarkable that I can only remember two stand out experiences of people not moving: one was when a couple simply refused to move, despite my increasingly intense pleas. In the end, I had to barge through them (building on one side, main road on the other), which meant they got pretty unpleasantly aggressive.
The most recent time was a few weeks ago, when two men, a woman and a small child blocked my path on a fairly spacious pavement. One of the men actually stepped across my path, holding a folded up scooter. Not very comfortable, and actually, the only time I’ve felt properly vulnerable running on my own.
I also used to get annoyed when fellow runners didn’t say hello back. I’m much more philosophical now though – maybe they didn’t hear, or are too out of breath to answer. Whatever the reason, it’s their loss.
However, I have been severely cut up at parkrun (to the point where I was very close to tripping over her feet) and when I alerted her to the fact that she’d just pulled in front of me on a nearly empty track, she replied with ‘if you weren’t wearing headphones, you would have heard me’. This clearly wasn’t the case -my headphones are down so low I can hear feet behind me and my own breathing. I think there are runners (and others) who think headphones make people blind as well, which isn’t true.
As always, some people don’t look when crossing the road, some people have their eyes closed while running and some don’t move for runners out of spite. But not all of them!
Wait til you start doing triathlons – a different etiquette for each sport.
Runners who spit, watch where you are spitting people! I’ve had a few instances where runners have gobbed over their shoulder without considering the poor person behind them ….bleurgh!
An old dude pushed me out of the way at my last race. I understand that we’re all eager to get going, but there wasn’t really anywhere for me to move. Right at the beginning when you’re in a big group, too. Big meanie.