Marathon Spectators

 
As we come up on the 126^th running of the Boston Marathon in a little over a week, the pressing question on everyone’s mind is “What’s the appropriate behavior of a spectator at a marathon?”   Well, maybe not everyone’s mind, or for that matter anyone’s.   In case you find yourself motivated to attend a race, as someone who has run a few marathons, I can offer a bit of an insider’s perspective on etiquette and how to be a supportive spectator.

If for some strange reason you find yourself planning to stand for hours on the side of the road waiting to try and pick out a runner in a crowd of thousands, so you can shout a few words of encouragement or offer some sustenance in the few seconds they blow by you, bless your soul.  There’s a special place in the afterlife for you.    But if you plan to put out this kind of effort it is good to know the do’s and don’ts of being a good spectator.    This is especially true for the Boston Spectators who have honed the practice over decades and feel that it is their right (no, their duty) to set you right on what you are doing wrong.

Signs

Before we talk about appropriate signs, I’d like to point out how helpful signs can be.  Comedian Bill Engvall said it best in his routine about stupid people where he proposes that stupid people should carry a sign so you lower your expectations when dealing with them.  His routine on why Preparation H has a warning on the packaging that says DO NOT EAT, had me in tears.  It’s online, I highly recommend watching it.

A sign saying something stupid like “Only 24 miles to go” or “One foot in front of the other” are not only unhelpful, they reflect poorly on you in front of thousands of runners passing you by, not to mention the spectators around you.

Signs like “Go Daddy Go”, and “You have this Uncle Dave” have the personal touch that offer great encouragement, while the same un-personalized messages from a stranger, not so much.    Anyone with a “Go Faster” sign should be burned at the stake.

The best signs are the ones with humor or backed by enthusiasm.  Most notable in this category are the woman at Wellesley college who set up the scream tunnel.   Not only can you hear them screaming a half mile before you get there but they have great creative signs like “kiss me I’m Irish”, “be my first kiss”, “I know CPR and mouth to mouth”.     There are videos of this online, definitely worth a watch.  I’ve been known in the past to have thrown a few kisses to the women.  Unfortunately, with Covid the mouth-to-mouth personal interaction has been curtailed a lot but the scream tunnel is still the best spectator part of the race. 

Of course, signs aren’t limited to the spectators, the runners get into the act with messages on their clothes.  Some are aimed at other runners, particularly on the backs of their shirts.   “I spit to the right”, “I may be slow but I’m ahead of you”, and on a pair of shorts “stop looking at my butt and run” are both creative and helpful.     Other messages are for the crowd like putting your name on your shirt or the charity your running for.  The crowd does pick up on these and will add some personalization to their cheering.  Having done this, I can say I have mixed feelings.   It can be tiring towards the end of the race to keep looking into the crowd to see if the person calling your name is really someone you know.  A bit of history, the old days (the 1970’s), when I first started running Boston, the Boston Globe published the names and numbers of all the runners and spectators would try to spot your number, look you up and personalize their encouragement.

Other interactions to keep in mind:

-         Lying to a runner is a violation punishable by being staked out in front of the starting line and stomped to death by thousands of runners.   Saying things like “you’re at the top of Heart Break Hill” when you are not or “one mile to go” when there is two or more, are notable examples.  Saying” you are looking good” is excusable as a form of encouragement.   Looking good is not likely or high on the list of priorities.

-         Runners love upbeat music.

-         Hours of ringing cow bells or blowing horns are not bloody helpful to either the runners or the spectators around you.

-         Offering runners food or drinks is very generous but don’t shove them in their face or run along side with repeated offers.   One of the best gifts I received was a popsicle at mile 22 on a 90-degree day.    Jellybeans are my favorite but I even partook in a sip of beer from a college student one year.  

-         Don’t ask the runner to stop to take a picture.   It’s understandable that if you are standing in the sun or cold for hours that you want to get a picture of the person you are supporting, but don’t take it personally if they blow you off to keep running.

-         Don’t spray water on the runners.  I know this sounds obvious but on hot days some people bring hoses to the street to help cool the runners.   There may be times when this is helpful to some runners but it’s the runner’s choice, not the spectator.  Wet shoes and socks are heavier and can contribute to blisters.  One year it was so hot the Boston Marathon was almost cancelled, but instead the race director set up cold misting spray tents on the side of the course and you could just run through the tent and keep going.    I have to say, despite the wet shoes it was awesome.  

-         Lastly, and this is the most important, don’t ask if they are in pain or want to stop.  If they are anywhere past the 15-mile mark they are tired, likely in pain and fighting mentally to keep going.   Of course, they want to stop (Bill Engvall would say “here’s your stupid sign”), but the spectator’s job is not to tempt them to quit but to encourage them to keep going.    Any spectator who says “keep going, pain is just a state of mind” should get a knee to the groin to help to put them in the right “state of mind”.

With my marathon challenge coming up in the next week I can honestly say I’ll miss the Boston spectators, even the inappropriate ones.   Even I get tired of my own company and spending hours in my own head is a scary place.    A screaming tunnel and maybe a few rowdy spectators yelling encouragement would be welcome.  Instead, I’ll be avoiding deer jumping out of the woods in front of me, dodging pickup trucks on the narrow country roads and cursing the incessant steep hills that make up my neighborhood in Charlottesville.    But when the going gets tough I’ll remember all the people who are supporting my efforts and those pediatric cancer patients benefiting from Help in the Nick of Time.  

Wish me luck!