Time to Boycott Marathons

I.e. no rational justification.

Runner Mom wrote:

I've been asked the very same thing about running 26.2 miles. I believe it is called "to each his own."

Im 46 wrote:

Actually, no.

What is the attraction in walking a race?

These qualification standards would knock out a large part of the Chicago Marathon and many others...

marathon - 5:00:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

half-marathon - 2:30:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

ten-miler - 1:50:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

15k - 1:46:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

12k - 1:18:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

10k - 1:05:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

8k - 52:00 (qualifies for half-marathon only)

5k - 31:00 (qualifies for half-marathon only)

I doubt that a 5 hour marathon or 2:30 half marathon QT will make anyone of these elitist sub 2:30 guys happy. In fact, it's probably just going to piss them off further.

Sheryl Crow wrote:

I doubt that a 5 hour marathon or 2:30 half marathon QT will make anyone of these elitist sub 2:30 guys happy. In fact, it's probably just going to piss them off further.

Actually they will piss of Keith Stone, the defensive race director for the common man.

Which is why the race is small: just under 5000 people in their 2nd year and the website says the field size cap is 8000 in 2008. Doesn't sound like volume is the priority.

Wes Holman wrote:

These qualification standards would knock out a large part of the Chicago Marathon and many others...

marathon - 5:00:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

half-marathon - 2:30:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

ten-miler - 1:50:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

15k - 1:46:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

12k - 1:18:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

10k - 1:05:00 (qualifies for the marathon and half-marathon)

8k - 52:00 (qualifies for half-marathon only)

5k - 31:00 (qualifies for half-marathon only)

ARE YOU CRAZY??DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WORK THAT WOULD BE FOR THE RACE DIRECTOR??I'M A RACE DIRECTOR, I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS!!

WHAT, WOULD IT MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A BIGGER DICK BECAUSE YOU HIT AN ARBITRARY QUALIFYING TIME??

DO YOU EVEN THINK BEFORE YOU POST HERE??

WHY ARE YOU SUCH AN ELITIST?

In any race, I've found it's more productive to concern one's self with the people who are in front of you and not worry about how many are in back of you. That being said, I think the qualifying standards above are quite resonable if a race director feels the need for them. I'm far from an elitest, but I don't think the marathon should be for everyone. It also doesn't bother me what time someone finishes in, as long as the race is prepared to deal with having the course open for that long of a time.

I just cut and pasted those from the link at the top of the page. They are from the Washington D.C. race page. Sorry they made you so upset.

Wes Holman wrote:

I'm far from an elitest, but I don't think the marathon should be for everyone. It also doesn't bother me what time someone finishes in, as long as the race is prepared to deal with having the course open for that long of a time.

Who are you to determine who is qualified or not?

Surely, you are not so dense as to need this answered?

You are free to start such a marathon. However, do not dictate how another RD should run his/her race.

Only 1800 runners in the full marathon. There are a lot of reasons why the DC marathon will never be on the scale of Chicago and NYC and I don't believe it has much to do with the QTs.

The % of trolls on this site is off the scale. Why is that?

Look - there are some races which lend themselves to only elite or higher or higher to moderate level runners. Keep those and support them.

But discouraging slower runners or walkers? No!! To the extent that the US is the land of the overweight (some truth to that, right?), we want to do everything you can to encourage physical activity - even if just walking. I am not a coach or trainer, and certainly never will be, but there are those on this site that are and in their scientific and considered judgment they likely have had clients where the right thing to do is to get them to walk - hopefully as a precursor to running - but in general as a start for lifelong exercise. The last thing we need is a haughty attitude from the better runners out there.

Just close the course at 5 hours and tell everyone that if they aren't across the finish line by that point then they won't get into the results and won't get a finisher's medal.

quantum wrote:

we want to do everything you can

Interesting phraseology.

quantum wrote:

Look - there are some races which lend themselves to only elite or higher or higher to moderate level runners. Keep those and support them.

But discouraging slower runners or walkers? No!! To the extent that the US is the land of the overweight (some truth to that, right?), we want to do everything you can to encourage physical activity - even if just walking. I am not a coach or trainer, and certainly never will be, but there are those on this site that are and in their scientific and considered judgment they likely have had clients where the right thing to do is to get them to walk - hopefully as a precursor to running - but in general as a start for lifelong exercise. The last thing we need is a haughty attitude from the better runners out there.

I pretty much agree with everything you wrote above, but my question is, with all the possibilities for activity available, why the marathon for so many people who clearly are not suited for it? I know I'm not suited for it. I ran one a long time ago, and that was enough. It was very obvious that I'm better off with shorter races. Very few people are really built for that distance.

quantum wrote:

But discouraging slower runners or walkers? No!! To the extent that the US is the land of the overweight (some truth to that, right?), we want to do everything you can to encourage physical activity - even if just walking. I am not a coach or trainer, and certainly never will be, but there are those on this site that are and in their scientific and considered judgment they likely have had clients where the right thing to do is to get them to walk - hopefully as a precursor to running - but in general as a start for lifelong exercise. The last thing we need is a haughty attitude from the better runners out there.

I'm still waiting to hear an explanation on why a marathon? Why not 5ks, or 10k's or halfs? Why are these overweight people encouraged to jump right in a marathon?Why can't they raise money walking shorter races? What difference does it make if you raise $2500 doing a half instead of a full marathon?

Why is it such an insult to these people to be asked to complete a race of a shorter distance before doing a marathon?

Its even easier than that: wrote:

Just close the course at 5 hours and tell everyone that if they aren't across the finish line by that point then they won't get into the results and won't get a finisher's medal.

This is what they do for Ironman triathlons(I'm aware I'm committing a letsrun sin by mentioning the "T" word). After midnight competitors are free to finish, however they don't get a medal or any of the "Finisher" swag. Meanwhile the RD gets the money and feels good about the fact that his or her race is not something just anyone can do.

Tired excuse wrote:

I'm still waiting to hear an explanation on why a marathon? Why not 5ks, or 10k's or halfs? Why are these overweight people encouraged to jump right in a marathon?Why can't they raise money walking shorter races? What difference does it make if you raise $2500 doing a half instead of a full marathon?

Why is it such an insult to these people to be asked to complete a race of a shorter distance before doing a marathon?

Who says these walkers/joggers haven't also done the shorter distances? Chances are, they probably have. If they want to participate in the marathon, why should you possibly care?

Well, if they have done shorter distances, why is it so offensive to ask them to post an easy qualifying time?

When did I say I cared if they ran?

Why are you so defensive about the subject and who appointed you as their chief spokesman?