How to cheer on a half marathon runner?

[Angie in VA]

A loved one is running a half marathon (a first!) soon. It's out of town, but we hope to go surprise this loved one. 

I dread parking anywhere near the event. I found the pdf of the race/route. I don't know if we'll be able to get to different stations to cheer, or should we just be at the finish line? 

I have run before, but it was when a house up the street from me was on fire. Not funny, but it's true. And a little funny about how I don't run. (No people were hurt in the fire.)

I'll see if I can call someone w/ the race to get advice, but I came to the best source I know. 🙂

 

[catz]

Oh it's really fun to go out at random points.  Make signs, bring a noisemaker, wear crazy clothes, Cheer cheer cheer!  I used to run and I absolutely loved this kind of thing, I will still go out and cheer for my DH.  

A good spot would be like a public park that the race is going past.  A lot of places could work, I'd just not recommend going into neighborhoods near homes early on the weekend.  Unless you see neighborhoods setting up lawn chairs, bands, or something.  There is one race through our neighborhood that starts at a 7:30 on a Sunday in the fall and everyone just knows it will be loud that day.  If you email the race coordinators they may have good suggestions.  Though if the event is coming up soon, they may be too busy to get back on emails of this nature too.   You could post like on a neighborhood or city board on social media somewhere for ideas too.  A bigger event like a half marathon the finish will probably be packed and it hard to get a decent place to see not to mention parking and all that business.  Especially if it's with other races going on at the same time.  

[Toocrazy!!]

The two times I’ve cheered people on I was able to figure out a way to be in the middle and then at the end. 
It’s a local race, so we knew people who’d run before and followed their advice. so we picked a place pretty far in after a more grueling stretch hoping to give them a lift. Then we were able to get to the end before they got there.

They both seemed pretty busy at the end, talking to other runners, eating their snacks, just hanging out in their glory. So, we were happy to be there, but didn’t need to be at the end to watch them cross the line. Other people might want that though. 

 

[dirty ethel rackham]

That's a hard one because all of the races I've seen (only because several running races are held in my town and often use my street, not because I run😄), there is a bit of chaos involved, especially at the start and finish.  I love the idea of being at a point where you think they would need the most encouragement and have a big poster board sign and noise.  But the risk is that you wouldn't know when they would pass by to call out.  And since it is a surprise, they wouldn't know to look for you.  I like the idea of a park or some place, but not a place crowded with people so that you would be very obvious to your loved one.  

[Arcadia]

My friend’s husband just wait near the finish line whenever she runs marathons.

[MEmama]

I watch from the start line and at the finish. Chances are they won’t notice you along the route but it’s fun to see them finish and enjoy the party. 🎉

[Angie in VA]

Thank you for these suggestions. The only time I went to cheer at a race, it was a 5K, and my friend saw me and my sign. I hadn't even thought of a sign this time. A noise maker is a great idea! 

Love the idea of being at points along the way. Give encouragement when needed and more likely to be seen/heard by the runner we love. I fully expect the finish line to be a mad house. 

Thank you so much! I knew y'all would be helpful. 

[AngieC]

Definitely check out the course map and see if you can make it to a couple of spots by walking. If it’s a smaller race, driving is a possibility, but for some of the bigger ones, between road closures and all of the participants, it can be chaos driving and trying to find parking.

 

Signs are great! If it’s a large race, they probably have live tracking so you can get notified when they cross certain checkpoints. Otherwise, if they’re running with a phone and a Garmin watch, ask them to send you a live track from their phone so you can follow them (or share their location on a iPhone).

 

Have fun!

[Wilma]

I recommend a bike! Park semi nearish, choose a couple of cheering points, and bike from one to the next - you'll get a lot more chances for seeing your runner that way. 

[Katy]

If you yell names they will definitely notice you cheering them along the route! Some people wear shirts with their name just so people will use it. 

Consider buying big soft slippers with squishy memory foam soles to hand them at the finish line. And maybe have a package of blister bandaids and a new pair of socks and some Aleve in your purse just in case. 

I ran one marathon and those are the things I wanted when I was done. 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Katy

[Insertcreativenamehere]

These are all great ideas! I've never really had anyone cheer me on in a race and I just want to say how thoughtful it is that you're doing this! 

[lanabug]

Don't bother being at the start line. The crowds will likely be too thick for you to see your runner and your runner will be distracted by starting his watch, not tripping over other runners, establishing his pace, etc. Best option is to be a few miles in, maybe around the halfway point or a little further. The crowds will have thinned out and it will be easier to see each other, plus your runner may be ready for some encouragement to keep going. Depending on how the course is laid out, you may be able to get from a spot in the middle of the course to the finish line before your runner comes down the last stretch to the finish. 

[footballmom]

With this being their first half, I would try to reveal the surprise around mile 4-5 and again at mile 10.  If you have to choose between the two, mile 10.  You are so close then with just a 5k to go.  A little surprise guest would be awesome!

