Have you ever been last in an event?

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  • i have quit cigarettes 6 weeks ago,, start slowly with running, my aim is in 3 weeks time at reigate mud run, just to cross finish line no matter if i going to be last.  

  • When I did my first marathon about a month ago I feared I'd come last as it's a tough hilly route but came in 203rd out of 230 runners, did fear I was right at the back towards the end of the route and had a couple people sprint past right at the finish but I was def a lot faster than anyone who didn't run that day!

  • I came fourth from last in a bonkers hilly 12.5k on Sunday... although I didn't realise at the time, because half-marathoners were doing two laps of the same course, so there were reassuringly still a lot of people behind me. It was such a ridiculously hilly, muddy, slippery and treacherous course that I was glad just to finish without breaking a leg, though! From what I've seen, people who come in last always get a huge cheer - much more than those who come in at the middle. And as Moustachioz says, even if you come last you're still doing better than those who didn't even try. 

  • it's quite an odd feeling to come last in a race you once won.

    But I guess  47years on is a pretty big gap that can't be bridged!

  • I did come last in a fell race but I slipped on the descent and had really bad cramp. Limped on feeling that I had a huge bruise on my calf. However, there were 2 DNF and a DQ.

  • I regularly finish near the bottom (usually just above the guys who have incurred penalties) on orienteering events. Most of the others there are about 3 stone lighter than me and do that sort of thing every weekend whereas for me its usually a twice a year thing. But I don't care cos there's no better feeling than being out in the Peaks with just a map and a compass.
  • Last is just the slowest winner

  • At the first half marathon I did I was overtaken by someone carrying a large cross around the course

  • Not really for most races but did do the South of England cross country last weekend and only 11 behind me. Mind you it was three laps and I hadn't finished the first lap when I got laped by five people who were flying either side of me. Ok these are national level runners but it was a bit disconcerting.

    I also did finish last in a 5 mile race many years ago in Newton Aycliffe.  It ran on an evening and it wasn;'t until I got there I realised that it basically a good club runners event and I wasn't that. I finished last by some way and still managed a PB at the time!  So i sort of still went away happy.

  • Always near the back in club races.

    the only running prize I have is for finishing last, agree about support and cheers, my competitive side was glad I got a prize but did want to beat someone

  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭

    I came last in an iron-distance swimming race a couple of years ago, but I was in quite a good field and one of only a few who went without wet-suits, so I didn't feel too bad.

  • Touch wood not been last in a running race yet but it will happen.. important thing for me is not the position but that I finish!!
  • Been last in several events (when I was running before my 5 year holiday!).

    Local running club events....everyone knew my name cos I was always last, and they waited for me to finish.

    Local 10mile race....last by a good 20 minutes!

  • I was 1021 out of 1022 of the swim leg the only triathlon I've been talked into doing.  I went backstroke, being tailed by a flotilla of canoes.

    Got 32nd on the run though.

  • tricialitttricialitt ✭✭✭

    Triathlon- last out of the water a few years ago - I had canoes, RNLI, and coastguard with me! Police motorbike escort as I puffed round the 40k on a bike,The run wasn't too bad, but I'd lost so much time by then that I was last - but - one- and 3rd in the FVet category!- They waited for us to do the prizes, It was brilliant day! ( and the only time I've ever been placed in a race).

    At a recent Ultra I did, I came 612/ 627 finishers. The last finisher got a massive cheer- all the earlier finishers came out of the ceilidh tent to cheer her in!

    DNF'ing is totally gutting, being last finisher is fantastic!

     

  • senidMsenidM ✭✭✭

    Any Tri I do, always last out of the water!, Did Maldon, started in 1st wave out of 3, still came out last - who cares! I still enjoy myself.

  • tricialitt wrote (see)

    At a recent Ultra I did, I came 612/ 627 finishers. The last finisher got a massive cheer- all the earlier finishers came out of the ceilidh tent to cheer her in!

    DNF'ing is totally gutting, being last finisher is fantastic!

     

    The Highland Fling?

    I have been last and I have been first. Same same but different! image

  • I joined a run club just over a year ago and continue to be last in every run we do, am last in most of the fun run league x country events and managed second to last in 1 (out of 4) x country league events. I am getting faster and was voted our clubs 'most improved' female runner for 2014. It's not always fun being last and I've never been last at a big event (I've done 4 1/2 marathons, a full marathon and lots of 10k and 5k runs).

