The Runner Fandom: 9 Breeds of Fans Found at Track Meets

by Shelby Davidson for DistancePreps.com

Blood, sweat and tears. You may think these three words encompass the runners of the world…. But think again.

I am taking about the fans.

When going to a track meet, you expect to get the most entertainment by watching the actual races. Some runners have some very unappealing “in-the-zone” faces, others get into this monster-like form when they sprint to the finish and on occasion, someone trips or falls and causes the domino effect.

All of these are so very humorous. But the fans… that is where the comedy show starts.

Here are some of the different breeds of people you’ll see at a track meet that make the all-day affair worthwhile:

The Helicopter Parent

By the time we approach our latter years in high school, our parents really need to cut the cord. We start to mature, grow up on our own, learn how to survive an 8-hour day at school without mom or dad’s help and you would think a kid could go to a track meet without having to worry about their parent vulturing over their every move… right?

Wrong.

There are always those few kids on the team, even at college track meets, who have a parent that just can’t let go. Their mom or dad is constantly hovering around around them at the the meet. They feel they are the required emotional stability. They are trying to be the "life coach" when it’s not even their place and worst of all, they throw us off focus. The helicopter parent needs to take off from the helipad and stay off.

The Soccer Mom (or dad, brother, sister, grandpa, etc…)

The soccer mom/dad/sibling could easily be a subcategory of the helicopter parent category, but it is much more severe. This type of fan not only is obsessive with the habits of their child, including the time they warmup for the race or what they eat the night before, but these fans are also the most obnoxious to be around. The typical soccer mom screams bloody murder for no good reason, multiple times during the race, and is always trying to do the job of other people. Listen up, soccer mom, because you are not the track meet official, you are not racing, and you are definitely not everyone’s parent. Do us all a favor and take a chill pill before you show up at the track.

The Wannabe

Track isn’t for everyone. Not everyone has the patience to run 8-15 laps around a track, nor the anaerobic threshold to sprint a fast 100 meters. But for those of us who do, we are highly admired by those who can’t.

Flattery is definitely a good thing, but only to a certain extent. The crazy, overly excited, track-obsessed wannabe is definitely a little scary. We all take a step back when we see these individuals because we realize they’ve been to every meet on every weekend for the past five years. Whether it be the old runner trying to relive the glory days or the high school student with fangirl tendencies, the wannabe is definitely a fan you will find at every meet. And there won’t just be one of them. There will be a whole army.

The Bandwagoner

In all sports, there’s always those few people who seem to flip-flop their favorite teams based on the outcomes of certain games. Whenever a certain team wins, they are suddenly their biggest fan. This holds true for track as well. Especially in distance races with a stacked field. It is so fun to bet on who will win because often it really is up in the air.

The bandwagoner might bet on John Doe winning the race, but once Jim Smith wins the race, he is suddenly Smith’s No. 1 fan. “I knew he would win,” they say. I can’t stand these people, and I know you can’t either. If you like something, stick with it. If you support a team or a runner, support them whole-heartedly no matter the outcome. It’s like a relationship. Either be all in or simply just don’t root for anyone at all.

The Teacher

Many of the athletes at track meets have parents that used to be superstars in their event back in the day. These fans are the best ones we can have, because not only do they help their own kids, but they also try to offer advice to the kids with parents who can’t provide the same tips.

For instance, my dad used to be an amazing distance runner back when he was younger. He taught me so much about mechanics, mental game and tactics, and he also branched out to help other kids on my team who needed some insight as to how to be successful. These teachers are rare, but there will always be a few at the track meets. They are everyone’s No. 1 fan, they won’t ever be biased and they are nothing but helpful.

The Belushi

This fan is sure to be the greatest source of entertainment at a track meet. This man, or woman, can be found sitting at the top of the bleachers or in the front row, flask in hand (or any other sort of meet food like popcorn, hotdog, coke, etc.) acting rowdy and loud.

While often we find the Belushi to be rude, trash-talking the teams or individuals they don’t support, they can also simply be funny. They will lighten up the mood when everyone gets too serious because they are hecklers, not fighters.

They really don’t care much about the races, they just want their team/person to win.

The Blind One

This fan has absolutely no idea what is going on, because all they know is loud noises and supporting their own team. This person goes to the track meets just for the entertainment and likes to pretend like they know what’s happening, when in reality they don’t know about spikes, splits or how many laps are in each race.

Nothing agitates athletes more than uneducated fans who yell, or even cheer remotely loud for a team or individual when they know nothing about the sport. The blind fan has lots of team spirit and a strong voice, but they will surely be disliked for their support of something they know jack squat about. They are followers of whatever is popular around them, or whatever school they go to, but that is the extent of the base of their fandom.

The Paparazzi

This fan doesn’t miss a minute of the action at a track meet. Whether it's snapping action photos of the races, taking selfies with their favorite celebrity runners or even taking random pictures of the sunrise behind the track, this fan is sure to document everything and anything that happens.

You can always rely on them to Facebook, Instagram or tweet any photos that you’re in, because the more photos, the merrier.

Sometimes we get a little annoyed with this person because it seems like they ask for a picture every minute of the day (guilty), but in the end all we want to do is look back on memories and see familiar faces. This person will always come in clutch if you want to reminisce on a track meet or two.

The Michael Jordan

The super fan award goes out to this person right here, the Michael Jordan.

Swagged out in the hottest new track gear, the most recent Nike trainers and a Prefontaine t-shirt, this fan always dresses to impress at any track meet.

They are a runner and a fan in one. They love the sport and would do anything to look the part. Sometimes they might look a little ridiculous or like they are a bit of a poser, but they could care less as long as other people wish they could dress like them. Some of us as athletes (guilty, again) also like to be the Michael Jordan. What’s so bad about wanting the coolest new gear? Nothing.

Regardless of how crazy, rude or emotional the fans are at track meets, they are part of what makes the sport so great and entertaining. Without the helicopter parents or the paparazzi fans, we would only have a show on the track. With the presence of fans, we have a loud environment full of interesting people and supporters that all contribute to the wonderful sport of track and field.

Shelby Davidson is a junior journalism student at the University of Florida. She was a state champion in cross country and track as a high schooler, qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals her junior year. She ran cross country and track for two years on a scholarship in college at UF, but retired before her junior year to pursue career aspirations and workout on her own. She currently is interning with some big companies, and her professional interests for the future involve magazines, fashion and advertising. Shelby loves fitness, cooking and baking healthy food, writing articles, dark chocolate almonds, fashion, photography, tumblr, the beach and family/friends. Watch for her articles on Elite Daily and The Lala, or feel free to ask her for running advice!

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