On Squad Race: A Recap
Stuck somewhere in between? A conversation between Running Sucks and Wings & Spikes
It’s been a busy week. Today was even crazier with a stressful event… but, story for another day. Yesterday, I had the honor of joining the Glendale Runners for a 4x600m squad race by On. It took place on the rooftop of Row DTLA (Downtown LA), one of the hippest event venues in the city. My friend
, our team captain, and I wrote this race recap together. RR from shared this incredible insight:If On is investing in this event, they should’ve gone all the way. They made it fun for the runners, but they should also make it fun to watch for spectators.
Furthermore: I think the biggest goal for last night would be to have the most people staying to see the final round and the winner. Once you are eliminated, you become spectators, and I wish there was something to eat. Many runners and spectators left because there wasn’t food or drinks to buy. It was a cold night, and a few extra amenities could’ve made a world of difference.
Making track and field a spectator-friendly event was the whole idea behind events like Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, and Alexis Ohanian and Gabby Thomas’ Athlos, which was a big production with a concert and good food to eat.
What Raz wanted at the On Squad Race:
Post-race nutrition for runners (I didn’t bring a protein shake and I am sore today)
Food and drink available to keep spectators spectating
A couple of massage tables for those poor fools running three rounds
What Raz got at the On Squad Race:
Amazing camaraderie from the L.A. running community
Proof that running with my friends is awesome
A 400m PR at 41 years old despite somehow getting a little bit lost on the course 😀
What Jinghuan wanted at the On Squad Race:
Clear pre-event communication on the route and surface
Good warm-up area
Clear course marking
What Jinghuan got at the On Squad Race:
Great music and fun
Cool, new running friends she wouldn’t have made otherwise
Post-race tight hamstrings
JLT: Hi Raz, it was great to see you last night. Thanks for pulling me into this fun On Squad Race.
RR: It was great to have you on the team. Did you have fun?
JLT: I did. Let’s talk about it. It was very different from what I expected going into the race. What were your expectations?
RR: I know Row DTLA very well. I know the event space, because there were yoga classes on the rooftop of the parking lot building in the past. I had a vague idea for the race. Since it was 600m, I thought it might just be a loop in the parking lot. It might go down a level first, and then it might go up. And sure enough, that was the course.
JLT: Raz, if you told me the 600m race was on concrete, and on the rooftop of a parking lot, I would’ve said “no way” to your invitation to join this relay. No way I’m running on concrete at 7pm on a Saturday night. The event description was not clear about the surface, and I don’t know the event space as well as you do. I thought of 600m as 1.5 loops on a track, or 3 loops on an indoor track. I brought my spikes last night before realizing they were useless.
RR: Row DTLA is this industrial-chic event space where you can overlook the skyline of downtown. Sean on our team is a film fanatic, and told me part of Fast and Furious was shot here. It’s got a little of that blockbuster vibe here.
JLT: Very true. I loved seeing the beautiful skylights overlooking our vast city, but in the meantime, I came here to run. There was no real space to warm up. As a competitor, I’m very used to going on a somewhat quiet track, where I run some warm-up miles and do my drills, before I have to put my game-face on for the actual race. There was no place for that. Also, people were dancing to Sabrina Carpenter when I arrived. I thought, did I get to the right place? Why are people dancing at a relay? I definitely felt like an old grouchy woman, thinking, where do I warm up? Where’s my peace and quiet?
RR: I see where you’re coming from. The organizers tried to bring both a party vibe and certain performance elements in, but I think it fell a little flat.
JLT: I agree. It was stuck somewhere in between. It felt like a Saturday night dance party with cool DJs and lights, which happened to have a little running in. I felt out of place – not just because of my age, but for thinking, where are the cones on the course to guide the runners?
RR: Yep. I got the organizers’ intent for all the runners to have fun, and we certainly did – the camaraderie was exceptional – but a few small elements were missing. For starters:
They could’ve had some protein drinks for the runners. It would be nice for the runners to have a recovery drink at the finish line, besides Liquid Death water and electrolytes. Our team was eliminated in the first round, but some runners ran more than one round. They can use some recovery beverages.
