Being a volunteer at any race gives you a different perspective on the whole race experience. Especially if it is a race you haven't ran before. It is amazing, especially when you get to be at the finish line. You get to see runner's experiencing so many emotions as they cross that finish line. Some are crying, some are fist pumping, some are high fiving everyone in sight, and some are just trying to make those last couple steps across. Regardless how they come across the finish line, they've done it! They have accomplished something to be proud of!
Photo from
Run Disney
The premise of this post was inspired by our friend Patty that blogs at
My No Guilt Life. She had recently posted a picture of the Donald half marathon medal and we were discussing the design of the medal and what we liked and what we didn't really like, but in the end, it's a medal, it symbolizes an accomplishment so no matter what it looks like, we'll take it!
This brings me back to our volunteer experience. While we were volunteering for the Donald Half Marathon last year, we were fortunate enough to see those runner's cross the finish line as we handed out the lovely Donald medals! There was one runner in particular that I won't forget. Let me preface this by saying that no matter when you cross the finish line, it is an accomplishment. And should be something to be remembered by. Anyway, this one runner comes crosses and walks down the chute where we are handing out medals. I try to give him a medal and he declined. it. Okay, I thought maybe he just didn't want the medal from ME. Maybe he had a friend or someone else that was going to give him his medal. I get that, I would be presenting my sister with her marathon medal the following day. But as my sister and I watched this runner, he declined the medal from every single volunteer. Thus leaving the WDW marathon medal-less.
This definitely had us wondering, why didn't he want a medal? I know, I know, many of you are thinking "You run the race for yourself, not to get a medal" which we know all to well to be true, but if someone is going to offer you a medal for your accomplishment, why not take it? It didn't cost anything extra. We've recently heard of races charging extra if you wanted a finishers medal. we think this is just wrong.
Maybe this runner has way too many medals as it is, and he didn't know what he would do with one more. Maybe he wasn't proud of his time and felt he didn't deserve it ( although he did cross very early in the race, I think anyone would have been happy with the time he had).
The next day I was volunteering at the Marathon and as I was waiting for my sister to cross the finish line, I noticed this guy who had crossed. As he walked by, he tore off his bib and threw it in the trash can right beside me. I couldn't believe it.
1. Was that really the first thing you want to do as soon as you cross the finish line of a marathon, tear off your bib number. I guess he won't be getting any post race pictures taken from Marathon photo because they will not be able to identify him now.
2. Don't you keep that kind of stuff? Even if you don't keep bibs from other races, wouldn't it be nice to keep the one from a Disney race. It was Disney, it was a marathon, and it was the 20th anniversary. In my mind, that was a big deal. I definitely would have kept the bib. My sister kept hers.
Again, I thought maybe this was a race that he didn't want to remember. He finished in less than 4 hours, so of course I thought he made good time. Maybe he didn't agree!
In any case, what we may find as abnormal race day behavior, my be another persons norm.
