I look for races in cities where I’m travelling in the hope that there may be an event that I can run while on the road. Often my time in an area doesn’t intersect with a running event, but twice this fall I’ve raced out-of-state and both times, it offered a small glimpse into the community where it was being hosted.Most races are similar in their set-up. A start/finish line, the registration tent, port-a-johns, loud music from speakers, large numbers of nervous runners warming up and milling around, etc. When I raced this fall, it was oddly comfortable to be at events where much of what made them up felt familiar. In spite of both areas being very different than where I live, the little bubble of space created by the race was very pleasant within the new surroundings. And, there are small differences.
At the “Run Your Race” 5K in Phoenix, once the race was completed there was a large raffle drawing. Ten or so prizes sat on a table and the race director drew numbers and handed out prizes accordingly. Most of these prizes were very familiar: a water bottle, a bag of Clif Shots, etc. This race was one of twelve hosted by this company and they all started and finished at the same location. As the raffle went on, it became apparent that many of the people at the race knew the director and each other from having participated in past ones. Towards the end of the raffle, the race director picked up one large paper bag and said excitedly into the microphone, “Folks, folks. The Cracker Lady left us a prize. The Cracker Lady came.” The bag had various cracker products in it and from the murmurs rippling through the crowd, it was clear that this was a desirable prize. While it was not symbolic of the area in terms of being a cactus or something else you would expect from the desert, it was a unique prize in the sense that it represented someone from the community who was clearly well-regarded, and it was an interesting tidbit of an insight into their area. (I did not win the Cracker Lady prize.)
The Sunday before Thanksgiving, I did the “Run Santa Run” 5K in Medina, Ohio. Like other races, it featured everything you would expect but in this case, some of the volunteers were high school football players decked out in their letterman jackets. All football in Ohio is a big deal and while I don’t know that the race necessarily used football players to make that point, I do suspect that the importance of football there means they’re involved in community activities, and it showed. It was also clear how much the community supported the race in general. There were only a few spectators along the course but the number of police cruisers they dedicated to the race to sit at intersections was notable, not to mention that they had a lead police vehicle for the race and a race truck. The race was a chance for them to show off their town a little, and they took full advantage of it.
In past posts, I’ve mentioned running while travelling as good way to see an area. Especially if you’re running outside of the main tourist sections of a town or city, you get to see both the similarities and small differences that make each town and community unique. The races are another way of enjoying that. We all have local legend spots that make the best burgers, or brew the best cup of coffee, or maybe have the best crackers. We also have local activities and events that are a significant part of our cultural fabric, be it sports or otherwise. These are things that we can enjoy about our own communities and by showing up at races in new areas, we can see these unique tidbits in other areas and learn just a little bit more about them.
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