Do you view Friday the 13th as a day of doom and disaster? Or is lucky #13 more your speed? Maybe you want to try your luck at a personal best or podium win at one of the many Friday the 13th races happening across the U.S.? A quick search told me about races happening in Texas, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Maryland.
This CNN article provides a fairly in-depth look at how we’ve come to view Friday the 13th as unlucky. Personally, I’m team Lucky #13, and I’m not surprised to see the notation about the number 13 being tied to lunar or menstrual cycles (for many of us our menstrual cycles can feel unlucky or at least uncomfortable, but mostly they seem to raise speculation and fear in the hearts and minds of those who do not/have never menstruated).
Themed races are plentiful so it isn’t surprising to come across these Friday the 13th races. They seem especially plentiful when the date falls on a weekend and in the month of Halloween. We’ve covered Halloween workouts (here and here) and movement/activity in costumes (here and here) on the blog before. As October advances there are trick-or-treat, costume, and Halloween races and events in many communities.
A few years ago I tackled one of these Halloween-themed races in Salem, MA called the Devil’s Chase, which is a 6.66 mile run (or walk in my case). The race’s tagline is “run like hell” and prizes are given to the 1st place “devil” (a devil costume is mandatory). In recent years they’ve added a shorter 3.33 mile distance called the Creepy Clown. The race generates a lot of attention in an already busy city with a lot of Halloween tourism. People come from all over in their best clown, devil, and other costumes. The year I ran it I started the race with festive devil horns on my head but eventually handed them off to a bystander when they started to annoy me after a few miles. I can’t imagine running in a full-body costume like many of the racers do.
How about you? Have you done a Friday the 13th race, ride or other event? Have you raced in costume for Halloween? Was it your lucky day… did you get a Trick or a Treat?
Amy Smith is a professor of Media & Communication and a communication consultant who lives north of Boston. Her research interests include gender communication and community building. Amy spends her movement time riding the basement bicycle to nowhere, walking her two dogs, and waiting for it to get warm enough for outdoor swimming in New England.
