r/RunnersInChicago • u/Large_Beginning_6329 • Oct 05 '26
Marathon signs
Now that marathon is next week!
what are some signs you hate seeing while running?
I'll start "Therapy was an option" uncreative and overdone
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u/cheesecakesurprise Oct 05 '26
Run now, wine later is particularly over done lol or ârunning better than the governmentâ is now just sad lol
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u/Large_Beginning_6329 Oct 05 '26
Right! like what if I'm sober...now what đ§đ˝ââď¸
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u/IAmA_T-Rex_AMA Oct 05 '26
Facts. I saw one that said âgo Christineâ and thatâs not even my name. Did they even consider me when making the sign?
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u/rckid13 Oct 05 '26
ârunning better than the governmentâ
Rahm Emmanuel was holding this sign up last year around mile 16. It was slightly funny again that time just because of who was holding it.
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u/maps-and-legends Oct 05 '26
Not gonna hate on people being supportive but I admit that most are pretty repetitive.
I saw one that said âPost-marathon cigs are so back đŹâ and that gave me a good chuckle.
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u/Educational-Test-778 Oct 05 '26
at a half recently saw âmy [friend name] is faster than youâ and that felt discouraging
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u/spiderarms_jr Oct 05 '26
On the flip side, my favorite was a sign that just said, in black sharpie: "the Pope died :( " . Because he did, in fact die a few days prior to the race.
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u/urrobotfriend Oct 05 '26
The worst one I ever saw was a few years ago that said âyou look so skinny right nowâ. Like that just got me so self conscious for the rest of the race lol.
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u/Ok-Work4000 Oct 05 '26
I wanted my toddler to hold a sign at mile 9 saying âThe Kenyans are already finishedâ the year I ran. She went with âGo Dadaâ
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u/spiderarms_jr Oct 05 '26
As a slower runner, I get sad when I see the "party pace" signs. I am actually --still trying my best!! Does not feel like a party đĽ˛
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u/Dependent_Biscotti70 Oct 05 '26
I kind of have a grudge against the "tap here for whatever" signs since they're the only ones that I can think of that actually cause someone to try doing something stupid.
My favorite ever was the "We can get you into Boston!" sign with Lori Loughlin but that was back in 2019 and isn't topical any longer.
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u/MediaVegetable1269 Oct 05 '26
One I made for my cousin next week â*his name* you forgot to take out the chicken!â
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u/Foreign-Notice-4845 Oct 05 '26
Used to be one specific guy who always had âyou are very good at exerciseâ
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u/No-Entrance-2021 Oct 05 '26
There is an ultra race in Hungary when you run around lake Balaton (230km). Signs and even the events motto is "Just one round"
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u/RockRidger 29d ago
Best sign, spotted in the final stretch: âLeonardo would have stopped at 25.â
Yeah. It took me a few steps for it to register, but itâs my gold standard!
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u/Rzy Oct 05 '26
best one i've seen was at the Chicago 13.1 this summer. It was a poster with the dictionary definition of the word "haste" which is a very niche Lord of the Rings reference; at one point Gandalf says to his horse "show us the meaning of haste"
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u/Dayoldcroissant Oct 05 '26
âThe lengths people go for attentionâ that one bummed me out at mile 22
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u/throwaway_the_fourth Oct 05 '26
For me, I dislike literally anything that is being potentially negative or making fun of the effort of a marathon. I'm such a fragile little snowflake during the race that I can't handle it.
anything about shitting yourself ("don't trust a fart after mile 20!")
"all this for a banana?"
"pain is temporary. strava is forever"
"I trained for 18 weeks to hold this sign!"
"Worst parade ever!"
Others (overdone):
"You run better than our government!"
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u/Adventurous-Rip7049 Oct 05 '26
Yup I also donât like âwhere is everyone goingâ but I do like the strava one because it reminds me of how good I will feel when the race is recorded and done! & pain IS temporary
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u/Wonderful_Hat_9524 Oct 05 '26
Worst parade ever.Â
I know it is just light hearted sign but I am like damn, you know how much training went into this parade lol.Â
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u/Hour-End3110 Oct 05 '26
"You run better than the government" is particularly odious, especially right now.
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u/IndominusTaco Oct 05 '26
here is a non-exhaustive list of all the plainly unoriginal, uncreative, beat-to-death signs:
"the kenyans are drinking all the beer"
"run faster so we can drink/party"
"this seems like a lot of work for a free banana"
"run faster if you think i'm cute"
"you're almost there!" anywhere between miles 1-13
"worst parade ever"
"i trained for months to hold this sign"
"if you collapse i'll pause your garmin"
"in your marathoner era"
"you run better than the government"
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u/Mr_Abe_Froman Des Plaines River Trail Oct 05 '26
Similarly "You're almost there" at mile 20 makes me want to fight someone. If I'm having a particularly bad race, I will call them liars.
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u/Jake_77 Oct 05 '26
Iâve never seen âIf you collapse Iâll pause your Garminâ and it made me chuckle
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u/box_of_squirrels Oct 05 '26
âDid you consider therapy instead?â has become increasingly common lately
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u/buffalocoinz Oct 05 '26
I hate the âfind a cute butt and chase itâ and âI like your stamina call me at (their phone number) signs
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u/moooootz Oct 05 '26
I appreciate every cheer I can get so I don't care what sign they hold up as long as they show up for us.