First timer culture shock - You might be surprised.

[dsnyfan21]

Jeff had a photo of a man who dressed as snow white one year at the DL 1/2. I saw him/her this year also.
I have also seen, Mr. Incredible, Minnie's, lots of Tinker Bells and such as people dress in costume to run the WDW races.

 

[goofyguy1958]

We have a guy here is SE PA who does races in a PINK TOO TOO is is pretty (play on words intended )fast too - finished the Philly marathon in aroun d 3:30.

 

[Cruella de mom]

During our first Peachtree Road Race, Dh and I ran with a group of guys in hula skirts. It turns out they were the "beer tenders" for a huge group of runners that drink a beer every mile. Worse was that we started in the front of the race so these people were chugging 6 beers before 8 am!!! ugh.

Of course that was the same race that Dh and I shared a port a john at mile 2. There was noone there when we went in, but a line had formed when we came out. Dh just smiled at me and said " Nice meeting you!" then took of running as if we weren't together.

Great idea for a thread!

 

[airtime247]

The only thing that caught me a little off guard during my first races was the spitting and snot rockets by women. I expected it from guys because, well, we're just nasty like that. I was a little surprised to see women that could pass for librarians or Sunday school teachers snorting and hacking up some big ones!

I haven't seen much strange attire until my Turkey Trot last weekend. I was at the starting line with a guy wearing a skin-tight Tap Out ultimate fighting t-shirt and a kilt. I hope he took some serious anti-chafing measures before the race.

-steve

 

[NADLV817]

Yes...the side of the road potty breaks kind of freaked me out at my first marathon. Not the act itself...but the HUGE numbers of people that were...well...participating! Then there was the guy who had a heart attack and died in the first couple of miles at Disney in 2000. We saw a man run the entire race with a skillet...flipping a pancake along the way. Then there was the group that was dressed as the 101 dalmations along with Cruella DeVille. My lovely wife saw the running Elvis' in the San Deigo marathon. At the Music City Marathon (Nashville 2004) we saw a group of soldiers running in full combat gear with a flag. At the Chicago marathon in October of 2001 we saw a man running with a life size cut out of President Bush. Then there was the time that the lady with the prosthetic leg passed me on mile 22. And in San Deigo 1998, my lovely wife's running partner was 6 months pregnant on race day and finished! The baby's name...Lucas Deigo!

 

[Optimator]

Some of my more interesting sitings:

The female winner of my first marathon wore a bikini. Not the usual elite ladies shorts/top thingy, but a very skimpy bikini.

Disney '07 - A lady running the half with a BIG baby, 7-8 months old in a front pack carrier.

MCM '07 - A guy wearing a devil costume, face painted red, horns, pitch fork, pointed tail. His bib number? 666 of course.

MCM '07 - Two guys running in a 6 ft long cardboard ship.

Disney '08 - The assorted speedo clad guys and a dude wearing a 70's style white jump suite with bell bottoms and a rainbow wig for the half. I saw the same guy wearing a Wonder Woman or Supergirl costume for the full.

National Marathon '08 - I was passed by the mayor of Washington D.C. around mile 25. His security detail was 1 guy on a bike.

National '08 - A lady kind of hanging out her upstairs window singing the Star Wars theme for all she was worth. You could hear her for several blocks. Hilarious.

MCM '08 - The blind runner teathered to another runner.

Philly '08 - A guy trying to blow snot rockets every 10 seconds (no exaggeration!) for 6 or 7 miles. I saw him again much later in the race and he was still blowing. No one has that much mucous.

Philly '08 - Cups of Gatorade starting to freeze over at the water stops. Most of the later water stops were also a sheet of ice from all the spilled water. Probably won't be much of an issue at Disney this year.

Then there is the frequently present juggler.

Some things you can always count on seeing (in addition to everyone peeing on the side of the road); the person that stops dead in the middle of the pack to play with the i-Pod, the person that doesn't look and throws half a cup of Powerade on someone's shoes, and the group moving slower than everyone else that insists on taking up the whole road.

My favorite chuckle is seeing some little old lady chugging along at mile 20 or 21. Never the same lady, but there is always one. It looks like she should have a walker with the little tennis balls on the legs waiting at the next water stop. The funny thing? It's taken me 20 miles running as fast as I can to catch her!

 

[hoosmi]

At the Enmark Bridge Run in Savannah this weekend, there were a few things to look at-

1) a guy dressed as Eeyore in the full Halloween style costume (hood and all). He looked a lot warmer than me, but surely there's not enough Body Glide in this world to make that not hurt;

2) A pirate passed me in the 10k- full outfit, carrying an empty bottle of rum;

3) Firefighters and police in full gear.

In a local 5k last year, a guy with a Jack Russell passed me. I never caught him. If I enter it this year, I'm looking for that dog!

There's also a guy who runs a bunch of local races named Bob. I know this because his clothes say "Bob's shirt," "Bob's leg," "Bob's other leg" etc. in giant red letters. I don't know what the inside joke is but he always makes me laugh.

Jen in GA

 

[CarolA]

A guy in a speedo and sneakers...and nothing else!

He was at the ING in Atlanta two years ago too.

Number goes on his butt.....