Some food and drinks for spectators and runners: they had hard liquor there the whole time, but the burritos were not ready after many had finished. Both runners and spectators were hungry.
Some massage tables: they would be a nice-to-have for runners.
JLT: Totally. I left right after we finished, thinking my kids needed me. (They didn’t. They were just fine eating pizza and playing Minecraft without me.) I remember there was a good spectating spot where you can see all the finishers, but it didn’t feel particularly spectator-friendly.
RR: Exactly. It was free for runners, and we got free tote bags and a shirt, but if they’re investing money into producing this event, they should’ve gone all the way. They should make it fun to watch for spectators. Once we were eliminated, we became spectators, after all.
This was the whole idea behind events like Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, and Alexis Ohanian and Gabby Thomas’ Athlos. They make track and field a spectator-friendly event… a true production where the spectators get to have fun, listen to a concert, with good food to eat. Even if you go to a Dodgers’ game, you’d eat the Dodger Dog. There was no food available for purchase last night.
JLT: I’m so used to bare-boned track meets where you have a snack bar run by parent volunteers at most. Things have changed! It was definitely a fun event. It did feel scrappy in a different way: no cones or tapes to guide the runners. It’s a 600m race, and not a trail race. You can’t afford to run more than you need. There were also people walking around on the course. That was not great.
RR: I expected more effort to make the environment more spectator-friendly. The idea of making running fun, entertaining, and more like a party is right on, but it was a missed opportunity.
I think the biggest goal for last night would be to have the most people staying to see the final round and the winner. After many teams got eliminated throughout the process, many runners and spectators left because there wasn’t food or drinks to buy. It was a cold night, nevertheless. There wasn't much for spectators to do. A few extra amenities could’ve made a world of difference. People would've stayed to see which team won the ultimate prize.
JLT: I thought I was the only one without the patience to stay till the end. I was getting cold and worried about my kids at home.
RR: It would’ve been nice to have amenities like recovery drinks as we discussed, and maybe hot chocolate to keep people warm and entertained. They had hard liquor and house music. What’s the combination of that? A night club.
JLT: That’s funny. I haven’t thought of that. It kind of reminds me of events like Take the Bridge, semi-underground without clearly marked courses and running at night. Somewhat unsanctioned, under the radar. I haven’t thought of a club night vibe.
RR: The partying and running could co-exist. They could’ve made a music festival kind of environment, for runner-focused and spectator-friendly.
JLT: It’s so interesting to see how people talk so much about vibes these days… and how running all of a sudden became this cool thing to do. I’ve always thought of competitive running as the opposite of cool and glamorous. It’s a hard grind. It’s miles, tears and disappointments. It’s a lot of unseen hard work. How and when did running become this hip thing for young people?
RR: A vibe is just a feeling of human connection. You run with your friends. Last night, we had great vibes. I really enjoyed being there. I ran into Justin from Venice Run Club. I really admire how he runs his club, and connects people. He lives in Venice, and I live in Glendale, and we don’t see each other often. Last night, it was important for me to say congratulations to him in person as he and his wife are expecting their first child. That was very meaningful.
JLT: I really loved seeing all the creative names of the running teams: Worst Pace Scenario, The Turtles, Kudos Chasers, Spice World, Ray Ray & Frens. So fascinating!
RR: Had I known this, I would’ve registered us under Running Sucks, and not Glendale Runners! Can you imagine a more fun thing to do than to run a 600m relay race on a rooftop on a Saturday night with 500 fun and creative people?
JLT: I cannot! I’m usually in bed!
RR: Well, great physical and social activity on a Saturday night, whether you’re dancing for 2 hours or running a relay with friends. It’s competitive and fun.
JLT: I’m certainly very grateful that you exposed me to a different part of running that I wasn’t familiar with. I really enjoyed it last night.
RR: Until we run together again.
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