Greeting each other while running, marathon culture, and other related nuances may concern you. But the main thing to think about is simply not making other runners uncomfortable.
Is it necessary to greet the one running towards you?
Absolutely at your discretion. Different countries and cities treat it differently. In Russia, there are both friendly runners and surly ones. The sullen ones, however, are more often referred to by newcomers who are uncomfortable in their first training sessions and have not yet gotten into the swing of things.
In most European countries, and even more so in the states, it is customary at least to smile broadly at one another. Waving to all oncoming and passing athletes is also the norm. And considering that even in St. Petersburg and Moscow we sometimes recognize each other, in smaller cities everyone says hello at least because they have known each other for a long time.
Regardless of your friendly or unfriendly mood, there are only two things to keep in mind.
- Waving to each other in places that are known to have large concentrations of runners, such as stadiums, can look rather silly.
- If you are greeted, no matter how, even with a smile, be sure to respond in kind.
Do I run on the spot, waiting for the green light?
This may well come under the heading of etiquette, if one takes the opinion of pedestrians into account. Runners, by and large, don’t care at all what ordinary other people think of them, but you should try not to annoy them. After all, they have a lot of problems. And in addition to having to stand and wait for the green light, they get a man in shorts jumping around.
But beyond that, there are more important things about our training process. To keep your heart rate from dropping to a resting state, any method is good, even running in place.
If your pace is slow, you can simply stop at a traffic light and rest for a while. And if the pace is medium or higher, it is better to make another small loop in the adjacent space to keep your heart rate in the right zone.
A more common option is to decide from afar to change your pace, for example, to slow down so that when you approach a traffic light you get exactly to the green. Or, accordingly, accelerate to catch the current transition.
Is it normal to spit and blow your nose while running?
For all cyclic sports where serious endurance work is going on, spitting or blowing your nose with your fingers is considered perfectly normal. However, it can be unpleasant for pedestrians, so, for the sake of respect, choose the place and time. Also, calculate your trajectory correctly if you are running in a group.
In general, there is not much need to spit or blow your nose while running. But if you have to, of course you can. You don’t have to carry a handkerchief with you.
How do you overtake other runners?
So as not to get in their way. In narrow passages, such as on a bridge, don’t try to squeeze ahead, even if you run at twice your pace. It is better to keep your distance and maneuver when the space becomes wider. When overtaking girls, it is better to greet them and smile guiltily.
How to behave in a marathon?
You have to behave the same way at competitions as you do everywhere else: think of others. In principle, there is nothing special. The main thing is not to get ahead at the start and not to get in the way of the better prepared marathon runners who start in the front rows. They, above all, run for results, not just having fun.
This means staying in the group whose pace you are expected to keep. If you alternate running and walking on long distances, stay close to the curb.
An important point of running etiquette is to make sure that nothing rattles or jingles while running. Keys can be tied with a regular rubber band, and change can be left at home in a piggy bank.
