Have you ever been last in an event?

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  • I recently took part in some track events in the Southern Counties Veterans AC competition.  I think I did four races in all - last in two, and not far from the back in the other two.

    I won't lie - it's not the best feeling in the world.  But I'm only a few years along from getting my overweight gut off the sofa, and some the vets had 40 years or more experience.  I went round the track in times that I was largely happy with, and had the support of a good club around me.

    I guess I'd sooner finish last than fail to finish at all.

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    Finally!  Nearly nine years of competitive running and I've just managed to come last!  image

    A British Milers Club 5,000m race in Eltham on Wednesday evening.  At one stage I was ahead of two runners, and they didn't come past me, but looking up the results afterwards it appears as though neither of them even finished. Lazy buggers!

    Finish time: 15:58.57.

    Bit disappointed at the lack of goodie bag or a wooden spoon.  image

  • OK this is not quite last but last but 5 but I find the story a little better.

    Mate:- Taff you going to meet up and do a ten run with me?

    Me:- I am a little out of practice but yer  10k will be fine, where?

    Mate:- Pewsey Vale mate I will send you directions, already entered you no worries. 

    Sunday morning gets on my kit and drives the 2.5 hours from Wales.

    Lovely morning gets there a little before the start and my mate shakes my hand and within a couple of minutes we take off.... 

    Well after god knows how many miles and up and around the chalk horse I was within a mile of the finish.... 

    Limping back like an old world war 2 spitfire bits falling off me the St Johns asked me if I wanted a lift to the corner of the finish line, as I remember dropping down into a small stream, I declined. 

    Well the finish line was being packed away and the photographer had long gone.

    2 Hours 55 Minutes..... Clutching my goodie bag with the prized mug within, I held out my hands to man hug my mate and the bag hit the table and smashed the mug!!!!! 

    I drove home in cruise control that day, approaching the 7 bridge at 70mph I realised my legs had gone dead, out of gear and coasted to the hard shoulder!!!!!

     NEVER AGAIN!!!!!

  • DachsDachs ✭✭✭
    PhilPub wrote (see)

    Finally!  Nearly nine years of competitive running and I've just managed to come last!  image

    A British Milers Club 5,000m race in Eltham on Wednesday evening.  At one stage I was ahead of two runners, and they didn't come past me, but looking up the results afterwards it appears as though neither of them even finished. Lazy buggers!

    Finish time: 15:58.57.

    Bit disappointed at the lack of goodie bag or a wooden spoon.  image

    PP - with that time, you wouldn't have been last in one of the world championship 5,000m heats!  Someone ran 16:02...

    Of course, it's possible that he might also have DNFed had he been behind you.

      

     

  • Here's my thoughts, for what they are worth.

    My running is a fairly casual affair and I do a few 10ks each year just for a bit of motivation. On average I guess I come about 3/4 of the way down the field.

    But there is a large variation depending on the race. If its a local village type event where those who dont normally run have a go I fair a little better in the ranking. I have also done a few mud slugging cross country runs where I have been way out back and in the last 2 or 3 to finish. By contrast I did the great south last year and was 9000ish out of 25000.

    So the position in the race varies greatly depending on the type of runner the event attracts. Just remember to get round and finish at all is a huge personal achievement and you are still in the top range of fitness compared with the general population who do not participate at all.

    The last run I did I was greeted at the finish line by the race commentator on the PA system announcing "And here is Mr David Smith, one of our old runners who's joined  us today". Gee, at the age of 55, that made me feel a whole lot better.

    Another low point was when I was passed by two guys in a  huge panto camel.

     

  • I have been last a few times and you get more support at the back as every one else is back in cheering you in. I always say you cross two lines one at the start and one at the finish just cross them both safely.

  • I finally came last at the weekend , I've come close several times but the prize was mine on Saturday, Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon , pranged my knee at 17 miles and limp/ran the last 23, 10 hours 21 mins, woohoo, but as tone2 says I crossed back over safely to huge support image

  • Well done Martin - it's always the finishing that counts .

