Sometimes that does not carry through to their actions. Buyer beware when registering for these events. I participated in a half-marathon that was billed as welcoming both runners and walkers. It was for a worthy charity and sponsored by many good companies. But some things definitely made me feel less than welcome.
How To Irritate a Walker
- Call Everybody a Runner: During the pre-race announcements, call everyone runners. Never mention walkers, unless it is a joke about how some may end up walking to the finish when they run out of steam. Walker-welcoming events instead say: racers, marathoners, half marathoners, participants, runners AND walkers.
- Insult the Walkers: During the pre-race announcements, insult walkers. I have heard of announcers saying, "You walkers stay out of the way of the real racers at the start."
- Run Out of Food and Drink On Course: Run out of supplies on the course once the runners have passed by. At the half-marathon in question, I was ahead of several hundred other walkers, but they were running out of cups at the 6 mile checkpoint and were out at the 10 mile checkpoint.
- Early Cutoffs: Close the course too early to accommodate moderate to slow walkers. If an event is billed up front as a run/walk, it should be able to accommodate walkers who do 20 minute miles, a standard easy pace. While faster walkers will walk 10-15 minute miles and some racewalkers will go as fast as runners, if they advertise for the general public to participate they need to keep the course open for them. Alternatively, make plain in the advertisements and instructions that walkers must move to the sidewalks if they do not maintain a given pace.
- Starve the Walkers at the Finish: Run out of the free food items at the finish before most of the walkers have finished. Walkers pay as much as the runners at most of these events, yet they arrive at the finish to find the free items picked-over or gone. It was totally galling to come up to the finish of the half-marathon today and encounter the previous finishers taking crates of the giveaway yogurt, bagels, peanut butter and water to their cars. Only sliced bananas and oranges were left, and I was ahead of several hundred other walkers. When questioned, the food booth worker said the volunteers wanted to go home, "And the course closes in half an hour anyway." Never mind that the race started 15 minutes late and was billed as both a running and walking event.
- Ignore the Slower Finishers: Announce all running finishers, but not the walkers. Walkers paid the same price, and their achievements should be recognized. The half-marathon in question did a great job of staying open and announcing each walking finisher just like the runners, but I have had different experiences before.
- Leave Walkers Out of the Results: Publish ranked results for runners, but not for walkers. Again, for the same price I would like my official time published. It is OK for the list to be in alphabetic order, but I would like to know my official time.
