Register Kindness at Surf City Half Marathon

A couple night's ago, I started searching through emails. I most certainly registered for the Surf City Half Marathon months ago. It was in my calendar. That was my proof.

Certainty proved insufficient when they did not find me listed as a participant. I shuffled my way to the on-site registration. My first. The young volunteer was incredibly friendly as she juggled three last minute registrants and our questions.

They had a smooth setup. Slide your driver's license and your personal information is auto-filled into the screen. No typing your name or any other details. Click on your race choice and then slide your credit card.

In the couple seconds it took for me to marvel at the simplicity and ease, the woman on my left made a comment I didn't fully hear. I said, "I'm good." I thought she mistook my moment of marveling as a need for assistance. She pushed a piece of paper a little closer to me and said "$10 is $10." There was a bit of disbelief that I wouldn't want what she was offering, so I tried to figure out what I'd missed.

She was sharing a generic discount code. The immediate camaraderie among the community of participants is one of the joys of the sport. With the exception of the handful of racers who strive to be among the first three of their sex to cross the finish line, the remaining tens of thousands of us are racing against ourselves, pursuing our personal best times. Our goal, whether we run, jog or walk is to complete the race.

Knowing that we are all there to meet and exceed a purely personal challenge brings a giddiness at the EXPO centers where we pick up our bibs, shirts and supplies from vendors. Kindness comes easy when each of us is focused on our own race and not that of others.

See you on the path.