Racing etiquette for sprinting/passing at end of race (Page 3)

I don't disagree at all - you made a decision that was right for you at the time and at the same time aren't telling people it's right for them.

I personally would have yelled to let him know I was coming to give him fair warning and then tried to run him down, but you made a split second decision you could live with - what's to disagree with

twomarks

like many others have said, don't make her issue(s) your own.  it seems you did nothing wrong.  lots of races are won with a kick at the end.  take the tour de france for example.  the sprinters wait until the last hundred meters or so to really sprint it out with each other.

IMO, there is no 'etiquette' for passing someone at the end of a race.  As long as you're not getting in their way or somehow hindering them, all is fair.

Another 'you did nothing wrong'

And I'll add two things I find funny -

People who are sprinting against each other at the finish when they clearly started in different waves.

And people who run at a very modest pace yet somehow cover the last couple hundred feet at an all out sprint.

Those numbers on the back of our legs are there for a reason So you can bear down on the peeps in your AG and try and pass em. 

If that lady didn't want to get passed at the tape she shouldn't have entered the race! 

Agree with everyone else that you did what you were supposed to do.

My own experience and 'learning'

1. Running a 10k with a friend as a 'training' run - we had been together the whole time - had a lovely time. Only my second race, ever.  This friend surges in the last 20m to beat me.  I was unimpressed. We had been running together but apparently it was important to her to beat me.  Didn't make that mistake again and ran my own races in the next few we did together - and i beat her every time.

2. Triathlon - doing a sprint-ish distance.  I ended up pretty much alone at one end of the course on the bike and it was a lollypop turn around, I had checked and no one was around so i slowed down a bit but out of nowhere this DB is beside me - says 'turn much' pretty rudely and passed me on the inside.  I steamed. It was SO rude and against the rules! Pass me, fine.  I was being slow, fine. But that was unneccessary. It was about three seconds.  If only an official was there!! He was gone and I was mad.   Anyway, i am a decently strong runner and out on the run I saw this guy. He looked to be struggling so i felt a little bad.  I forgot it and kept running as i had one more lap to do.  However, as i was coming to the last 200m i saw this guy and it gave me the pep i needed just to zip right by right in the finishing chute.  Did not feel bad. I know i beat him by at least a few minutes since i was in the first women's wave which was after all of the men had gone.    That was satisfying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJo_aN4Eg2M

Lance getting passed AT the finish line.  He acts kinda put out, but guess what? The finish line isn't at the beginning of the chute. If you want to jog along and high five, that's fine.  The race ends at the finish line.   

Here is my list of folks I will NOT out sprint at a finish....I will pass them but I will not retaliate with a sprint should they choose to fight.

1. Old Men (like 65+)

2. Young Kids

3. Any Women

4. Hot Women* They get passed, and then I slow up, encourage and let them cross first

I don't want anyone passing me at the finish line!!!!

Above all else, play it cool at the finish line.

Weird, I have to say I never gave the finishing kick a thought before. I think it's interesting that some running forums seem to think its not cool to pass people close to the finish line, wth? It's a freaking race, doesn't mean your a "newb" in my book, it means you want to leave whatever is left in the tank on the race field, that's called a strong finish and one that was drilled into me on the track team...back when I could actually run

Congrat's on kickin butt, you should have turned and gave her a raspberry when she gave you a dirty look lol!

Patsy

+1

At my IM last fall I was running close to another guy coming down finishing chute (in MOP position).  For some reason the only thing I thought at the time was about not messin' up each other's IM finishing photos.  I distinctly heard the announcer say something like "after 13 hours we still have a race".  Mustered my last bit of energy to "sprint" ahead far enough for both of us to get decent photo op's.  If he were faster I would have dropped back to accomplish same thing.

Otherwise- I always sprint to the finish.  Fans don't cheer to see people doggin' it at the end

No.  Your race etiquette is fine.  Doesn't matter if it's sprint or Ironman.  That's what people do.  Every race I've been in no matter what the distance, that happens.  It's a race.  And it's fun to sprint at the finish line, isn't it?  Passing a couple people while you're coming to the end of a race, pushing all that your body has left is fun.

