Runner etiquette -half marathon (Page 2)

Agree on this completely.  I doubt it would be an issue pacing someone with the appropriate gap, or pacing someone after asking, either would work with me, but if you pace off someone and they know it, then you sprint past and burn them in the chute, that's bad form IMO

alex_korr - 2013-01-24 9:24 AM I say draft away. if you're annoying them, they can always slow down or try to drop you

This! I pace off people in every race. I find someone I know is running just a slightly faster pace than me and I just hang with it. Of course, I'm not all up in their personal space but I do pace off them. I think sometimes people get mad when I pace off them and the sprint them at the end and get ahead of them right at the finish line. I don't know why someone would have a problem with it though unless you were right up on them and in their personal space.

EDIT: Ooops, as I was typing it people were posting that what I do is bad because I pass them at the end. Oh well, I'm not running in a race to show off good form. This isn't a test for brown belt in karate, this is a race. I'm running in the race to win. In fact, if I knew it got to you mentally for me to pace you I would likely do it on purpose just to make you try and lose me and run out of energy. Hmmmmmm, I guess there is a reason I enjoy watching Macca and reading his book so much, LOL!!

I saw people do this at my first half marathon last Sunday and couldn't believe grown folks do that.

This.   I was wondering how this question got to two pages.....

As far as passing in the chute.  really, who cares.  Most races here are hundreds or thousands of people.  So I or the other person get 167 overall instead of 166.  Big whoop.

And, even if it is for an AG spot, it's a race, isn't it?  It's strategy to pace off someone. In swimming there's even a benefit of drafting (less so on the run), and passing on the last leg is just good race strategy. 

So long as you aren't pushing people out of the way or being rude and aggressive, it's totally appropriate to pass in the chute in a race

Just my .02

I agree with a lot of things everyone says, especially in acknowledging the person. In most cases I think it's no problem.

If the weather is nasty (wind/rain) then I think you should really consider trading off with them rather then letting them do all the work. 

I wonder if the guys behind the guy in yellow asked him if it was okay for them to pace him.

 I realize when I run I make a lot of noise and seem to make the earth shake.  It can be very distracting to people if I'm too close.  I was running around Lady Bird lake in Austin and a couple if front of me asked me if I was following them.  I wasn't sure how to answer that since we were on a trail and there was nowhere else to go.  So of course I was following them.  I didn't have the heart to tell them that the reason I was behind them was that I knew I'd start too fast and I was using them to slow me down.

Man, I can honestly say that once I'm past the 5-6 mile point of a half or full mary and into my controlled discomfort zone that I don't notice at all who's behind me.

So I guess if the runner behind me zoomed by right before the shoot I'd have no idea if he/she was trailing me the whole time.

I really don't see the issue with passing people in the chute. If it's a close race between you and the person you ended up pacing, why shouldn't you try for the best time you can? If you can out kick them, then you were the stronger athlete and therefor your placing should reflect that. The race ends at the finish line, not when the course gets narrower toward the end. You shouldn't be expected to just hand over a place just to be polite.

If you are racing in crappy conditions (rain/wind) where there is an actual advantage to drafting someone you should be taking turns setting the pace if you are close to each other in pace just to maximize your performance. If you let the other person do all the work and then they fall off, you just lost your draft and now the rest of the race will be that much harder for you.

Depending on race distance, I might ask what folks are shooting for on longer races and work with them.  Anything under an hour, theres little time for romance so lets get it on.

x2 I would have no idea you were there. I don't spend much time looking behind me. That said, Garmins are usually good things to pace off of. Also the pace group things. People get free entry into races in exchange for running a consistent pace. At the good ones there will be handheld or street signs indicating pace groups.

I pace off several people in a race, usually for about a couple of minutes each, unless it's obvious someone has truly equal ability, then we often help each other.

When I'm not doing that, I find a reason to "race" individuals, who are rarely aware of it. It doesn't take much to pick an opponent: a shirt from a rival school, shoes that match mine, just something to get my attention.

Whether you pace or race, I can't see anything wrong to follow someone setting a good pace for you, as long as you don't trip your involuntary pace rabbit or do like Natalia Rodriguez in Berlin, 2009 (forward to 1:30):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gscay1-yRNo

BR

Yes!   I agree.