[Bootsie]

I have a friend who we have cheered on and were able to find a place along the route where we could watch them running south and then move over a few blocks and see them when they were going to be running north.  The trick was knowing when to be watching for them.  Luckily we had several different people placed at different places along the route to text so that we knew the person's pace and when to watch to cheer them on.

[Angie in VA]

18 hours ago, AngieC said:

Definitely check out the course map and see if you can make it to a couple of spots by walking. If it’s a smaller race, driving is a possibility, but for some of the bigger ones, between road closures and all of the participants, it can be chaos driving and trying to find parking.

 

Signs are great! If it’s a large race, they probably have live tracking so you can get notified when they cross certain checkpoints. Otherwise, if they’re running with a phone and a Garmin watch, ask them to send you a live track from their phone so you can follow them (or share their location on a iPhone).

 

Have fun!

I downloaded the map already. Love the idea of sharing GPS. Thank you!

16 hours ago, Katy said:

If you yell names they will definitely notice you cheering them along the route! Some people wear shirts with their name just so people will use it. 

Consider buying big soft slippers with squishy memory foam soles to hand them at the finish line. And maybe have a package of blister bandaids and a new pair of socks and some Aleve in your purse just in case. 

I ran one marathon and those are the things I wanted when I was done. 

Great idea about the slippers. I've given this loved one mole skin bandages b/c this runner is a hiker too. Katy, I already had high regard for you, just from reading your thoughtful posts that always teach me something, but knowing you ran a marathon? Wow! You are a rock star! Thanks for these tips.

[Angie in VA]

14 hours ago, Bootsie said:

I have a friend who we have cheered on and were able to find a place along the route where we could watch them running south and then move over a few blocks and see them when they were going to be running north.  The trick was knowing when to be watching for them.  Luckily we had several different people placed at different places along the route to text so that we knew the person's pace and when to watch to cheer them on.

Hubs and I will probably split up. Great idea. 

[Angie in VA]

16 hours ago, Insertcreativenamehere said:

These are all great ideas! I've never really had anyone cheer me on in a race and I just want to say how thoughtful it is that you're doing this! 

Aww. I'm cheering for you right now! I went to cheer on a friend who ran a 5k, and that was a surprise too. It was very easy to be close to the finish line for that one. 

Runners are a special breed. (I'm not that special!) 

You are amazing!

[Angie in VA]

15 hours ago, footballmom said:

With this being their first half, I would try to reveal the surprise around mile 4-5 and again at mile 10.  If you have to choose between the two, mile 10.  You are so close then with just a 5k to go.  A little surprise guest would be awesome!

 

Excellent advice. Thanks so much. 

[lanabug]

One other thought - it's helpful to know their expected pace so you can estimate when you need to start watching more closely for the runner to come by. Online tracking can help with this. 

[skimomma]

I also recommend the multiple mid-route cheer stations.  The start and finish are too bananas to find/see/hear spectators.

I have run multiple half and full marathons as well as triathlons.  I usually don't have a cheering section but the few times I have, I really enjoyed it.  It makes that next mile peel away so must faster.  And don't be afraid to cheer on others too!  Many of the races I have done have the first name written on the bibs.  The first time this happened, I was all confused about why people I didn't know were cheering for me, by name!  It was really fun.  Even if you don't know their name, general cheering for runners as they go by is always appreciated.

One thing to NOT do is yell "almost there" when they are not indeed almost there.  "Almost there" for a half is not until the last mile.  Anything before that usually ticks runners off.  

I mostly came here to share a super cute story from the last half I ran.  It is a race that runs along a single, low traffic, long road.  It is always fun because the people who live along it have gatherings and cheer everyone on, sometimes offering a hose down or bottled water as we go past.  I was running about the same pace as a younger woman so we were within view of each other for most of the race.  I noticed early on that her dh and three very young kids were stationed along the route to cheer her on.  Then we appeared a mile later.  And again a mile later.  I started paying attention.  This guy was packing up all three kids into car seats, breaking down a double stroller and putting it in the trunk, driving one mile, and setting them all up again.  He did this 10 times!  That is dedication!  

[TechWife]

I recommend being at the finish line because:

The runners are bunched up at the start it's usually too hard to see an individual runner at the start line. This is especially true if they are starting in waves.

Roads will be closed to allow for the race and support vehicles. This makes getting between spectator spots hard to predict, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area.

The only place I've been successful being along the route is at Run Disney events in Orlando, where they set up for spectators in specific locations  and have their own transportation system.

ETA: If your runner wears a smart watch, you may be able to track them using that.

Edited February 18, 2022 by TechWife

[Angie in VA]

Did I never update this thread? RUDE! Many apologies. 

Thank you for all your advice! ❤️ We surprised our loved one and I got everything I wanted: to sit and watch w/ my husband AND to split up to give support at different stations. 

