Why Virtual Races Will Never Replace In-Person Races
During the last year, as we all adjusted to living in a pandemic, many people “competed” in virtual races. I know experienced runners that found these virtual races a way to stay engaged and focused on their training. I also know people who had never run before but got into it during the pandemic as a way to get out of the house and exercise while social-distancing. I ran one virtual race last year as a way to support a race I’ve run for over 30 year. But other than that I didn’t really see the point in virtual races.
Last fall I was able to travel to run a small in-person marathon but other than that it’s been over a year since I competed. Fortunately, with the increase in vaccinations, in-person events are coming back. Last weekend as I ran the SOS 5k I was reminded again of why in-person races are so much better than virtual.
Crowds Build Excitement
When a crowd of over a hundred, or several hundred, people gather before an event there is an excitement that begins to build. You can see the nervous energy of runners who came to compete to win and the nervous joy of people running their first race and just hoping to finish. There are head nods of recognition, small talk and words of encouragement. If you are running a virtual race you don’t get any energy from the crowd before you start.
Other Runners Can Carry You
One of the challenges of racing can be maintaining the pace you planned. If the race is difficult due to hills or heat your pace may slip and you find yourself running slower than planned. But if you are among a crowd of runners the energy can carry you and often you need to be careful you aren’t running a faster pace than planned. A faster pace can work for a while but it usually will backfire later in the race when you can’t maintain it or even keep the pace you originally planned on. If you use your head and feed off the crowd but keep an eye on your watch you can use the crowd to carry you at the pace you planned but make it feel easier.
Seeing The Competition Helps
Some races I run to run and others I run to race. Meaning sometimes I try to compete for a medal in my age group. In those races I look around the crowd at the start and try to guess which guys are in my age group. In the race this weekend my age group was 60-69. Some races break it down smaller to a 60-64 and 65-69 group. As I looked at the runners in the SOS 5k there were a handful of guys that I felt sure were in my group and several others that could have been in it but also may have been in the 50-59 group. These days I just figure everyone with a gray beard or bald head is my competition!
If the race course is an out-and-back or has a section that loops back you get to run past the entire field of runners. That’s a chance to see where you are pacing against the competition. Of course, you can’t be totally sure just because you’re ahead that you’re actually beating them. With chip timing they may have started in the back of the pack and will finish with a faster time than you. But at least seeing the other runners gives you a target. In a virtual race you have no competition to pace you.
Meeting Other Runners And Talking Running
Most runners like to talk about running. They talk about their total miles, their training, shoes, nutrition, injuries, gear and more. So when you get a crowd of hundreds of runners together there are often new connections made. At the race Saturday I chatted briefly with a number of runners and you could sense the joy everyone had about being back at an in-person race. I met a runner named Steve that I have seen post about running on our city’s Facebook page to highlight local businesses, school and groups. He runs to various locations around town then posts to feature them. What a great idea especially during the pandemic when so many folks are struggling!
A Grand Surprise For A Grand Master Win
I must admit some ignorance here. I knew most races award a “Masters” winner for the fastest time by someone over 40 years old. But I was not familiar with the term “Grand Master” winner until I was handed an envelope along with my 1st place medal Saturday. The envelope read “1st Place Grand Master.” I assumed that was the fastest time over 60 years old. However, when I Googled it, I learned that many races and running clubs have more divisions beyond Masters. The common divisions are Open, Masters (40 and over), Grand Masters (50 and over), Senior Masters (60 and over) and Veteran Masters (70 and over) for male and female. Who knew?!
Along with getting a medal and learning something I also got a nice surprise of a $25 gift card to the premier local running store, Hanson’s Running Shop. There was actually a second surprise when I saw the back of our race number bibs had a 20% off coupon for Hanson’s also. Thanks Hanson’s! (Side note to runners: Support your local running store because they support you and local races!)
COVID May Not Be Gone But We Have It On The Run
At times I get concerned that too many people feel the pandemic is behind us. It’s not. It may never be. People are still getting sick and some are dying. Fortunately, the numbers are much lower than months ago so the odds are better. At least in the US. There are places in the world that still face very significant COVID problems and the way this thing spreads those problems could come to the US. So we still need to be smart and take some precautions. But for now I’m comfortable being outside in fresh air with a group of people running on streets and trails and pushing ourselves to get stronger, faster, healthier, and fitter, whatever that means to each person.