PETER SAGAL, HOST:
We want to remind everybody they can join us most weeks back in Chicago at the Chase Bank Auditorium. For tickets and more information, go to wbez.org, or you can find a link at our website which is waitwait.npr.org. Right now, though, panel it is time for you to answer some questions about the week's news. Faith, in the interest of runner's safety, the Baltimore Marathon has banned spectators from doing what at this weekend's race?
FAITH SALIE: Cheering runners on by flashing them. Close?
SAGAL: First of all, speaking as somebody who has run a few marathons, that would be awesome.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: But no. They want to keep runners from sprinting too early.
SALIE: They don't want the runners sprinting too soon, so they don't want them to play music that's really inspiring.
SAGAL: No, that's not it.
SALIE: No. They don't them to cheer and clap and say go, go, go.
SAGAL: They don't want them to say something specific.
SALIE: Oh, like, tell them how far along they are.
SAGAL: Well, they specifically - you are allowed to say this only - and this is true - in the last 300 feet of the...
SALIE: You're almost there.
SAGAL: Exactly. At the Baltimore Marathon this weekend, spectators are asked not to yell or say you're almost there.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: ...Unless the runners are almost there. At all the big marathons, and I've experienced this, thousands of spectators line the streets supporting the runners. And we love this - they support the runners by shouting obvious lies at them.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: They yell things like almost there when you've got 10 miles to go. They yell looking good because the truth dear God seek medical attention now is not encouraging.
(APPLAUSE)
SALIE: You know, I think it goes against what - we're so - you know, if you're in a good relationship, you're so used to saying to your partner, hey, looking good, you're almost there that...
(LAUGHTER)
SALIE: ...You don't want to stop saying that to encourage people. It just comes naturally to me.
SAGAL: Is that why, Faith, you're often by the side of marathons shouting a little more to the left?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALMOST THERE")
ANDY WILLIAMS: (Singing) Almost there. We're almost there. How wonderful, wonderful our love will be.
SAGAL: We'll be back in a minute with more WAIT WAIT ...DON'T TELL ME from NPR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.