Very little left to the imagination!

At the Minnie I ran most of the race behind two women dressed at Pirates drinking from a bottle of rum. (Actually water tinted brown, but who wants to carry a rum bottle for 10 miles?)

 

[FireDancer]

The worst thing I saw in a race was at the Cleveland half in 2006. The half and 10K course over lapped and I caught up to a guy probably in his 70’s still on the 10K course. Let’s see how I can put this on a family board. It looked like someone had filled a 12-guage shotgun with Chocolate Pudding and shot him in the back. Upon reaching him the smell told me he didn’t simply slip in the mud, unless of course there was a horse pasture he ran through that I missed. It was disgusting!

I had to hold my breath until I was past him but he kept going. I just hope he didn’t have to drive home before showering.

 

[Aisleleven]

I have seen a few things at Disney I thought I would never see...

A group of 3 girls dressed up as princesses in the long, polyester "Disney" costume dresses.

A guy wearing Yellow Mickey Slippers...

Could you imagine doing 13.1 or 26.2 in either a polyester dress or slippers???

Could not have been too comfortable...

 

[bunnyfoo]

The spitting grossed me out a little at first and so did road side potty breaks - until my first half where there were massive lines for the porta potties. I thought about looking for some bushes but I didn't have a friend for a lookout.

Speaking of costumes - at the Scotiabank 1/2 back in September, I saw a runner dressed as Elvis. It looked like he was wearing white flared yoga pants and he had really cool orange runners. My DF also saw a runner dressed as Spiderman - including the face mask!

How do people run barefoot? Aren't they afraid of stepping on glass or a sharp piece of metal?

 

[laughinplace199]

The spitting grossed me out a little at first and so did road side potty breaks - until my first half where there were massive lines for the porta potties. I thought about looking for some bushes but I didn't have a friend for a lookout.

Speaking of costumes - at the Scotiabank 1/2 back in September, I saw a runner dressed as Elvis. It looked like he was wearing white flared yoga pants and he had really cool orange runners. My DF also saw a runner dressed as Spiderman - including the face mask!

How do people run barefoot? Aren't they afraid of stepping on glass or a sharp piece of metal?

Or step in a puddle of spit?!

Vicky, like you, I was pretty grossed out by all of the spitting during my first (and so far, only) race. Reading this thread is definitely helping to prepare me for what I might see at the marathon.

 

[grizbuzz]

Eeeek gads!

I am so grateful for this thread. Didn't think about any of these things and better to be prepared mentally. Reminds me of preparing for childbirth -- all those more gruesome things no one wants to tell you, but you really need to know.

I will be running my first 1/2 marathon in February. Anything else I need to know?

 

[amykab]

At the turkey trot I did this year, I saw 2 people ( I think they were guys) dressed in WISH green lime FULL body lycra/spandex suits. It was even over their heads/faces. I didn't see any cutouts for eyes, mouth or nose. Kind of freaky.

Also saw a woman at a 5K running in a regular nonsports bra.

 

[Caseydilla]

Casey,

I hope the guy wasn't wearing WISH green?

Next time chop block him, and take him down. And while doing so, yell at him "WHO'S YOUR MOMMA! YOU SOB!"

If only I could turn back time...

It most certainly was not a WISHer, Jeff!

 

[Caseydilla]

Sooo I saw some new first time race sights at the Las Vegas Marathon. I saw over 100 running Elvis/Elvi, men and women. Those costumes looked pretty uncomfortable. For the first time in my life, I ran along side Elvis for a good 2 or so miles. I also saw several running brides and grooms. There was a run thru wedding chapel at mile 5.5. Complete with two running chutes and a 3 minute wedding ceremony. I also saw a runner peeing in the plants of a median on Las Vegas Blvd, about 20 feet from a port-o potty. I have also never had my photo taken by so many tourists in my life!

On the barefoot thing - I do not get this either. Anyone have any idea what that is all about? During the Las Vegas Marathon this past weekend it was said that at least 3 of the runners were barefoot.

 

[solotraveler]

In deference to the guy in the speedo last year, he was actually dressed as one of the Trojans from the movie 300, he was very fast (past me twice!) and well, at least he could pull something like that off....

Take a little bit of a different approach, at my first marathon I was very very pleasantly suprised at how NICE everyone was... even the people who have done it 100 times, even the people who were way faster than me... at the Expo, at the start line, during the race... It's like 14000 people who are right there with you wanting to help you succeed.

Kevin

 

[wtpclc]

Not quite along the same lines, but here are my surprises:

06 - A blind man with a strap from his wrist tied to another runner.

All races - People running on artificial legs.

San Antonio - A girl asked if her sweatshirt would be there after the race. Guess WISH had me too well informed for my first marathon.

Grand Rapids - They did actually collect teh discarded clothes, fold them adn had tehm on a table so you could find them post-race.

 

[wdw4us]

Could not copy the picture but here is the link.

I'm sure you can figure out which person I"m referring to.

http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=25142&BIB=6293

denise

 

[wtpclc]

ROTFL!

Sandy321's dh was with us to cheer fro teh half. He's a hard core runner, but I think he had only really seen teh front of the pack before WDW. He seemed to have issues with all of teh male tinkerbells.