Can I run a race without registering?
I often have athletes I train who decide they want to run a race in training to help them prepare for their next race goal. Sometimes they want to use the race to simulate the conditions of their target race, or they want to participate in a long race with the company of other runners and the help of the aid stations.
Many times my clients ask me if they should register and pay for the race or can they just run it and not take the medal at the finish line. I always tell my clients that they must register and pay the fee. This is the same information that I passed on to you. I recommend this for many reasons.
Running a race without registering and paying the entry fee is very common. It’s called being a bandit. The number one reason to sign up for a race is to be on the course. In most cases, races don’t want unregistered runners on the course. They can be a liability both to the race and to the other runners. They place an additional burden on race officials and may cause themselves or someone else to be injured in some way.
The second reason is to think about the other runners. Take the 2007 Chicago Marathon as an example. Both years the weather was warmer than usual for that time of year. There were even reports of aid stations running out of water or Gatorade. Imagine yourself at the marathon that year. The temperature is in the low 90s and you’re approaching mile 20. As we all know, mile 20 seems to be where everyone falls apart in the marathon. As you approach the aid station, you feel that a glass of water or Gatorade is essential to help you reach the finish line. When you arrive at the aid station, you see a volunteer handing out the last glass of water to a runner without a bib. He decides to move on to the Gatorade only to find that it has also run out. Now you have to run another mile hoping that the next aid station will have fluids while knowing that the cup of fluid you paid for when registering for the race was stolen by the bandit right in front of you who didn’t pay the registration fee. . How would you feel?
The third reason is for security reasons for you. You have decided to participate in a 25 kilometer trail race. The trail takes you through a very remote section of the desert consisting of steep hills that you must negotiate. You think the race will be an ideal situation for you to train for a long run and train on hills to prepare for the next hilly marathon. About halfway through the run you crest a hill and head the other way. Suddenly, his toe catches on a rock and he falls down the hill. At some point during his slide down the hill he hit his head. You are now unconscious. A race official is notified of your position and emergency personnel are summoned. The only problem now is that they have no idea who you are because you have no ID or bib number to match the registration information. Emergency personnel have no idea what medication you may or may not be allergic to or what your past medical history may include that could help them treat you.
These are just three reasons why it is important to register and pay the entry fee every time a race is run. Being a bandit might seem like a cheap way to enter a race and should be avoided. Do yourself and all of your fellow runners a favor and pay that entry fee.
