Race Etiquette: should runDisney provide more instructions?

[goofeygirl]

Actually, they were at Disney on 2013 as well. The mile 20 extravaganza was awash with groups stopped in the middle of the danged road taking photos. Not nearly as bad as Honolulu, but bad enough so that I was ready to bowl through a group or two.

I might have missed something earlier but what did you mean by not nearly as bad as Honolulu?

 

[John VN]

Here in the Houston area, we cyclists have a strong culture of verbally calling out intentions (other cities do as well but when I ride in certain events in other cities I hear very little). I have learned through the years that walkers on my single track course do not fully understand what "on your left" means. Maybe half will move LEFT thinking I am coming through on the right. I have morphed that call to hold your line. I guess what got me thinking was that if I get out early on the single track, walkers (who are not allowed on the tack) and their pets are not expecting a cyclist on the path.

Passing Left is the term used on the Rails to Trails around here. Even with that message I still have some individuals jumping to the left.

 

[JCH]

The thing that I actually found the rudest during the Princess Half was the guy (that wasn't running it) that proposed to his Princess (that was running it) right in front of the castle. We came to a complete standstill, just waiting to move again. Sweet for the couple, very inconsiderate of the thousands of runners waiting.

I was disappointed in not actually being able to run through the castle. Shuffling through the castle in a mob was not what I was expecting at all. I also didn't get to run across the finish thanks to large groups of people walking across all arm in arm.

When I think of my internet friend that had the sweeper bus pull out right in front of her at mile 8, all I can think is that Proposal Guy and the time she lost standing there cost her finishing and getting her coast to coast medal. She got swept by literally seconds, and I know I lost more than mere seconds there. My mile through the Magic Kingdom was 5 mins slower than all the miles leading up to it, and I only stopped for 1-2 mins for a pic in front of the castle.

That angered me, too. He couldn't have done it AFTER the ramp out of the castle?? Had to do it IN the castle??? None of us got decent coming out of the castle photos. I didn't get any at all as most of the photogs were focused on proposal guy.

But I can't blame him that much since someone had to actually let him onto the course to do that.

 

[cewait]

I might have missed something earlier but what did you mean by not nearly as bad as Honolulu?

Just adding to Stitch_lover_Sith's comment about a certain country's tradition to gather in large groups for photos along the marathon course.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

This post literally had me laughing out loud. Well said. I would like to add to that sometimes the porta let lines are just too long.

So I am going to just say something, the worst race and worst offenders I have ever come across was the Japanese at Honolulu marathon. Come to a dead stop on a downhill to take a picture only they can understand. Disney was a welcome change.

There was actually a lady at the Georgia Marathon that was griping about people not going to the bathroom fast enough in the line for the portalets and she wasn't quiet about it. I listened to it for a good five minutes and then told her to just calm down, there are worse things and she was welcome to run to the first set of portalets on the course or go behind a tree. I suppose I should have told her that she needed to do the Princess or Tinker Bell races, because those lines move slow based on the costume factor. You may run in your costume before race day, but do you ever test out how easy it will be to deal with in a portalet?

 

[NYUBwayBaby]

Maybe it's because I'm always in the last or second to last corrals, but I've never had too much of a problem passing people. When I was with my mom sometimes we'd run around and end up on the grass, but that didn't bother us too much. When I was by myself I just would say "on your left! thanks!" and run by. Granted one person made some comment about me passing her, but... I was trying to be nice.
However, I did the Princess in 2012 and as I jogged through the back end of a water station, someone in headphones was walking and filling up her waterbottle and threw her half empty cup AT MY FEET. I was in the center of the road and just could not believe it. Had I tripped... I would have had some not very Disney words for that woman.

 

[indygirl99]

Here in the Houston area, we cyclists have a strong culture of verbally calling out intentions (other cities do as well but when I ride in certain events in other cities I hear very little). I have learned through the years that walkers on my single track course do not fully understand what "on your left" means. Maybe half will move LEFT thinking I am coming through on the right. I have morphed that call to hold your line. I guess what got me thinking was that if I get out early on the single track, walkers (who are not allowed on the tack) and their pets are not expecting a cyclist on the path.

You must have been at the race I ran on saturday. I called out passing on your left and a young girl and her mom stepped left, stopped and turned around and looked at me as I almost plowed into them. This was at a golf course so I was witness to them doing this to another runner around the next bend.

After I finished my run I gave their bib numbers to the race director and he told me I was not the only one complaining about this duo. He got 3 other complaints about them doing this to other runners. He said he would talk with them so hopefully they will understand better what on your left means.

 

[scion5220]

All the verbal signalling in the world is for nothing around people who insist on wearing headphones during races.

I'm not going to waste valuable breath shouting at people.

 

[lilouisianagal]

My DH and I got caught this year (WDW 1/2) in a huge bottleneck at the castle ramp. A line was queuing up on the left for pictures in front of the castle (at the base), but it was at a solid slow walk coming down the ramp. We stepped into the line for pictures and one guy came darting through the packed crowd. He shoved in between my husband and I and got "stuck" in line for a moment before he realized that it was a line. When he realized it he gave me a two handed SHOVE to push through me. If the Disney employee (line monitor, calling out "pictures to the left") hadn't have been in front of me and caught me, I would have been flat on the ground! I don't think ANY number of etiquette videos would have made a difference for him. Perhaps a return to pre-K or kindergarten?

 

[Stitch_lover_Sith]

No amount of signage or people telling others what to do will fix this. I did a triathlon a week ago and they did not know running etiquette. The pre race meeting went over it. Just know it is going to happen and plan your race this way.