    Someone has to be last, ideally you don't always want to be that person but the view from the back isn't always as bad as you'd think. What I lack in speed I gain in determination and its earned me a lot of respect as a runner.

  • if you want to come last there are lots of low key fell runs, you can lose.

    In my prime, I saw a run advertised locally.  Up Aran Fadwy, 10 miles, the mountain is knocking on 3000 feet, and the run climbs over 2500 feet.  I thought OK, that will be a fun challenge! something I have not done before.  I was a 40 min 10K, 95 min HM, sub 4 marathon at the time, with off road experience... not a great runner, but respectable.

    I arrived early, I always do.  The village hall had 50 odd runners, very quiet, vests from everywhere.  Listening to the whispers, it went like this... he's from Northern Ireland, came third in bla bla... He's from Scotland bla bla, North Devon bla bla.

    The time came, we walked into a field at the bottom of a mountain, someone siaid something vague about health and safety, which added up to you've done this before, it's all up to you (I had my over trousers, Kagool, map, compass, whistle, bell, book and candle in my bum bag).   Then he said go.

    I promise you I ran, within 5 minutes I was off the back with agroup of five of us..  

    I dont remember it all now, but I do remember following the fence up, I remember the snow patches in April, I remember disappearing into the cloud, I remember fell runners charging towards me through the cloud, I was still climbing, they were on the way down, I remember passing walkers wearing walking boots, up in the clouds.  I remember turning the corner and thinking going dosn off road in the mist, over the snow patches would be easier.  IT WAS NOT.  

    At the summit there were three behind me.  I watched two pass me on the way down I don't know what happened to the third, he did not appear on the stats, they don't publish  DNF (God knows how that is even possible) on hand written result sheets.  Anyway at just over 2 and a half hours for 10 miles I was last on the sheet (65 out of 65) when I got to the bottom, someone said Hiya, and shut the gate behind me.

    Fell runners are a different species.

  • GeeeMGeeeM ✭✭✭

    I was (joint) last at the Transylvania 100k a couple of weeks ago. To cut a long story short, I got lost up a mountain at about 40k and spent the rest of the race chasing cut-offs.

    It was an amazing adventure though image Full story on my blog, (below)

    https://guymawson.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/transylvania-100k/

     

  • KellerKeller ✭✭✭

    In my eyes, the person who comes last performs a very important job.

    I'm a slow runner myself, but I'm happy to plod the distance.  Whenever I'm considering entering a race I always look at the results and where the last person came.  That person at the end gives many many people the inspiration to enter the race themselves, and the race continues year after year, giving people the opportunity to run.

  • I was last once in an MTB race in about 1995. Trained like mad, arrived completely tired and the legs had nothing. A good way of learning about the need to rest.

  • I came last in the fathers race at the kids sports day image. I was devastated.  It was over 100m and some of the other parents know I do a lot of running and so I could see the looks of "really?" on their faces.  I am not a sprinter, but never expected to be so well beaten by everyone!

    My wife stopped me from shouting "Half marathon, lets see who comes last then" to the rest of the group. 

    The group of friends I run with are all quicker than me anyway so I am always last out of "us" but, I am proud of my PB's 10K 43min, half 1hr 44, marathon 3:57; but as someone who is not that confident, coming last in even a silly event actually made me question my ability!  It was a bit of a knock.

    I have told myself I am not a sprinter, it takes me 3km to warm up!. I spoke to a friend who was a triathlete and has raced for GB, and he said he came second from last at his kids one so he doesn't do it anymore.

    But I will run next year, yes I came last, but at least I did it. A lot of guys sat it out.  Someone has to come last, there will always be someone faster than you, just think about your performance, that's what counts. I might come last next year, but I will run it quicker than I did this year! 

    I'm running the Frankfurt marathon in October, then Sprint training starts!

  • Tony,  could be worse, You could have been in the mothers' race. That is violent and they get really competitive. Your times are OK, actually very similar to mine and I am usually around half way in races.

    However a few years ago whilst in the North East, I went along to an evening race. 5 mile race in Newton Aycliffe.  When I got there to enter on the night, it slowly dawned on me that this was predominantly a club race... for the good club racers.

    Yes I was last although at the time it was in a PB and my first time under 40 minutes so I was actually quite happy but it was a bit of an experience. Also being an evening race around an industrial estate there weren't really any spectators so didn't even get the last runner cheer .  image

     

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