Run/Walk - Is it actually frowned upon in races?

[ANIM8R]

I think it was coming out of MK

Holy cow! That's a crowded portion of the course anyway.

Not cool. Not cool at all.

 

[derekleigh]

I'm not against "The Wall" provided there is more than ample room allowed for runners to go around. I don't mean a space or two. If the wall took about like a 1/4 or a 1/3 of the actual road surface, fine. But when you have 5-6 people arms locked and on a single lane road, hell no.

I do remember a recent "wall" or more like a wave that walked/ran behind a cancer survivor at a local 5K. They were very supportive which was inspiring. But I loved the fact they stayed towards the back of the pack.

However at a different 5K this spring, a group (like 15-20) ended up in front (yes IN FRONT) of the finish line and essentially create a HUGE bottle neck with only enough space for a single runner to go through. Now I'm sure it was broken up after a while but to me that is dangerous and dumb.

I know runDisney races can be a fluster*ck for the beginning. Both times I ran the WDW Half the runners didn't start to thin out and mesh paces until almost the half way point. I love it when we get the highway parts with several lanes worth of space. The first few miles can be a nightmare if you want to break free of the crowds.

 

[bumbershoot]

Regardless, if it's just 5-6 folk walking and talking, with about an inch in between them, would you go around if it meant going off the road, or through? What is the appropriate running etiquette for both the "wall" group and the runner behind them? Is going into Grumpy mode ok when the other folk obviously don't care that they're bottle-necking the entire course?

Worse, it can be that many people all wearing big fluffy tulle skirts (or Ursula octopus legs...that was a big one last year at tot) that stick out so it's way more than an inch between their actual bodies, but you still can't get through.

I'm short and am in constant danger of swinging elbows while passing someone (and then being passed when run/walk times aren't in synch). I know that these groups don't mean to come across how they come across. I know they are joyful and happy and loving the moment. They sure don't help me love the moment though!

I think that once they realize how wide their group is they'll often disperse a bit. The trick is figuring out how to let them know.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Honestly, if there are more than two people walking in a row, I'm going through them. #sorrynotsorry

 

[ZellyB]

I do think there were some places where we walked 4 abreast, but we only did that in areas of the course that had ample space and where the crowd had thinned considerably. Again, it comes down to awareness. I also think that everyone (straight runners included) sometimes get caught up in the excitement or moment of the race and can be unintentionally inconsiderate. I've had runners bang into me as they are passing me when I'm following all the "rules of the road" (and where they had space to avoid me) without so much as a "sorry" or glance my way. That's equally inappropriate to walkers who take up too much of the road.

I generally try to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they may not realize the problem that is being caused. I may well have caused a problem at one point or another completely unintentionally. I hope most other participants have given me the same benefit of the doubt. Everyone there is just wanting to have a good time and soak up the atmosphere.

 

[goofeygirl]

I'm certainly not a veteran of hundreds of races but I have run my fair share and have never seen that occur. I hope that's one of those "I know a guy who knows a guy who heard" myths. Otherwise, that's just asking for trouble and I would hope a race marshall/security would address that quickly.

I saw it and the beginning of the half. I was the last to cross the start line...I mean DEAD LAST. So I was sort of weaving a lot and I did come across more than one group of linked arms.
The only time I see them is at the Disney races...the half...I did not see linking during the full though. I didn't see it any other race that I can recall.
I remember dancing around them.

On the one hand they had the sense to start in the last (I assumed they were in the last coral) but they should have just crossed the start line last...no one else behind them...they could have linked and sang and danced all they want. They probably started in the middle of the last coral.
This was the January before last.

 

[RookieLady]

I have no trouble with the serious run/walkers who follow race etiquette. Are these chains of walkers throughout the course or are they in the later corrals? My husband and I are going to be in a corral for runners who are averaging an 11 minute mile. Am I going to see this activity (never done a half, much less a race at Disney). I just want to know what to expect. Thanks.

 

[wilkeliza]

I have no trouble with the serious run/walkers who follow race etiquette. Are these chains of walkers throughout the course or are they in the later corrals? My husband and I are going to be in a corral for runners who are averaging an 11 minute mile. Am I going to see this activity (never done a half, much less a race at Disney). I just want to know what to expect. Thanks.

At Disney races you see it through out. The only people who don't see it are the elites.

 

[ZellyB]

I have no trouble with the serious run/walkers who follow race etiquette. Are these chains of walkers throughout the course or are they in the later corrals? My husband and I are going to be in a corral for runners who are averaging an 11 minute mile. Am I going to see this activity (never done a half, much less a race at Disney). I just want to know what to expect. Thanks.

This may be one of those "your mileage may vary" things. I've run two marathons at Disney and was in a middle/later corral (11-12 min/mileish) and I never saw anyone with linked arms that fully blocked the road. So, I think it's there and spread throughout the race, but it's also quite possible you can run the entire course and never encounter it.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

This may be one of those "your mileage may vary" things. I've run two marathons at Disney and was in a middle/later corral (11-12 min/mileish) and I never saw anyone with linked arms that fully blocked the road. So, I think it's there and spread throughout the race, but it's also quite possible you can run the entire course and never encounter it.

