Runner Etiquette: Would You Feel Like Your Friend Is Freeloading?
Here is how to maneuver around what could be an awkward situation.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Etiquette expert Lizzie Post, great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, knows a thing or two about the rules of the road—and the descendant of the famous decorum diva is a runner too!
Q: My friend asked to crash at my hotel room before a big race—but then never offered to pay a portion of the room fee. What should I say?
A: As I’m sure you’ve realized, it would have been better to bring up splitting the room charge beforehand. But it’s still okay to ask her to pitch in now. (Best to have this conversation in person or on the phone.) Hopefully, she’ll recognize her responsibility and offer to pay her share. If she says “no way,” or she thought it was a freebie, then don’t press it and chalk it up as a lesson learned. After all, you were prepared to pay for the room solo. Unfortunately, the fallout for your friend is that you may not be so willing to do her a favor next time she asks (or assumes).
Have a question for Lizzie? Email editorial@womensrunning.com or tweet @womensrunning with the hashtag #ProperForm.
Read On For Some More Running Etiquette:
Pre-Race Etiquette—To Wait In Line Or Find A Tree
How To Deal With A Pace Pushing Training Partner