Why Pay For A Fun Run?
Have you ever wondered why someone would pay for the privilege to run from one point to another, especially when you can do this for free, when ever or where ever you want. In the current climate where races are being cancelled, I’ve put together a number of reasons why you still would want to pay for a race and hope they all return soon.
I know that races are not all they’re cracked up to be. There is the cost that can get pretty big at times, you usually have to get up early for race day and you need to race a route that you may not be familiar with. But there are some advantages that I think out weight the disadvantages.
It Will Help You Run Further
In September, me and my partner had a 50km(30 miles) ultra ran scheduled which ended up being cancelled. We still had the option to do this run as a “Virtual Race”, but when it came to running the 50kms, it was a struggle. Don’t get me wrong, 50kms is hard at any time, but on the weekend we needed to run to be part of the virtual race, the weather in Auckland had gone south and it was cold, wet and windy. We did the run, but it was a lot tougher doing this on our own without the event of a race, a crowd of supporters and other competitors to get us through the full 50kms.
You’ll Meet Some Amazing People
One thing I like to do when I go on holiday is race and it’s taken me to places all over the world like Samoa, Fiji and the USA. One of the best things about these races is the amazing people you’ll meet along the way. You’ll meet a wide range of people, but these people will share similar values to you. I even met my fiance at a race as well.
A Race Will Help You Run Faster
If you are wanting to improve your run time or run a personal best time, entering a race is probably one of the best things you can do to help you run faster. With the support of the crowd, the competition of racing other athletes and being part of an actual event, a race will usually give you the urgency and extra shot of adrenaline you need to make the best of your run.
You Will Have More Support
Sometimes the race fees seem pretty large but there is a good chance you will be getting a lot more back than what you pay. Firstly, there is the safety and first aid aspect of a race. A lot will go into the organisation to make sure you have a safe route to run, as well, in the rare event that something might go wrong on race day and you need first aid, it will usually be on hand to help you with what you need. Don’t forget there is also the other help on hand like water and nutrition and general volunteers that will make your run experience more enjoyable.
If you are at a race, make sure you do what you can to show your appreciation to race volunteers and organisers. There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears going on behind the scenes, you will never see.
Your Results Will Be Etched Into History
This is not always good, especially if you have a bad day, but your race results will usually be live for everyone to see, and these days, will be around for a long time. I know we have things like Strava that will do a similar thing, but the satisfaction of having your result as part of an official race result, can be priceless at times.
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Vince Sesto is a DevOps Engineer, Endurance Athlete, Coach and Author. One of his passion’s in life is endurance sports as both an athlete, coach and author. He is a certified running and triathlon coach with a goal to inspire people through his coaching and competition and to encourage people to live active and healthy lives.
His motto in life is, “I am trying to change the world, one run at a time”.
