Race etiquette used to be pretty straightforward: Stay in your lane, don’t cut people off, and be aware of your surroundings when you stop for water. But ever since run clubs and new hybrid competitions like Hyrox have taken off, there's been an influx of athletes who have never been taught race rules. To make matters more complicated, new competition styles mean additional rules have to get ironed out in real time.
Best case scenario, this might mean you bump into a few people with cameras trying to get social media content at the finish line. Worst case scenario (in rare, extreme cases), the race may turn into a literal sh*tshow. Kayla Jeter, CFSC, is a Lululemon athlete, wellness consultant, and veteran half-, full, and ultramarathoner.
Sunny Choi, CSCS, is an Olympic breaker who’s competed in a Hyrox race. Knowing all the ins and outs of how to act during a race isn’t exactly part of your ChatGPT training plan, but race etiquette is essential. That’s why Women’s Health tapped some of our most trusted racing experts to put together a comprehensive list of the new rules of race etiquette—here’s what to know before you head to the starting line.
Be respectful and practice spatial awareness, both when you’re maintaining a steady pace, and passing people. After all, “the point of a race is that you want to pass people and you want people to feel like they can pass you,” says Warshowsky. But you need to check your surroundings, and be strategic about when you can make those passes.
For instance, if you’re about to turn a corner down a new street during a half-marathon, you might want to wait a second before you try and squeeze past a bunch of people. Similarly, some races like Hyrox also have passing lanes for faster athletes. Do your event research ahead of time, know which lane you’re in, keep it moving, and if you need to switch, look around and try not to knock into runners, Warshowsky says.
After all, it’s your race too! Just like you would when riding a bike, stick out your hand to the right or left to signify that you’ll be pulling over, Warshowsky says. Then, start inching your way toward that side of the road “instead of needing to cut across an entire lane of people running,” she adds.
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