With the Marine Core Marathon festivities coming to the Washington, DC this weekend, it seemed apropos to write something about spectating at a big race. My friend, Coco, offered to do a guest post for me today on 5 Reasons to Cheer on a Marathon. It is fun to be on the other side of the pavement sometimes to get a whole other perspective. Take it away Coco.
5 Reasons to Cheer on A Marathon
1. Guilt. The main reason I committed to joining my Moms Run This Town group’s Marine Corps Marathon cheer station was guilt. When I am racing, crowd support means a lot to me. Bring on the cowbells! I knew it was past time for me to give back to the running community and support other runners.
2. Inspiration. The moment I saw the first runners, my heart swelled and tears came to my eyes. We were between miles 22 and 23, so every runner was pushing their limits at that point. I was inspired by runners holding a steady pace and pushing through pain. I was doubly inspired by runners able to return our cheers with a smile.
Talk about inspiring! Ainsley’s Angels pairs runners with athlete-riders “to ensure that everyone can experience endurance events, and build awareness about America’s special needs community through inclusion in all aspects of life.”
3. Friends. I had (have) so many friends running this race and it was so exciting to track their progress, watch for them, and cheer them on! The MCM App had a great tracking feature that gave live tracking information on multiple runners at the same time. It really helps to be on the lookout for your friends.
4. Altruism. The women who spearheaded the cheer station had asked runners what they might want/need for the last leg of the marathon, and stocked up on water, Gatorade, pretzels, gummy bears, and other snacks. It felt good to make someone smile, and felt even better to be able to offer a much-needed snack or drink.
5. Community. I knew there was no question that we would stay until the last member of our Moms Run This Town group came by. However, we hesitated to leave while others were still on the course. I understand how hard it can be to be a “back of the pack” runner, and we didn’t want to turn our backs on anyone. We ended up staying for the very last runner, and were impressed by her positive attitude and determination to finish on her feet.
[You may also enjoy reading “14 Things you’ll see when spectating a marathon“]
Track your Marine Corps Marathon running friends here this year.
If you haven’t already spectated at a race–or if it’s been a while–I hope I’ve convinced you to do it. I suggest recruiting a few friends to join you, let any friends running know where you’ll be so they can watch for you, and bring snacks/drinks to hand out. Oh, and don’t forget the cowbells!
Linking up with Kim, Zenaida, Debbie and Marc
“I understand how hard it can be to be a “back of the pack” runner, and we didn’t want to turn our backs on anyone. We ended up staying for the very last runner, and were impressed by her positive attitude and determination to finish on her feet.” – I love this and thank you from a back of the pack runner myself. What a fun article!
In my opinion, Everyone should have the same experience and support from the crowd. Everyone ran the same number of miles
Great post (thanks Coco)! Spectating can be just as fulfilling (in my opinion) as running the race itself. Giving back is a total win-win 😉 As runners, we all know how important the volunteers and cheerleaders are to one’s experience on the race course. Now…can you DC peeps get to work on this weekend’s weather forecast? That would really be a great gift to all of us MCM’ers LOL
We are hard at work on the weather for you!
I absolutely LOVE spectating and volunteering at races! I try to do each at least once a year. It’s nice to be on the other side of a race since we run all the time.
It is nice to be on the other side for a change. So much goes into putting on a successful race
What a great idea. I rarely spectate at races anymore, but I should. I hope to see you on Sunday at MCM!
It is fun to be on the other side of the race sometimes. Good luck this weekend. Hope the weather clears up for you all
I spectated a marathon once, when I was injured and my husband was running. There just aren’t any close to me. I also spectated an Ironman, again when my hubby was running, and that was a lot of work! About 13 hours of cheering (him and everybody else too)!
It is fun to be on the other side of a race sometimes!
I love crowd support at races! There’s so many good reasons to go and I hope I’m able to cheer on the runners during Philly Marathon weekend!
There was some great support when I did the Philly half last year. It’s a really fun race
So true! I’ve always found it really inspiring spectating races.
I agree!
Spectating is definitely more fun than running a marathon! 🙂
Maybe it is!
I’ve spectated one race last year. One of my friends was doing a comeback run. It was awesome and the energy of the crowd was spectacular.
The energy of the crowd really can be inspiring and motivating
Thanks for letting me guest post!
Thanks again for the post!
Love this! I know I always appreciated all the cheers during a race. It really helps you keep going.
it definitely can help
I live on the NYC Marathon course and as a result have accidentally ended up spectating many a year. When I’m sleeping, I hate cowbells. But they can be magical on the run
Marine Corps is the only other marathon I’ve spectated- when my SiL ran it. Such a wonderful course and we were able to see her a few times
I love the by accident I spectated 🙂
Sometimes you have no choice if you want/need to leave the apartment 😀
Oh yes! It is so fun to be on the other side cheering everyone on, always inspiring!!
It sure is!
Fantastic post! It is so important to encourage each other to do HARD things! We need people, don’t we? 🙂
Yes indeed!
Wow, this race seems like such a wonderful cause. Looks so fulfilling! This seems like an awesome way to meet great people with similar interests.
Sure can be
I’ve had so much fun spectating Chicago! MCM sounds awesome as well. Thanks for sharing my link!
It is fun to be on the other side sometimes
I love volunteering and spectating. It’s such a great feeling and a way to be a part of everything without actually running.
Yes it sure is
I actually LOVE spectating races and do it a lot, mostly for Ron, but sometimes for my running club or when I know friends from out of the country are running. It’s also a race of your own to go to several different spots on the course. I love seeing the elites, the wheelchair racers, the back of the packers, EVERYONE! and so nice to see someone smile when you call out their name!
I always appreciate it when someone calls out my name even if I don’t know who they are.
It always pays to get a different perspective on things. Over the years I’ve raced lots, but I’ve also been a volunteer marshall, a pacemaker and also a spectator/supporter and I can honestly say that in many ways the volunteer and supporter roles were more rewarding than taking part in the races. You get to see the whole race unfold from front runners to back of the packers and the vast spectrum of individuals in between.
That is very true!