Cross Country Supporter Etiquette

emerald007

Something i noticed at the dublin novice xc yesterday, most supporters shouted on their people with positive comments specific to that runner, ( "go on johnny - great running, catch that guy" ) but i was surprised at the number of supporters using 'negative' comments or slams to motivate their own club runner as the race progressed ( 'go on johnny, the guy head is dying, he f*%$, catch him"). Those supporters wouldn't say it about their own runners, so why say it about others. Just wondering what others think?

As an aside, whats the best/worst piece of advise you've heard or been given at a xc race?

Lex Luther

emerald007 wrote: »

Something i noticed at the dublin novice xc yesterday, most supporters shouted on their people with positive comments specific to that runner, ( "go on johnny - great running, catch that guy" ) but i was surprised at the number of supporters using 'negative' comments or slams to motivate their own club runner as the race progressed ( 'go on johnny, the guy head is dying, he f*%$, catch him"). Those supporters wouldn't say it about their own runners, so why say it about others. Just wondering what others think?

As an aside, whats the best/worst piece of advise you've heard or been given at a xc race?

Regarding bad advice a friend of mine was encouraged very, very loudly all the way down the home straight of his third lap to "go on dig in , sprint, only two hundred to go etc etc". The well meaning supportor thinking that it was a three lap race , not a 4 lapper !

thirtyfoot

emerald007 wrote: »

Something i noticed at the dublin novice xc yesterday, most supporters shouted on their people with positive comments specific to that runner, ( "go on johnny - great running, catch that guy" ) but i was surprised at the number of supporters using 'negative' comments or slams to motivate their own club runner as the race progressed ( 'go on johnny, the guy head is dying, he f*%$, catch him"). Those supporters wouldn't say it about their own runners, so why say it about others. Just wondering what others think?

You'd hear that fairly often I'd say, don't think there is anything wrong with it and its more to cheer on your own man or woman instead of knocking the other. If you realise or are told and start believing the person in front is wrecked then it may spur you on. Its the team element of cross where every place counts even if you are 5th man and not scoring you may take a place off their 4th man etc.

dna_leri

Worst advice I've heard:

to a 12-year old mid-pack XC runner - c'mon your gonna be last - she wasn't but it made her pass out someone on the finishing straight.

It stuck with me because it seemed so negative.

DJS

I think your reading into it a bit much. Its what cross country is all about I mean I was in the race yesturday and someone shouted to the guy beside me "go on he is dying" it may have backfired cause he went to pick it up but i was determinded not to let him pass.. It works both ways!!

robinph

emerald007 wrote: »

... 'go on johnny, the guy head is dying, he f*%$, catch him"...

I heard that pretty much word for word, not sure about the name, shouted during one of the track races earlier in the year in reference to me. In fairness to the lady doing the shouting I was f*%$ and really didn't have anything left at all, but if I'd hear someone shouting like that any other time to someone else I think it would probably spur me on more than the person it was actually being shouted at.

I'd be thinking to my self that if the other person is in need of support like that then they must be in a worse state than I actually look.

Hard Worker

emerald007 wrote: »

( 'go on johnny, the guy head is dying, he f*%$, catch him").

That would be one of my regular comments. It worked for me in the past - one race in particular. I had mentally given up hope, when the above comment was relayed to me. I dug deep and caught the chap ahead.
I never shout it in earshot of the person ahead though, as that would defeat the purpose.

nerraw1111

I thought this was the standard rallying call to friends?

I don't think anyone takes it personally

jlang

Such is the nature and long histoy of the boards club that I wouldn't expect to recognise many supporters on the side, but there were a load of people I didn't know cheering me on by name yesterday (apart from the shouts from people reading the club name from the singlet - great idea to have a legible name as well, btw). I didn't know them, but chose to assume they knew me although I suspected they could have been shouting for someone near me with the same first name. I'm deliberately not going to check the results to see if another similarly forenamed runner finished within 20 places ahead, lest I spoil my delusions.

As for the more aggressive opposing support as listed above, I suppose I was struggling a bit by the end but again I chose to take it as a challenge. I certainly wasn't going to let "him" past me in front of "his" own fans (although on this day "he" generally got past pretty soon afterwards ).

CaoimheX

I heard that yesterday, I was guilty of some of it ! All fair in love and war. Good to see a hard battle and then everyone friends afterwards, a great novice xc race.

emerald007

humm - i was expecting a different reaction, but seeing as most people think its ok, i'm off to read up on my sailors curses before the XC race!

