Hey, What Was Your Time?

One thing I have always been curious about with running and racing is why people ask what my time was after a race. It’s so typical, whether I do a 5K or a marathon, the most common question is…

“Hey Dave, what was your time?”

I no longer give my time. I tell the person very politely that I crossed the finish line comfortably. This has been my practice for years.

Want to know why? Because here’s what someone will likely say no matter WHAT my time is in the marathon. Are you ready? It goes like this:

“Hey Dave, I see you ran the Chicago Marathon. What was your time?”

If I say 7 hours, they will say “What are you, dead?”

If I say 6 hours, they will say “My great-grandmother could do better than that.”

If I say 5 hours, they will say “My grandmother could do better than that.”

If I say 4 hours, they will say “I ran a marathon twenty years ago and I beat that time.”

If I say 3 hours, they will say “Oh, OK, I have a neighbor that runs one in 2:50.”

If I say 2 hours and by the way I beat all of the Kenyans, they will tell me about their daughter who is trying out for America’s Got Talent.”

So as you can see, it is a no-win situation to give anyone my time. That is why I keep it to myself and run MY race!