Crying?  Really?  That's a little extreme.  I wouldn't feel bad if I were you.

The race isn't over until you cross the finish line.  Like others said, if she didn't llike getting passed then she should have given it all at the end like you did.  Good Job.

In every race that I run I yell let's go to anyone near me over the last 1/4 mile and kick as hard as I can.  My favorite was two years ago in Boston where I was starting to fade over the last 200 yards and another runner and I kicked it out with everything that we had then both high fived after we crossed the line.

At the end of every local race my wife and kids yell "Kick it last name!"  I don't plan on letting them down.

I think people mistake you sprinting to the end as something personal.  Like you are tying to beat THEM specifically.  Not so.  It could be anyone (or no one) and you just want to finish strong.

I think think think you singled them out to beat.  Not so.  They need to realize that at that point in the race, most people are racing for themselves and not trying to beat THEM in particular and they take it personally.

I respectfully disagree.  I think that if someone wants to ensure they have their moment of fame and finisher pic all alone, then it's on them to either speed up or wait for a moment for the chute to clear out a bit.  It's not everyone else's obligation to slow down and wait for the photo op to be finished before they cross the line.

People who want perfect finish line commemorative photos should head instead to their nearest Sears for the commemorative Ironman(TM) photo collection complete with majestic Finishers' Arch and related props such as finisher's ribbon, medals.  Free shot of you rolling past the finish line with every 30 dollar purchase :3

I didn't pay my entry fees to enter a beauty pageant.  If it's a photo they're after and they want no one else in their way, all they have to do is just run faster or slower than everyone else.  They shouldn't expect everyone else to block the photo for them like some stage play. Especially after I get a glimpse of the chocolate milk they're passing out, then I'm Usain Bolting my way to the chocolate milk line.

If sprinting past someone in the end is not appropriate, then I think I should have a few more state championships and podiums than I do LOL. A race is a race, and it isn't over until the finish line. You're SUPPOSED to finish hard, with whatever you have left--if it's an IM and all you have left is a drunken stagger, fine. If you feel great and you have a super sprint, super. As others have said, the only inappropriate thing would be to push or otherwise impede another athlete's progress to the finish, step by someone who's collapsed beyond the finish, or push by someone in the chute. 

Mybe the woman's anger was really at herself, not you. I once lost a state championship by a few seconds to two girls in the final 20 meters after leading a 5K from the start. I'm sure there were some tears and cussing involved, but it wasn't directed at them. Your competitor may have just been upset with herself that she couldn't respond to your challenge. In all the years I've been racing, I've never had someone get mad at me for outkicking them. And I've raced some pretty rude people, esp. as a teenager.

At least you actually beat her. I made a goofus of myself in my last race, hunting down some poor woman I spied up ahead of me and getting almost five minutes on her in the last mile. The age group number had washed off her leg, I couldn't tell, so had to assume she might be in my AG. Turned out she wasn't, and was in a wave that had started five minutes after mine, so I still hadn't actually beat her. Whatever--she was gracious about it after and jokingly asked me if my speciality was the 1500m!

So Sunday in my HIM, I had nothing left. We were a couple of hundred yards from the finish line, and getting back into the spectators. A gentleman ahead of me started to walk. He was an older gentleman.

I tried to give him some encouragement... "Come on buddy, we are almost there. Let's finish this thing."

He responded with, "looking strong, keep going".

I kept going, giving it all I had, which was just to keep going.

Not long after I feel a pat on the back, "Good job, looking strong" ... and the older gentleman passed me. That B@%@#%!!! 

I tried to catch him, but all I caught was his dust. He left me for dead. I tried to reel him back, but no way. Maybe I should have rested before the finishing straight.

I sincerely hope he got a smile out of that. Really.... I did.

Geez, it's a flippin' race. I can't believe someone would be so absorbed with themselves that they would think you trying to do the best you could was somehow a personal insult to them. That somehow their feelings took precedent over your hard work to be the best you could be. Completely ridiculous.

You were not being rude, you did what you are suppose to do.

She has a bad attitude.

Congrats on running a smart race.