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5 things I hate seeing at Cross Country Races!

Sep 2nd 2013, 4:39pm

I may be a little hypercritical, but there are a few things that get under my skin when attending cross country meets. Below are my top 5 pet peeves.

Check me out BRO!

Is it just me or is there that one guy at every race that insists on walking around with his shirt off? “Look at me, I’m the biggest dude here!” and probably the slowest. Doesn’t matter that its 20 degrees out and sleeting, shirt’s coming off. Doesn’t matter that your team wants a nice picture for the yearbook, shirt’s coming off. Doesn’t matter that you just placed last in the slow heat, shirt’s coming off. Truth be told, no one cares that you have abs - So does everyone else who plans on toeing the line. This is cross country!!!

I thought we were here to play basketball...

This one is more sad than anything else. A few years ago the running world was mesmerized by the story of Chad Hampton (Pictured below) winning the South Carolina Class A boys state title in a pair of Air Jordans! Footwear is a big deal in cross country, make sure you have the right shoes!

That’s my baby!

We’ve all seen it, that parent who unknowingly stands in the middle of the race course with their flip phone out in hopes of snapping a quick pic as their runner comes by. Being a media person myself, I understand the desire to get the best pic possible. That being said, GET OFF THE COURSE! If we land a good picture, feel free to take it. FOR FREE!

Can I catch my breath?

There is nothing better than that giant breath you take as you come into the finish line, followed by that sigh of relief that you have just finished. Unfortunately there is a group of people who want to take the best part of the race from you, the smokers. I understand that you have unrelenting cravings for your nicotine fix, but I need air. This isn’t a Nascar, if you plan on standing at the finish to see Junior break the tape, please leave your cigs at home.

Coach, did you get my .1 split?

Mile one, 7:30 check. Mile two, 7:55 check. Mile three, 7:35 check. 5k overall finish, 23:45. The math is simple enough, three miles in 23 minutes with the last .1 in 45 seconds. Yet some people just have to hack their watches at the finish. Could be collapsing across the line after losing in a kick, doesn't matter, got that split!

Share your biggest race day pet peeves with us by leaving a comment below!

By Darrin DeTorres
Follow him on Twitter @evolvedrunner

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3 comment(s)

	ddetorres The shoe thing was not directed at Mr. Hampton, he simply was a great example of what I was talking about. That is why "More Sad" was used as opposed to anything else. I think that it is a coaches/parents responsibility to make sure their runner has the right equipment for the task at hand. You would never see a swimmer without goggles, a football player without a helmet, or a baseball player without a glove. Yet, somehow we see runners all the time without their most important accessory, we see them without proper footwear. Yes, the discussion has come up about money and I understand it completely. I used to mow yards after xc races in order to save enough money to make sure I had running shoes. Which is why I will never buy a Nike trainer in my life, saved up for a month to buy a pair of Pegasus and they lasted me less than 3 weeks, but I digress. If a runner can't afford a pair of decent trainers, there are options. When I worked in specialty running we would talk to coaches all the time and tell them we would supply shoes to any runners who couldn't afford them. -Darrin 0·Like·Reply·Sep 3rd 2013, 2:23pm

ddetorres

The shoe thing was not directed at Mr. Hampton, he simply was a great example of what I was talking about. That is why "More Sad" was used as opposed to anything else. I think that it is a coaches/parents responsibility to make sure their runner has the right equipment for the task at hand. You would never see a swimmer without goggles, a football player without a helmet, or a baseball player without a glove. Yet, somehow we see runners all the time without their most important accessory, we see them without proper footwear.

Yes, the discussion has come up about money and I understand it completely. I used to mow yards after xc races in order to save enough money to make sure I had running shoes. Which is why I will never buy a Nike trainer in my life, saved up for a month to buy a pair of Pegasus and they lasted me less than 3 weeks, but I digress. If a runner can't afford a pair of decent trainers, there are options. When I worked in specialty running we would talk to coaches all the time and tell them we would supply shoes to any runners who couldn't afford them.

-Darrin

	MOrunner Pet peeves--annoyances. I understand. And I pretty much get all the pet peeves listed in the article, to each their own. I do have a bit of bone with the pet peeve featuring Chad Hampton and not having the "right" shoes. In a time of dominant inactivity in the US, I don't think we ought to snobbishly look down on those who don't fit our styles of fashion in the running community. I get it, I used to be a running snob. I would laugh at joggers and would never dare to consider myself one. However, any person who is going to run, train, and put it on the line, ought to be judged by their effort and heart, not what brand or type of shoe they wear. It is shallow. Nonetheless, it is customary to recommend running shoes instead of basketball shoes. I wonder how all those runner ever imagined to do what they did before Nike and New Balance and all the specialty shoes that sure haven't helped the US compete on the world scene. Perhaps, our pet peeves ought to do more with how people behave poorly in public than for not fitting into our fixed idea of what runners ought to wear. Mr. Hampton won a state championship for mercy's sake, he ought to be celebrated for what he did in shoes that were much heavier instead of being ridiculed or belittled. How many state titles did the author (or any of us for that matter) win in high school with their fancy running shoes? 0·Like·Reply·Sep 3rd 2013, 6:31am

MOrunner

Pet peeves--annoyances. I understand. And I pretty much get all the pet peeves listed in the article, to each their own. I do have a bit of bone with the pet peeve featuring Chad Hampton and not having the "right" shoes. In a time of dominant inactivity in the US, I don't think we ought to snobbishly look down on those who don't fit our styles of fashion in the running community.

I get it, I used to be a running snob. I would laugh at joggers and would never dare to consider myself one. However, any person who is going to run, train, and put it on the line, ought to be judged by their effort and heart, not what brand or type of shoe they wear. It is shallow. Nonetheless, it is customary to recommend running shoes instead of basketball shoes. I wonder how all those runner ever imagined to do what they did before Nike and New Balance and all the specialty shoes that sure haven't helped the US compete on the world scene.

Perhaps, our pet peeves ought to do more with how people behave poorly in public than for not fitting into our fixed idea of what runners ought to wear. Mr. Hampton won a state championship for mercy's sake, he ought to be celebrated for what he did in shoes that were much heavier instead of being ridiculed or belittled. How many state titles did the author (or any of us for that matter) win in high school with their fancy running shoes?

	Chris Nickinson This was awesome! 1·Like·Reply·Sep 2nd 2013, 5:31pm

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