The coach and I were watching the last lap of the race yesterday, cheering our lads on when our lead man passes (go on, go on, catch him...), he moves out of ear shout and she turns to me and says "run up to the next corner and cheer him on, he's dying on his feet!!"

Peterx

Lex Luther wrote: »

Regarding bad advice a friend of mine was encouraged very, very loudly all the way down the home straight of his third lap to "go on dig in , sprint, only two hundred to go etc etc". The well meaning supportor thinking that it was a three lap race , not a 4 lapper !

Guilty as charged!
Dunno what happened there, a rush of blood to the head at the excitement of it all.

I was running round the lap against the race route and saw the leader make a savage burst up the grassy bank and assumed hw was gunning was for the finish - he was - one and a bit laps from home!...
All the runners from my club and anyone else I recognised got the same wrong advice and then the exact same right advice one lap later.

On the more general point I never take it personnally when I hear from behind that Johnny gonna catch me cos I'm dying, dat's just XC supporting for ya..
All the blood has gone to the legs and people really do go quicker after they hear their name called out.
The novice was great fun to watch, really stirred the oul juices again. XC is great!

misty floyd

CaoimheX wrote: »

I heard that yesterday, I was guilty of some of it ! All fair in love and war. Good to see a hard battle and then everyone friends afterwards, a great novice xc race.

I don't like the above, it is ugly gang type behaviour and unfair

(I'm just kidding Caoimhe)

jinka

What really annoys me is the same muppets year after year who never seem to have the bottle to actually enter the race and then come over to you and say " you didnt look yourself today"
Well at least I bloody did it mate!

RAL3

Witnessed a great reaction from a runner to encouragement\kick up the a@@e at the XC yesterday.

About a 100m from the finish a runner who was going well but flagging maybe a small bit was about 20m behind the nearest guy in front of him.

He got a roar from a female clubmate\coach on the sideline

'Johnny (remember name) you're a sprinter, SO SPRINT....!!'

Well this guy took off like a train and passed the guy in front of him 20m from the line.

Reaction was fantastic, Clubmate\Coach was delighted.

RAL3

RAL3 wrote: »

Witnessed a great reaction from a runner to encouragement\kick up the a@@e at the XC yesterday.

About a 100m from the finish a runner who was going well but flagging maybe a small bit was about 20m behind the nearest guy in front of him.

He got a roar from a female clubmate\coach on the sideline

'Johnny (remember name) you're a sprinter, SO SPRINT....!!'

Well this guy took off like a train and passed the guy in front of him 20m from the line.

Reaction was fantastic, Clubmate\Coach was delighted.

That was meant to read '(can't remember name)'

Woddle

I think HardWorker hit the nail on the head, don't say it within ear shot, yesterday I was cheering on the Boards AC team and Robinph had a slight lead over Peckham (which seemed unusual ) There was however only about a 10m/15m difference so I just shouted the usual go on give the last lap everything kind of thing but if there had have been more of a gap, I would have shouted to Robinph 'You have him, keep pushing' and to Peckham I would have shouted 'Your not going to let him take you now HTFU'

meathcountysec

RAL3 wrote: »

you're a sprinter, SO SPRINT....!!

Was thinking "How cruel, making a sprinter run cross-country" then remembered I sent one of our hammer throwers out to do the same thing:eek:

Still, we did win the team thanks to her efforts:D

She may never forgive me:(

thirstywork

good post,i think its nothing personal against the other runner.Its just to motivate your club mate.
you can see some fantastic sprint finishes at the end of cross country races,i always stay around an watch them.
always good when local club runners are stride for stride up the home straight or a guy is gaining fast and other runner responds just cause its the local rivals.All is fair in cross country....

Woddle

thirstywork wrote: »

always good when local club runners are stride for stride up the home straight or a guy is gaining fast and other runner responds just cause its the local rivals.All is fair in cross country....

Here was my favourite sprint finish from the weekend

toomuchdetail

Worst advice/Chant :" Don't grit you teeth at me and give me the girly crying grin " about 27yrs ago at Ras Na hEireann in Dunleer , was about 14 at the time and it was my father but thats a whole other councelling session ....
On a more serious note : Where do you guys get the XC fixtures,club details etc from , tried Triathlons and some adventure races this year and from memory XC were a great way to kill the winter and enjoy the wet and rain.
How competitive are these ? are plodders accepted ?
The like of IMRA and runireland have some details but nothing substantial

plodder

toomuchdetail wrote: »

How competitive are these ? are plodders accepted ?

If you're near to Dublin, I'd recommend the BHAA cross country series. Plodders are accepted.

www.bhaa.ie