Hello from NYC, it’s the NYC marathon this weekend!
My friends and I live around Mile 18 of the route and we always go down to cheer the runners on. Last year we discussed that we should offer something beyond cheers and shouts.
One of my friends was thinking about pooling our money together and buying some snacks and cookies and just having a big “snacks for runners” sign. Would this work? Would this be helpful? What kind of snacks work best? (ideally something available at Costco)
None of us are runners beyond the occasional turkey trot so we have no idea. So turning to r/running hoping for some feedback before we buy $500 of snacks that nobody wants.
Based on my experience, the sweet release of death.
Or something sugary.
At 18 give them gummy bears or beer. It’s 21+ where the sweet release of death would be appreciated.
I’ve done 5 marathons and the thing I tell people is that I love 1/2 marathons, they’re a nice way to start the day. But there’s nothing beyond 20 miles except pain and a larger medal.
NOT SUGAR FREE GUMMY BEARS.
Pain, misery, questioning all your life’s decisions, wondering what the hell you are doing, wishing pain upon anyone banging a drum or playing terrible music loudly on a Bluetooth speaker, telling yourself you’re never doing another full again, wondering whether you’ll still have toenails after taking your shoes off
Oh gosh I’ve run 3, one ultra and (being in Canada) around km 36 or 37 I always have someone meet me with a beer or radler - even if just for something very cold, effervescent and sugary. The alcohol I find just barely fills the pain and mostly signals that you’re almost done. Huuuuge dopamine boost.
I was struggling in a really cold/rainy race one year and someone near the end was giving out Dixie cups of beers and hot bacon strips and it was amazing.
I ran by a frat house that was handing out full cans. Yes it was some cheap beer…but tasted amazing!
I ran the Newport Oregon Marathon. They handed out oysters on the course. For some reason, there weren’t many takers.
Bacon at mile 18 would be amazing. Salty and fatty but not too filling. Especially if you handed out 1/2 or 1/3 strips.
Surprisingly the worst part of my last marathon was between 18th and 22nd miles.
After that I regained enough strength to reach the finish line without much issues.
I can’t tell if you’re serious or not, but are people really drinking beer while running a marathon?
What exactly is the sweet release of death?
Well there’s the death where you have just enough time to think “Oh, shit!”. Then there’s the death where you die in excruciating pain like in a fire or gun shot that doesn’t kill you quickly. Then there is the death where you just kind of melt away in a quiet, illusion of peace.
A marathon is all three of those in one except that finishers keep coming back until it is finally all over.
I read your second line as “something surgery” and was about to write a strongly-worded post advising against surgery during a marathon.
I was thinking adderal. But either of these work.
I’ve been laughing at this for minutes