Husband wanted to find our runner before the race. Knowing how *I* am with just my morning routine, I didn't want do to ANYTHING that would interrupt the focus of our runner. But our paths crossed, and it was a good and welcomed surprise. So we cheered at the beginning and at two other stations we could walk a short cut to early on in the race.

Then at the end of the race we set our lawn chairs a ways down from the finish line but w/in sight of it. We were tracking the runner w/ an app and could see when it was time to split up a bit. Husband walked down to the final turn and texted me when to be on the look out at our lawn chair station. It was perfect. 

I am a born spectator, a watcher and cheerer of doers, not a doer myself. I embrace this life purpose. I had a BALL cheering for everyone. I got a few odd "Do I know you?" looks, but I was undeterred. Others cheered for everyone too, so the spirit there was great. I know it was the last leg and not my cheers that made runners pick up the pace, but I can pretend I played a tiny part in their final efforts. 😉

Thank you again. I appreciate all the help. I knew you would come through!

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by Angie in VA
Needed to add a comma!

[Angie in VA]

On 2/18/2022 at 1:32 PM, skimomma said:

I also recommend the multiple mid-route cheer stations.  The start and finish are too bananas to find/see/hear spectators.

I have run multiple half and full marathons as well as triathlons.  I usually don't have a cheering section but the few times I have, I really enjoyed it.  It makes that next mile peel away so must faster.  And don't be afraid to cheer on others too!  Many of the races I have done have the first name written on the bibs.  The first time this happened, I was all confused about why people I didn't know were cheering for me, by name!  It was really fun.  Even if you don't know their name, general cheering for runners as they go by is always appreciated.

One thing to NOT do is yell "almost there" when they are not indeed almost there.  "Almost there" for a half is not until the last mile.  Anything before that usually ticks runners off.  

I mostly came here to share a super cute story from the last half I ran.  It is a race that runs along a single, low traffic, long road.  It is always fun because the people who live along it have gatherings and cheer everyone on, sometimes offering a hose down or bottled water as we go past.  I was running about the same pace as a younger woman so we were within view of each other for most of the race.  I noticed early on that her dh and three very young kids were stationed along the route to cheer her on.  Then we appeared a mile later.  And again a mile later.  I started paying attention.  This guy was packing up all three kids into car seats, breaking down a double stroller and putting it in the trunk, driving one mile, and setting them all up again.  He did this 10 times!  That is dedication!  

 

I did say "Almost there!" but that was when the finish line was in sight. I hope that was OK and not a jerk move on my part. 

 

That story of the dad loading up kids and strollers and going to 10 pre-planned points is the sweetest thing ever! Thanks for sharing that. I love it! ETA: And how sweet about the support from the residents who live along the route. That could easily be a source of frustration, but it sounds like this neighborhood enjoys it. 🙂

 

Many props to all you runners. It was humbling to think those runners would do more than morning than I'd do all weekend - and it was a 3 day weekend!

Edited February 23, 2022 by Angie in VA

[Angie in VA]

On 2/17/2022 at 11:11 AM, catz said:

Oh it's really fun to go out at random points.  Make signs, bring a noisemaker, wear crazy clothes, Cheer cheer cheer!  I used to run and I absolutely loved this kind of thing, I will still go out and cheer for my DH.  

A good spot would be like a public park that the race is going past.  A lot of places could work, I'd just not recommend going into neighborhoods near homes early on the weekend.  Unless you see neighborhoods setting up lawn chairs, bands, or something.  There is one race through our neighborhood that starts at a 7:30 on a Sunday in the fall and everyone just knows it will be loud that day.  If you email the race coordinators they may have good suggestions.  Though if the event is coming up soon, they may be too busy to get back on emails of this nature too.   You could post like on a neighborhood or city board on social media somewhere for ideas too.  A bigger event like a half marathon the finish will probably be packed and it hard to get a decent place to see not to mention parking and all that business.  Especially if it's with other races going on at the same time.  

There was someone at the finish line in this costume. Talk about spirit!

Dinosaur costume

 

[Emba]

My SIL runs marathons and such. The only time we were able to attend one, it was at a state park. We found a spot in the middle to watch for her, but our timing was off so we never saw her go by. We were afraid if we kept waiting we’d miss seeing her altogether, so we went on to the finish line. Where we actually set up was a spot before the finish and the trail wound around a bit from there before the finish, so after we saw her and cheered, she had a bit more to go and she said it did help perk her up for that last little stretch.

 All this to say, the finish line is a more sure deal than the middle, though if you are willing to get there week ahead if time and wait the middle might be okay too. And marathons and other long distance runs are a lonely endeavor, and my SIL, at least, really appreciates the encouragement when her friends and family Can come.

[Ali in OR]

My dh trained for our local half a couple of years ago, and he trained with our lab (who did not run the half). I took the dog to a spot maybe 3/4 of the way through the race where there was parking and we actually timed it really well--only had to wait 5 minutes or so before he came by. He way happy to see us, but of course the dog was happiest of all.