Cuan Walker tweeted (@runwithcuan, 15 January 2019) "Telling a @ComradesRace runner ‘you’re nearly there’ when you’ve just gone through halfway is like telling someone it’s the Weekend on Wednesday morning".
Misguiding encouragement is detrimental. A runner might be deriving psychological reprieve from believing a marshal (or bystander’s) words. When it turns out that the ‘around the corner’ is far from reality, that spurt of energy gets depleted, possibly rendering a discouraged and tired person.
Similarly, with distances that were roughly estimated and not properly measured. When a 6km trail turned out to be closer to 9km. Inexperienced and less fit runners (and walkers) ‘spread’ their capacity. When it turned out that they spent their capacity and the route is continuing, it can be quite demoralising.
I’ve overheard the statement that it is not feasible to place distance indicators on trails. Such a statement is absurd. It may involve more effort measuring distance of technical terrain. However, when route-markers are placed, distance markers could simultaneously be placed.
Comments