Last Sunday, one of the hottest of the year (high 90s and humid), and I’m on the running leg of the hometown sprint triathlon, here in Windsor, ON. It’s so hot waves of heat are rising off the pavement, stopping runners in their tracks and making the race a walkathon for many. I’m good in the heat so I’m overtaking lots of athletes. It’s a 6k run and just before the 5k mark are three kindly volunteers with watercups, one in each hand. Great, I think, just what I need for the last push.
Just before the hoped for drink I’m passed by a younger female triathlete, decked out in the uniform of the local running store. She takes two cups each from the first two volunteers, and dumps them on her head. Then she takes two more from the last and runs off with them, leaving me the choice of waiting for the volunteers to restock or pushing on with no water to the finish.
I choose the latter and arrive at the finish feeling like I’ve been broiled on brochette. I see her after the race and I nicely inform her that it was inconsiderate, to which she replies–“Whatever”!
I do one to three sprints a year and assorted running events from 5k to 1/2 mary but have never seen this unsporting (OK, utterly selfish) behavior.
Is this a common occurrence?
R in Windsor, ON
p.s. best performance ever in a tri–4th in AG
On the one hand, that sucks. On the other, this is not a tea party.
6k must be a lot longer than I think it is. Nice going on HTFU for that last 1k though.
Seriously, I’m thinking she didn’t even realize that she was taking “your water”.
In a perfect world runners would ask at aid stations “is this cup of water taken?” But that’s not the case.
So first to belly up to the water bar takes all? If it were a normal day no worries. But there were a lot of stressed out wobbly athletes looking like overcooked lobsters.
I find the overwhelming majority of triathletes great people, really helpful in an inspiring way. Perhaps that’s what bugs me about this one. My illusions about sport shattered!
R
There should have been a table with cups of water in addition to the volunteers handing off cups. Its just too much to ask for volunteers to keep up with the athletes as they race by. This should have been done esp with the conditions you described.
On the one hand, that sucks. On the other, this is not a tea party.
I agree… 1) yes, it was rude of her, and in that situation personally I’d like to think I’d be aware of my fellow competitors and a little more sporting than she was, but still 2) it IS a race after all, and bottom line is if you got there faster then she’d have been far enough behind you it would have been a moot point… if she can beat you to it, well, “to the victor go the spoils.”
Just be glad she wasn’t a recovering firefighter or you’d have been shoved violently out of the way. Whining about some water and a couple of seconds wait…where do we get these people?
I hope you beat her to the finish line…
perhaps competitive environments are not for you?
you might be out there for a polite stroll, she might be out there culminating a 1 year program aimed at winning her age group.
FIGHT FOR THAT WATER WOOO
Last Sunday, one of the hottest of the year (high 90s and humid), and I’m on the running leg of the hometown sprint triathlon, here in Windsor, ON. It’s so hot waves of heat are rising off the pavement, stopping runners in their tracks and making the race a walkathon for many. I’m good in the heat so I’m overtaking lots of athletes. It’s a 6k run and just before the 5k mark are three kindly volunteers with watercups, one in each hand. Great, I think, just what I need for the last push.
Just before the hoped for drink I’m passed by a younger female triathlete, decked out in the uniform of the local running store. She takes two cups each from the first two volunteers, and dumps them on her head. Then she takes two more from the last and runs off with them, leaving me the choice of waiting for the volunteers to restock or pushing on with no water to the finish.
I choose the latter and arrive at the finish feeling like I’ve been broiled on brochette. I see her after the race and I nicely inform her that it was inconsiderate, to which she replies–“Whatever”!
I do one to three sprints a year and assorted running events from 5k to 1/2 mary but have never seen this unsporting (OK, utterly selfish) behavior.
Is this a common occurrence?
R in Windsor, ON
p.s. best performance ever in a tri–4th in AG
Very doubtful, since she passed him in the last 1k and he was (apparently) ready to keel over from lack of water.
Steve
You’re right about the water station tables. This is not the best organized event and volunteers are few. If the race were longer, no doubt there would have been some folks collapsing. Southern Ontario can be hot as hades in the summer; two years ago at another small budget race nearby, a guy right in front of me wobbled, listed, and did a face plant on the sidewalk during the run. Complete heat exhaustion. Again, poor planning on the part of race organizers. Like Chicago a couple of years ago but on a much smaller scale.
Competitive, yes. I do every race to my limit. A jackass–not worth it. Comraderie and fun are more important to me than shaving a few seconds off my time.
Who was it who tossed the C02 cartridge to Wellington? There’s my model of a sports(wo)man.
thats got to do with him going to hard in the heat.
all the water stations in the world aren’t going to stop a guy from getting tired in the heat.
well maybe if you pour it all over your head
but another option is available, slow down.
excess water isn’t necessary for safety in a short, hot race.
your body does a great job of stopping you if you get too hot. =)
run. Complete heat exhaustion. Again, poor planning on the part of race organizers. Like Chicago a couple of years ago but on a much smaller scale.
You let a younger female pass you? You need to train more. NO water for you!
It is sport and competition after all…if you want politeness then go put on a 3 piece suit and go have tea with the Queen.
Life can be a BtH when you follow.
One question and one suggestion… Was she cute? Wear a fuel belt if water on the run is an ongoing issue.
Soooo, you got “chicked” at a water station, huh? Bummer. Still, I agree with the other posters who felt her behavior was rude, but that it is a race after all. You’ll know better next time to recognize this type of situation developing ahead and push ahead to get yourself in position at the water station. If you are not racing, then just slow down. What is surprising to me is that you said “local” running store, meaning she might be Canadian? I have never met a rude Canadian. I’ll bet she was from Detroit. 
Unless she barged in front of you as you were reaching for the cup I would have to say it’s first come, first served at the water stations. As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm.
Well…I’m not sure which way to go on this.
Frankly, I don’t remember ever coming to a water station that was crowded enough for one athlete to take it all.
I also would never drink with 1k left in a race…but would like a cup over my head.
Normally I would say that she was fine to take everything she could get her hands on as she ran by, but I’ve never seen someone take 4 cups before.
You are having AVERAGE weather for us folks in the Southern US. Believe me when I say I know how it felt.
actually it could feel worse for him than us
simply because he isn’t used to it.
here in texas we know that when its 104, you just have to run slower
we know you wont die in 10k without water
but if you trained 99% of the time in cold temps
90 degrees will feel like DEATH
just look at the chicago marathon that year it hit… 80 degrees! people thought they were gonna die for sure
simply not used to the idea
You are having AVERAGE weather for us folks in the Southern US. Believe me when I say I know how it felt.