Runners - why do you race?

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  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    motivation to keep training... competition...and well eventually and occasionally the hardware
  • PrincessRunnerLindsey
    PrincessRunnerLindsey Posts: 15
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    meerkat70: much like you, I'm not a fast runner, and I only started running to support my overall fitness goals.... buuuuut, I have learned to love running in the process! Now a mid-afternoon run is more calming to me than food ever was. It also appeals to my highly competitive nature - with myself, and others. Although I'm not particularly fast, I am always driven to earn a new personal best time during my races. I also love "going fishing" during the last 2km or so, as other people are getting tired. You just pick someone in front of you to "cast your hook at," and reel 'em in until you pass them! Toward the end, I definitely pass more people than get passed myself, which is super motivating! And, my goal is to always finish in the top 1/3 of my race division!
  • basillowe66
    basillowe66 Posts: 432 Member
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    You don't know what slow is, you should see me run. But to answer your question, Only a few runners run to win the race, most of the people run to get a better time than they had before.
    Back 25 yrs ago, I started running so I could eat pretty much anything I wanted and not gain weight. I started running agian last year, to lose the weight I've gained in the last 10 yrs!!

    Basil
  • Mceastes
    Mceastes Posts: 303 Member
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    I race for similar reasons others have listed - it gives purpose to my training, pushes my limits and challenges me to constantly improve. But I love the competition - the rush of putting yourself out there and performing under pressure. When the race is over, you can't redo it - it's one shot and I love that! Plus sometimes, depending on the distance or how I place, there are medals - love medals.
  • miracole
    miracole Posts: 492 Member
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    I could say it keeps me training, I could say I like to support causes, I could say I like to challenge myself.

    But those would not be the whole truth.

    The truth of the matter is that when I die and my great grandkids are going through my belongings I want them to find a drawer full or boxes full of medals and to think "holy crap great grandma was awesome!"

    That's right, I like the sense of accomplishment of being able to say I did it, even if it doesn't matter to anyone else but me!
  • cburky911
    cburky911 Posts: 89 Member
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    For the most part it's for the "community". I was hooked when I did my first run and realized how supportive the entire running community is. Now when I go on vacations I am looking for 5K's that are going on while I'm there and I've also done a couple "destination runs"...signing up for races in order to give myself an excuse to go somewhere. That was my reason for running the 5K's. Then I did a couple of marathons just to prove to myself I could do it and keep me training.
  • RunAmock
    RunAmock Posts: 95 Member
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    Cuz I really like bananas....especially when they're free. Oh, and hot water. And of course, the super cool t-shirts. Don't forget those.

    I race against myself, always. Love the exhileration of race mornings, the days before a race, and the feeling I get afterwards. :)

    Great topic, by the way.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    fancy doing the park run on saturday?

    I'm away, but I could do next weekend. :-)

    Sorry to bump in on this, but I noticed you were based in the midlands...Is it the Swad parkrun (Conkers) that you do, or the Nottingham (Colwick) one? I'd really like to run a Parkrun, and those are my two options, I'm just really nervous about entering one really as I'm still pretty slow running wise, and I don't know anything about either of the courses terrain wise. Are they mainly on pavement, or is there some grass?

    As for me, I've signed up for a 10k in October, it'll be my first race but I can see myself signing on for more. Really, the race has given me a 'goal' to reach for, which is always nice to think about when training during the week!

    My turn to bump in now as you weren't replying to my post but asking somebody else lol.

    I do Parkruns, just wanted to reassure you that there is absolutely nothing to worry about at all. Just ensure you register online beforehand and print off your barcode otherwise you will not get a time, you only have to register the once after you have your barcode, you can pop along to any Parkrun whenever you wish - you don't have to let the organisers know beforehand either, you can just decide on the day if you want.

    They all start at 9am and are run in various parks (hence the name) usually on paths - I reckon they were designed that way so that they can be run all year round without the worry of waterlogged grass.

    Some people walk the whole thing, others run the complete distance, some walk and run.

    Only problem is, they become addictive haha.

    http://www.parkrun.org.uk/
  • MrsPixelbark
    MrsPixelbark Posts: 175 Member
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    My turn to bump in now as you weren't replying to my post but asking somebody else lol.

    Thank you! I've registered (I registered a few weeks ago), it's just a case of plucking up the courage to go!

    I think I might just drag myself out there on Saturday and go from there. I just get really nervous that I'm going to hold it all back if I'm too slow. I'm sure that sounds really silly, and having had a look at times online I don't think I'll be last, but I get really nervous about these sorts of things!

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