It's not even just people with linked arms. It's groups of 10-15 people who are clearly running together that are annoying, too.

 

[ZellyB]

It's not even just people with linked arms. It's groups of 10-15 people who are clearly running together that are annoying, too.

True enough. We did sometimes come up on big groups of people, but I honestly don't recall it being a frequent occurance. Although, my post-marathon brain may have just wiped it from my memory banks.

 

[wilkeliza]

It's not even just people with linked arms. It's groups of 10-15 people who are clearly running together that are annoying, too.

Why is that annoying if you can get through the or around then? I know my run group can get pace groups that big but they are usually good at not blocking the whole road and allowing space to go through or around.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Why is that annoying if you can get through the or around then? I know my run group can get pace groups that big but they are usually good at not blocking the whole road and allowing space to go through or around.

I should not have to run around huge groups of people trying to stay together.

 

[wilkeliza]

I should not have to run around huge groups of people trying to stay together.

So what do you say to the organized pace groups that are sponsored and welcomed by the event? Even Cliff's pace groups get big but they usually always leave space for people passing and follow race etiquette. I think some people forget they are running a Disney race and not NY or Boston.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

So what do you say to the organized pace groups that are sponsored and welcomed by the event? Even Cliff's pace groups get big but they usually always leave space for people passing and follow race etiquette. I think some people forget they are running a Disney race and not NY or Boston.

Honestly, I've never seen a pace group at Disney that was still running together.

 

[wilkeliza]

Honestly, I've never seen a pace group at Disney that was still running together.

I'll be honest I've never seen the Cliff ones but I've seen several Galloway ones and they are always polite and stock to one side.

 

[goofeygirl]

The linked arms groups of walkers...I only saw them in the half. I have never seen them in any other race.

In the half I saw quite a few of them at the beginning. Probably at the end too if I recall when approaching the finish line...I guess they want to cross all linked together.

They didn't take up the whole entire road, but they did take up enough that it required a lot of moving around.

Lots of runners. Lots of dancing. However I was crossing the finish line last so I had a clue that I would be dancing around quite a bit. Needless to say, I never did that again! I just thought it would be cool to literally start dead last.

 

[bumbershoot]

Why is that annoying if you can get through the or around then? I know my run group can get pace groups that big but they are usually good at not blocking the whole road and allowing space to go through or around.

The bolded is the big question, isn't it? CAN one get through or around them? Can one accomplish that without running a huge amount around them, can one accomplish it without an elbow coming too close to your face, etc. Are they chatting so much so they can't hear you calling out that you would like to come through?

If you've only been a *part* of your pace group, I would recommend hanging back, or having a friend run behind the group at some point. To really see how easy it feels for someone to get through/around.

I would bet that many of the groups I was dealing with had absolutely no idea that they were blocking anything. I also know they didn't hear many people calling out to them.

So what do you say to the organized pace groups that are sponsored and welcomed by the event?

The only pace groups I saw at the WDW Half were smallish and spread out "vertically" along the path, not "horizontally".

 

[wilkeliza]

The bolded is the big question, isn't it? CAN one get through or around them? Can one accomplish that without running a huge amount around them, can one accomplish it without an elbow coming too close to your face, etc. Are they chatting so much so they can't hear you calling out that you would like to come through? If you've only been a *part* of your pace group, I would recommend hanging back, or having a friend run behind the group at some point. To really see how easy it feels for someone to get through/around. I would bet that many of the groups I was dealing with had absolutely no idea that they were blocking anything. I also know they didn't hear many people calling out to them. The only pace groups I saw at the WDW Half were smallish and spread out "vertically" along the path, not "horizontally".

I don't actually run with my groups pacers. I'm a lone wolf of sorts and only run with one or two very close running friends. When ever the 3 of us are together we always form a triangle we don't even run as a "group" and often are a spread out line that catches back up to each other once through the swamp of people.

 

[thndrmatt]

I should not have to run around huge groups of people trying to stay together.

I recommend checking out a smaller, non-Disney, local race if you're looking to avoid crowds and run completely unimpeded. Everyone who signs up for RunDisney understands there will be tens of thousands out there all wanting to enjoy their own personal experience in their own way.

For this particular race experience, that may include character stops, picture stops, crowd interaction, music/dancing, and all kinds of other fun things. There's a million races where you can run 13.1 miles out and back on a flat surface, the reason these sell out so fast is for the experience.

The official pace groups are a great visual gauge for how I'm feeling, whether I'm passing them or they're passing me, it helps me figure out what kind of day I'm having and how it compares with what my personal goals for the day were. I'm bumped or jostled no more during the race than I am waiting for the parade or fireworks to start. There's just a lot of people occupying similar space, and it doesn't belong to anyone.