by Scott Prescott
On a humid Sunday morning in early June, UVRC was well represented at the annual Covered Bridges
Half Marathon. We had 24 pacers, leading the way for runners shooting for times between 1:30 to 2:30.
A crew showed up at 5:15 am to help with parking. We also had many more UVRC folks running as
participants. Several finished either at the top or near the top of their age group and some ran their first
half marathon. Impressive accomplishments. (I’d try to list them all, but am sure I would miss many, so
here is the link to the results if you want to check them out.)
As usual, our pacers did an awesome job, with everyone crossing the finish line within a few seconds of
their goal time. It is greatly appreciated by the race organizers and participants. I can’t count how many
folks came up to me after the race and thanked us for providing consistent, cheerful, encouraging
pacers. You guys rocked it!
So why pace a race? I’m sure folks have many reasons which might include a free entry, a fashionable
pacers pinny, or the pleasure of carrying a little sign on a stick for 13.1 miles. For me, I started pacing
about 4 years ago and have loved every stride of it. Pacing gave me permission to slow down a bit and
enjoy the run, the crowd, fellow runners, aid station folks, bands, and scenery. In the past, every time I
ran a race, I felt compelled to push myself no matter what my initial plan was. I would see that person
ahead of me and say to myself, “you can run faster than that Scott,” and the race was on. It was
liberating when I decided to pace at a time I knew I could do comfortably.
I always meet interesting people from all over the country. They inevitably want to know about the
course, how many times I have run it, how I can carry the pacing sign, and what time I would run if I
wasn’t pacing. After answering some variation of these questions, the conversation turns to their story
and how they ended up here. I have run into parents running with their children, folks that have traveled
thousands of miles to run in support of a loved one, people who have run the race 20 or more times,
and many first time half marathoners. Most of these folks I talk to for a few minutes and then they go
along their way and I never see them again. But their stories are inspiring and remind me of the many
reasons we lace up the shoes and head out the door.
I would encourage any of you who have considered pacing to jump in and do it one of these days. I was
quite nervous the first time I showed up to pace. Would I be able to keep a consistent pace, could I
carry that sign for 13.1 miles, what if I bonk? You’ll be fine and may actually enjoy the run a little bit
more than usual.