During a recent conversation with a friend who’s also a competitive runner and often enters races, I was asked the question: Why is racing important to you as a race director?
It’s a very simple but complex answer. For some of us, race directing is how we pay our bills and feed our own racing addictions. So, I guess that would be the “simple” response. But what is the purpose for putting on a race? What impact does it have? Why do we continue to host races? Those are loaded questions.
Sitting in the hot seat, I pointed out the obvious reasons. Racing helps us build self-discipline, it’s good for goal orientation and staying healthy, both physically and mentally. But it’s more than that.
In the current state of technology that we live in, racing provides the rawest form of human interaction. Most of us have heard the phrase: “For the thrill of it.” We don’t get the same level of inertia playing a video game while sitting on the couch from the comfort of our living rooms. If you’ve ever signed up for a race, you already know the challenges of training and the excitement build-up to race day cannot be replicated—not even by binge-watching reruns of Sex and the City.
Regardless of our personal goals, racing keeps us present. Simply by competing, racing pulls us outside of our comfort zone and helps push us to see what’s humanly possible. Even if you choose not to race and instead, find yourself on the sidelines as a volunteer or someone’s crew or pacer, it’s hard not to feel the exhaustion and excitement of racing.
When diving into the impacts of racing, the first thing that comes to mind is community. Racing is how we build both local communities and connect with communities at large. Running a local race is how you connect with others who have a similar mindset. But that interconnection is not limited to those who share your passion for running—communities are an important part of inspiring an individual to sign up for a race and push their own boundaries, and racing is the ticking clock of these running communities. The next time you find yourself low on motivation, sign up for a local race or go volunteer and connect with your community.
As a runner and race director of multiple events, I will admit that I’m addicted to racing. I am addicted to the exhilaration and adrenaline of racing at the core of pushing one’s limit while competing. I am addicted to the intricate nuances of not only designing a race course but bringing an idea to life. Above all, I am addicted to seeing the glimmer of joy in the runners’ eyes as they come bounding across the finish line, blazing in exhaustion, often with tears in their eyes and exclaiming three simple words: “I did it!”