  • These guys would certainly motivate me not to be last!

    https://youtu.be/WGNEacVXRQg

  • Alas I came last in my first trail 21km a few months back image Tbh tho, it just spurs you on.

    On the actual day, as was such an awesome run I didn't really care image

  • When I started doing cross country at school I'd never really run further than 3 miles before. One of my first races was 5 miles and I came last by quite a long way. I remember one of my teachers being great about it and encouraging me on. Really motivated me to improve and get better. Now, I'm aiming for a 2:50 marathon next year.

  • I was close to last though. But I was taking my pace. I do not want to push myself so hard much so it was my first event. At the end, it was all worth it. I did not quit now that's an achievement for me.

  • I started running in 2010 and did a 5km for charity and finished 38mins, poor time.  Then this a 10km and finished 1hr 05mins.  I wanted to run faster so I made a small investment here and achieved my best time for 5k and 10k and now training for my half marathon.  They have an offer now but I paid alot more....  money well spent... . .http://bbf1364n--w0fzeiuejftgey0m.hop.clickbank.net/

  • Plenty of free schedules available all over the place... Who pays ? Only Numpties....
  • Spammer two posts both with that link.

  • Not quite. I was sixth last or so during my first ever 10k a week ago; four did not finish. Ended up about 2 minutes slower than I'd hoped but still got a new PR. Problem for me was a serious storm pretty much all the race from front or side which constantly pulled my legs away. Was good fun though. Still was a bit annoyed about the time and ran the same route again two days later during wonderful weather and was three minutes faster than at the race. Would not have improved my rank a lot, but I don't care. This is for me, not for others.

  • decadavedecadave ✭✭✭

    Ive been last in an Ironman distance race with two competitors... image

     

     

  • i've lost track of the amount of races I've come last in, some by choice though as I've run with folks who I knew would be last in 

    One race which was the Wolverhampton marathon I actually got more support being last with a fellow runner than I did another year when I ran it my myself and didn't come last haha

     

  • Usually towards the back. Only once in my life have I finished in the top half (8th out of 17 in a XC a few years back) always get a good cheer towards the end though!

  • bkg84bkg84 ✭✭
    I was the last one to cross the finish line at Draycote water half marathon last Sunday - I did the distance and wasn't doing it for the time as this was just a practice run to see if I could do it! Will work on the time for the cheltenham half in sept !
  • Years ago (1966 or 67?) I was running in the Liverpool Schools Cross Country Championships and a group of about a dozen of us were not far behind the leaders, the course went into a wooded area a somehow we took a wrong turn and ended up by a shopping area!

    We ran along for a bit before giving up and asking for directions from bemused shoppers

    We finally got back well after the others, and I'm not sure if we were disqualified or finished last? 

  • No, I wasn't although once it was really close. image

  • I've never been last, but often close to last. Once in a half-marathon I started half an hour late and I must say it's quite a different experience to being in the middle!

  • I came last in my 2nd cross country, a really tough, muddy 7-miler with a small entry. Towards the end just as I caught up the guy in front who was struggling, he retired and opted to be another DNF rather than last! I still felt like a winner just getting to the end though.

  • I finished last today! My club put on a series of track 5Ks (I haven't run on a track since school) and I finished last in the slowest heat. I expected to, honestly, as the times for the heat were 23-26 minutes and I only cracked 26 for the first time a couple of weeks ago at parkrun. I ignored the pacer and the other runners and just ran my own race. I just did it for fun (well, if you can call running so hard you almost vomit fun) so I'm not bothered. I enjoyed the mulled wine afterwards. image

     

  • DMaxDMax ✭✭✭

    I was joint last in a 10K, basically I came across a runner who was struggling and I helped her over the line. Don't get me wrong, I was way down the list anyway but i wanted her to get her medal and I didn't want her to be last so we both crossed the line together so we're joint last.

    I wasn't trying to be a hero, the sport brings out the best is us all, if we can't help each other out then what's the point?

  • I've been close a few times, and there's generally a smaller crowd than when you finish closer to the front. But the person who then actually finishes last still seems to get the biggest cheer of the day, so in some respects it looks better than just beating them!

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