Running Events - Sportsmanship?

My coworkers are putting together a team for this year's Race for the Cure which is in a few weeks. I did that event a couple of times but haven't done it for several years.

At that event here, a lot of early finishers go back along the course and walk back towards the start line. They're usually walking in the grass, beside the road where the runners are, and they have their bibs on and are drinking their Evian - it's obvious they've finished. They don't cheer for the remaining runners or say "you're doing great!" and there are lots of them.

Is this a common thing? I've never seen this at the 10K's or half mary events. Very few (if any) participants walk back towards the start line, and the ones who do cheer on the runners who are still on the course. Isn't it bad sportsmanship to - well, kind of - "showboat?" Or maybe a better way to put it - Isn't it good sportsmanship to show respect for your competitors'/other participants' efforts?

I've seen it both ways. It is certainly better to cheer for the runners, but they could be spent/exhausted, so I try not to take offense if they don't cheer for me.

I re-read my post - It didn't make much sense. :confused: (Sorry!)

It's not so much that people aren't cheering. What gets me is that the event is on mostly closed neighborhood streets and the only people allowed on and along the streets are the participants and volunteers - no spectators (except, of course, the people who live in the neighborhood can be in their own front yards ;) ). However, people who have finished the race, instead of hanging out around the finish line or in the big parking lot at the finish line, walk up in the yards against the flow of running traffic back towards the start line. I think it's actually against the race rules to walk or run in grass along the street - it's mostly private property. And it seems like if spectators aren't allowed there, participants who have finished the race shouldn't be there, either. It seems disrespectful to both the residents of the neighborhood and also to the participants who haven't completed the event.

Seems like the race organizers should be riding herd on the early finishers. What are they supposed to do after they finish? If it was me, I'd want to get back to my car, or at least somewhere to get cleaned up and into clean clothes. If walking is the only way to get to their cars after the race, then why begrudge them walking back?

Also, don't a lot of early finishers walk back so they can run in again with a friend (stepping out again before the chute)?

I don't interpret what you describe as showboating. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think they're just living in their own heads after the race and aren't thinking about anything but recovery.

Also, how far away is the start from the finish? :confused: Do they have any alternative path to get back to their vehicles, as bmccasland pointed out? If the start and finish are that far apart, or a if preferred a path back to the start isn't clearly marked, what else are they to do?

The course is a loop which stops and starts next to a big parking lot for our city's biggest mall. The parking lot has plenty of area closed off for participants and spectators, plus it has displays and a band -- They're not hurting for space in the parking lot. The people walking back are mostly walking in front yards of private homes. They're walking away from their cars, space to stretch, etc. The only thing they're walking towards is a few more trees, but there are still some trees and some shade in the parking lot, and it's early in the morning when it's fairly cool.

I looked at this year's route map and it's completely different, so I wouldn't be surprised if property owners complained about all of the walking in their yards. They might have even gotten complaints about what I'm mentioning, too. I guess it's hard to picture it all if you haven't seen it.

Yeah, if the issue is mainly that they're walking in people's yards, then that's just plain rude, not just poor sportsmanship. But if they're doing exactly what you describe in a place where they don't trample gardenias and tulips, then I don't see a problem with it for reasons given earlier. Do you?