Pub race gets overwhelmed

Pub-race gets overwhelmed…

What happens when this century’s running boom collides with last century’s races?

I ran and swam on New Year’s Day, as is my tradition.  Around New England we have a number of traditional races from the 5 mile Freezer Five in Sterling, MA to the P’Nut Butter Chip Chase 5k in Temple, NH, and the Hangover Classic in Salisbury, MA.  We have a long tradition of shaking off the cobwebs and greeting the New Year with a foot race.

In recent years I have gravitated to the Hangover Classic because my family likes to join me for a morning’s romp and the thrilling opportunity to jump into the Atlantic Ocean on New Year’s Day.  There are not many places on my training and racing calendar that overlap with the availability and collusion of my wife and kids.

I wrote an article about this race in 2004, noting that what once was a couple hundred of us runner-crazy types was starting to attract a more main-stream audience.  In prescience of things to come I called it spot on 5 years ago.  This year a perfect storm of the current running boom and a spring-like weather day attracted a crowd that overwhelmed the race infrastructure.

The Hangover Classic was born of the Winner’s Circle Running Club 29 years ago.  WCRC has always been a stalwart supporter of the local running scene.  Traditionally the strong running-club culture in New England has created races like this for members to compete in.

Over the last 40 years, since the first big running boom in the 1970’s many of these local races and race series were created sometimes for causes but mostly to fund the scrappy local running community, keep them in beer and pretzels and of course, give them places to congregate and compete.

It was a much different environment.  Everyone knew everyone else.  There was a certain, well, ‘clubbiness’ to the races.  You saw the same people every race.  You recognized the names of the guys in your age group and looked to race them.  You knew the sound of their footsteps. You knew the sound of their labored breathing as they came from behind.  You looked for them before, after and during the race.

Most of these races were never supposed to be professionally managed.  Some club members would get a pub or local business to sponsor and, in their spare time, organize the event.  The interesting dynamic that we will have to watch develop together is what happens when the Clubby expectations of these smallish local races meets head on with the current tsunami of new runners.

One of the great things about growing up running in New England is that you could roll out of bed on Sunday morning on any given weekend throughout the year and, if the spirit moved you, show up and run a local race.  I mean, up until a couple years ago we considered Boston ‘our marathon’ and you can come run it of you want, but it’s ours.

2011 predictions? This year I’m sure some of my traditional races will reach their caps and sell out early.  In addition, because capitalism abhors a vacuum, many new events will spring up geared towards newer runners.  I predict that there will be different expectations with the focus being less on racing and more on ‘experience’ of the participants.  I think there will be an emphasis on the amenities around the event and less emphasis on the running part of it. There will be more emphasis on shirts, medals and food, less on setting records, and the competition.

There will most probably be a continued growth of participants organizing for causes and charities as new runners search for ways to make their efforts and training meaningful, and self fulfilling.

Existing races, (even 3-decade old pub races), will have look at their offering and their infrastructure to make sure they are aligning with the needs and wants of a new clientele.  Is there enough room to double the field of your 5K if you get a nice weather day?  Can you manage the timing and provisioning of the surge?

For me it’s a bit perplexing.  I welcome the enthusiasm of the novus homo, but feel crowded out of my old haunts, like when you return to that special restaurant with your wife only to find a crowd of noisy teens camped at your special table.

Life goes on.

When all else fails go back to the basics. One race at a time.  One mile at a time.  One step at a time.  The future is now and the only advice I have for you, and myself, is to get up and go, join in the crush, take the good and clean out the bad.  Make your place in whatever this new order is special by living well, being a leader, and acting with enthusiasm.

Chris,

Chris Russell lives and trains in suburban Massachusetts with his family and Border collie Buddy.  Chris is the author of “The Mid-Packer’s Lament”, and “The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy”, short stories on running, racing, and the human comedy of the mid-pack.  Chris writes the Runnerati Blog at www.runnerati.com.  Chris’ Podcast, RunRunLive is available on iTunes and at www.runrunlive.com. Chris also writes for CoolRunning.com (Active.com) and is a member of the Squannacook River Runners and the Goon Squad.

Email me at cyktrussell at Gmail dot com

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