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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not run in the mothers race at sports day!

175 replies

Generallyok · 30/06/2017 10:06

I'm dreading our children's sports day which is coming up next week. My kids desperately want me to run in the mothers race but the thought terrifies me! So many mothers at our school start the day in Lycra and a lot have personal trainers! So just really want to know if anyone else will be running in the mothers race and if not what's the best excuse.

OP posts:
wornoutboots · 30/06/2017 11:00

only the nursery have parents' races in our school sports days, thank goodness.
I ran last time with walking stick (came last, as expected), this year I won't be because I've done more damage to myself since.

I didn't mind coming last - it was self-evident that as a disabled person I wasn't going to win!

TheWhiteRoseOfYork · 30/06/2017 11:01

We were always told by the school that only mums wearing proper running shoes could take part. It was such a shame I always happened to be wearing flip flops on the day....

yourcarisnotadiscovery · 30/06/2017 11:02

Hideous! But not to worry - there are some that take it so seriously no-one will notice you!

Mumzypopz · 30/06/2017 11:02

Just say no......you do have to say no to your children sometimes....this is one of those times... remember, you are the boss, not them. Only idiots run in the mums race and no-one cares about it.

IvorHughJarrs · 30/06/2017 11:02

Just say no.

donkey86 · 30/06/2017 11:03

When I was in infant school the parent races were organised by age group. My dad was the only one in the over-45s group - he ran it anyway and 'won' as there was no competition. I was so proud of him!

OhNoWhyMeAgain · 30/06/2017 11:03

mummymeister I'd be very proud to have a mum like you tbh. My mother is a lovely woman but she's extremely appearance-conscious to the extent that she wouldn't do anything that had even the slightest chance of causing her embarrassment.

What that resulted in, is me doing a lot of sports-related activities alone, and her asking "aren't you afraid of people laughing at you" whenever I wanted to try something she considered outlandish (wanting to play the piano for the school talent show at 10 even though I was mediocre and not supremely gifted).

I understand now that she has her insecurities, but sometimes I still wish she had just gotten on to the field with me, fell down with me, and had us laugh about our clumsiness over ice-cream afterwards.

MirandaWest · 30/06/2017 11:04

I've had two children go through primary school and have never raced in a mother's race.

When I was at primary school, the headteacher had daughters there and took part in the Fathers race. He fell over at the end and broke his wrist. So I feel it's safer to not take part

Looneytune253 · 30/06/2017 11:07

I would see it as a bit of fun and not race it. Tbh if people were racing as in being competitive and running hard I would find it hard to not have a good old laugh.

MarvinKMooney · 30/06/2017 11:08

Is this a thing?! We're obviously getting off lightly at DC's school!

rollonthesummer · 30/06/2017 11:08

I have never ever done the mothers' race and have no intention of doing so!

SpaghettiAndMeatballs · 30/06/2017 11:09

Oh, God, I know what you mean - but after DP went in the parents race and caused a multi-parent pileup at the turning end - bowling 3 parents over and leaving devastation in his wake (accidentally - his spacial awareness is rubbish - I do the parking in this house!) - I did them this year

And yes, there were women in lycra, men in running shorts, and me, short and dumpy in my jeans and t-shirt, but it was fine.. and the game with the buckets and the sponges was hilarious for the kids (everyone enjoys seeing the headmaster getting a sponge full of water in the face - even when the head is actually a really nice bloke)

confusedat23 · 30/06/2017 11:09

^ Brilliant Idea Badgers! It would be nice to see parents being invited to take part in more academic things too!

Dulra · 30/06/2017 11:11

Is parents races at kids sports days a usual thing in England? I'm Irish and never heard of it. Some may have a teachers race but never a parents race

plantsitter · 30/06/2017 11:12

I'm very overweight and I did it. I told dd it was fun. She said she hadn't wanted me to do it in case everyone laughed at me. Nice. I'm glad I did it now and it actually was fun (nice group of mums though, would not do it in the older one's sports day!!)

lucy101101 · 30/06/2017 11:12

I genuinely couldn't do it as I have a bad hip but I wish I could. I loved the mum who trailed behind (very sedate indeed) and showed the children that it was all about taking part. I am definitely the oldest mum but - hip willing - I will take part next year!

Therealslimshady1 · 30/06/2017 11:17

It's just a bit of a laugh, the kids love it.

I always did it, mostly came last (in my summer dress and flipflops Grin)

We always tell kids it is not about winning, and then when we are put on the spot we don't want to take part, because lycra mum is going to win anyway Hmm....

Think about it for a moment, and then....

Just do it

PatMullins · 30/06/2017 11:20

Yeah ok Mumzy, all of us who did it for a bit of fun are all idiots Hmm

BattleaxeGalactica · 30/06/2017 11:20

If you don't want to do it, don't.

I never did.

WinifredAtwellsOtherPiano · 30/06/2017 11:21

I do it, I come dead last. But I'm in my forties and normally only the twenty somethings are prepared to have a go, so I count that as a victory. And if it makes me an idiot then so be it. My self-esteem or self-delusion is not so low/extreme that being revealed to a bunch of random parents as "a bit of a slow runner" would cause me any qualms whatsoever.

PatMullins · 30/06/2017 11:24

Don't worry about the bitchplop, Winifred Smile

PacificDogwod · 30/06/2017 11:25

I once almost won the mother's three-legged race until my co-runner tripped me up - well, that's my story and I am sticking to it Grin

Don't do it if you don't want to.
But if you do, take it as a bit of fun.
Nothing worse than fiercely competitive parents at their children's sports day.
Our fathers' race is always rather comical... edjits Hmm

PacificDogwod · 30/06/2017 11:26

Being a bit of an idiot is severely underrated IMO Grin

Life's too short to not have fun, particularly at ones own expense.

Pigflewpast · 30/06/2017 11:27

Ours is funny, split into the Lycra mums who stretch at the start and the rest of us who turn up in sundress and flip sandals and don't take it very seriously at all. The Lycra mums have usually finished before we've got half way, and it's a very short race. The dad's race now have to have a beanbag on their heads after the fence after the finish line got knocked down two yrs in a row

PenguinsAreAce · 30/06/2017 11:27

YABU

Just do it. Run slowly, and smile. You kids will be overjoyed to see you taking part. I say this as someone who came last in it the first year I did it whilst I still had a young baby. I am overweight. I could not run. I gritted my teeth, smiled and role modelled taking part. Sometimes being a parent means stepping up. Everyone clapped and smiled. No-one cared what I looked like except me. My kids were proud.