Race Etiquette 101: After crossing the finish line of my first 5k, I pulling off to the a designated spot to out of the way of other runners so my husband could snap this shot.

When running a 5K it never dawned on me to stop, take my iPhone out of my carrier belt and snap a selfie of me.  That’s not why I run. Sure I had my husband take a photo of me crossing the finish line for my first 5k — that was a big deal to me.

I’ve run other 5k races since and not once did I stop in the middle of the course to snap a photo.

Well apparently it is becoming a problem. More people stopping mid race — in front of other runners — to take a selfie. There will always be rude people who are so self-absorbed they are inconsiderate of others. But apparently it is dramatically on the rise in races thanks to smartphones.

Race organizers are trying to come up with solutions to this problem — no selfie sticks allowed (good start!), redesigning courses to allow selfie areas (fine), and “discouraging” runners from taking selfies or social media updates mid race (ugh!).

I think when idiots like this get their 15 minutes of fame by taking selfies of unsuspecting “hot guys” during the New York City Half Marathon, racing organizers are going to have to do more than “discourage” these folks. When media like Good Morning America covers a story like this because “oh how cute” expect more of this crap to happen. Unfortunately I think it’s going to take a serious injury for it to happen. Read More