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Most visitors reading this site’s contents will
be inline skaters interested to learn more about skating
a marathon. That leaves out an important group: the
support crew! Spending too much time reading this
material, training for a race, traveling to a marathon,
and racing can leave you in a less-than-stellar position
with your spouse, kids, or friends. |
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You
can solve this by recruiting them to be your support
crew. If you haven’t brought your significant
other or kids to a race, they (and you) are missing
out. Races are fun to watch, race weekends have plenty
of activity, and having a supporter at a race can be
a big motivational plus. So, tell your potential support
crew about this site and have them read this page.
Selecting
an Event
If you are planning to be a spectator at an inline marathon,
the first thing you should consider is which race to
attend. Perhaps your marathon skater will only do one
race this year and you don’t have a choice; however,
perhaps you can make a vacation out of it and attend
any of the events listed on this site.
Some events are better for spectators, simply because
they have multiple laps. Many marathons have two loops
(Disney, National Capital, Big Granite) while the Central Park
Marathon has four. More laps give you more times to
see your marathoner.
On
the other hand, large races often are more exciting.
You can stand in one position at the Northshore Marathon
and watch skaters roll past you for an hour or two!
Small races, while not as exciting, offer the benefit
of being able to spot both your marathoner and the pros.
Ultimately, selecting a marathon might just come down
to timing and the attractiveness of the event location.
Watching
your Marathoner
In
a big race, even spotting your marathoner might be difficult.
If you do see her, she might be past you so fast that
you have little time to do or say anything! We suggest
coordinating with your marathoner in advance, if possible,
exactly where you will be standing. That way your skater
can look for you too.
In a point-to-point race
like the Northshore Marathon or the Wine Country Marathon,
it is probably best to position yourself at or near
the start. Watching the start itself can be quite exciting
but this will also give you time to drive up the course
and find another spot from which to cheer. You might
even be able to drive ahead again and watch the finish
line. Make sure you know in advance which roads will
be open or closed to traffic and that you have some
idea of the speed of your marathoner.
Watching
the Masses
Speaking
of finish lines, the finish is a great place to wait
and watch everyone finishing. You can watch the final
sprint of the pro skaters, the advanced skaters, and
everyone down the line. Often the most entertaining
and motivating skaters are the recreational participants,
who have sheer joy on their faces while finishing. If
you can time it correctly, watching the start is also
very entertaining.
Watching the Pros
As you see the pros skate by, look at how they are positioned.
The pro pack, unlike the rest of the marathon participants,
will be constantly using tactics to attempt to win the
race. The more you know about these tactics, the more
you will enjoy watching the race. In essence (as we
cover in our online training courses), inline skating
is a pack event due to the wind resistance skaters meet.
Skating behind someone else can reduce this wind resistance
approximately 30%. Therefore, all skaters would (if
possible) skate behind someone else the entire race.
However, two things upset this idea. First, someone
has to lead. Second, only very fast sprinters are content
sitting in the pack and waiting for the final sprint.
Those who aren’t the best at sprinting are better
off forcing a fast pace throughout the race.
In simplified terms, those are the elements of a pro
skating race. As a spectator, you can look for clues
as to how a race is going. Is the lead pack in one pace
line? The pace is probably fast. Is the pack spread
across the road? The pace is likely slower.
Watching a looped course
is especially useful for analyzing the pro pack. Pick
out the leader the first time the pack passes you and
see where he or she is the next times around. Or, just
pick out any skater who is highly visible (jersey color,
long hair) and see where she or he is each time. Try
watching from one place on the course the first lap
and then move to a different position, perhaps on a
hill. Watching skaters go up and down hills is quite
interesting.
Other Hints
• Coordinate with your marathoner where you will
meet after the race! At a big race, this can be problematic.
• Ask your marathoner if he or she wants you to
bring anything for him. Generally, skaters are moving
too fast for a support crew to help much during the
race. Even afterwards, sometimes spectators are not
allowed in the finish area; it is usually best for your
skater to use the baggage check service provided.
• Determine whether your marathoner would like
a photo of him or her on the course. This is hard to
arrange so make sure you plan this in advance.
• Ask your marathoner how the event went and just
listen! Skaters love to relive the race.
• Join in the fun! Visit the Expo if there is
one and the post-race party. Ask questions of other
skaters and get involved.
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