As with etiquette in most situations, race running etiquette is really about the people around you. Most of the « rules » of race running etiquette boil down to simple courtesy and common sense. If you’re new to running or have not run in a race before, here are some tips to keep in mind so that your race experience is stress-free, fun, and safe. Preregister If the race allows for preregistration, do so. Preregistering for a race does a number of things for you. First, it motivates you to keep training and running until the day of the race. Second, it eliminates the need to stand in a long line on race day in order to register. Third, since you don’t need to stand in that long line, you’ll have plenty of time to stand in the port-a-potty line. Fourth, preregistering makes it easier for the race organizers — they’ll know in advance how many runners to expect so that they can make sure to have enough t-shirts, goodie bags, bottles of water, and post-race snacks on hand. Line Up Accordingly Faster runners should be in the front. Walkers should be all the way at the back. In half-marathon and marathon races, there are pace corrals that are clearly marked so that people can line up according to their anticipated average pace per mile. In smaller 5k and 10k races, it’s not as clearly delineated so it’s generally a judgment call. If you’re racing for an overall win or an age group win, line up closer to the front. If you average 9, 10, or 11 minutes per mile on your training runs, you should be in the middle of the pack. If you average 12 minutes per mile or more on your training runs, you should be towards the back of the pack. If you are going to walk, you should be all the way in the back. The reason for this is simple courtesy. Someone who is racing for an overall or age group win doesn’t want to have to dodge walkers and slow runners when the gun goes off. Although it may not seem like a big deal, a couple of seconds of energy wasted while dodging a slow runner can make a difference between winning and losing. Likewise, as a walker or a slow runner, you don’t want to get jostled or yelled at by a faster runner whizzing by you. Speaking from experience — as a slow runner who ended up at the front of a very large race quite by accident — it is not pleasant to be jostled and yelled at by the fast runners. They have sharp elbows! Slow Runners Just like when you’re driving, slower traffic should stay to the right so that faster runners can pass on the left. This makes Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society