It may not seem like it’s changing lives in big ways to hand out half-full cups of water at a race, but it’s wonderful support for the way many people like to exercise and try to stay healthy. Exercise on a regular basis can be so good for our physical health but I know I’ve gone through times where life is busy and the running routine feels like a burden. A race, however, can keep you on track and the volunteers who show up to help with packet pickup, pacing, and water stops are all part of the reason we can even have races. If you’ve ever volunteered at a race, thank you! To me you are living out the golden rule in Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them”.
And I do love racing. Without races, I’d do very little, if any, exercise. Nothing motivates me to train as much as a race and the race atmosphere pushes me to run faster than I would otherwise. It’s fun and keeps me moving. Another aspect I love about races are the water stops. I hydrate well before the race but even during short races, I look forward to grabbing a cup or two of water and, if nothing else, will pour it on my head. In the summer sun, my brown hair heats up fast so the regular dousing keeps me refreshed.
But even in the bitter cold, I’m still so thankful for the water stop volunteers. This appreciation for volunteers rose to a high while running a marathon near the end of November. The “real feel” temp was 0° F. Handling sloppy water at that temp sounds miserable. They were short on help and at the first couple water stops, we waited in line for 5 min for water. At other places, they just had a jug of water and a ladle. In later stops, where they did have help, the water was freezing over in the little cups. It’s hard to set up those little cups and pour water while wearing bulky mittens so some of these dedicated people were not even wearing mittens or gloves. I couldn’t believe anyone stayed out in the cold that long to help but I’m so glad they did.
It’s also a sweet experience to be a volunteer and many races will let you bring your kids to help out as well. My kids like to find the places where they can give away the most cups. It is rewarding to hand a cup of water to a runner. At the last race, we were instructed to hold each cup away from us on the palms of our hands which, to me, gave it that extra-happy feeling like when you’re allowed to feed the birds at a zoo (that is, if you like birds). But mostly, it just feels good to give back a little.
Happy Running!
