I cursed out a runner shortcutting in a race. Did I overreact?

Calling him out during the race was okay - but maybe stick to more of a "what the hell?" comment about the cutting. Tracking him down after the race is overly confrontational, unless he had finished 1st to take some awesome prize dishonestly. Even then you probably should take it up with race officials.

Sounds like he was a bushleague pussy. No problem calling someone out for cheating. Why can't someone do that?

I think you would have had more credibility had you left it on the course. Said something like, "not cool to cut corners" or something and left it at that. By following him around and being a dick, you kind of labeled yourself a crazy psycho that he will laugh about with his friends.

I didn't follow him around. I approached him right after the finish and later in an area where I was waiting for friends and he happened to be standing (and he kept looking my way). Was I really more of dick than him? It actually felt like a misunderstood Larry David moment - where the cheating runner was in the wrong, but I look like a jerk for calling him out on it.

I am sorry to say, I think you overreacted a bit. I understand your frustration and comments during the race, but you said that you talked to the guy not only once but twice after the race, well that's too much in my opinion. He clearly did something wrong, but there's nothing you can do about it, just let it go. Maybe use the memory to train harder and beat the guy next time? Or just have a beer and commiserate with friends (and letsrunners).

No, you did the right thing (this is coming from a German). What a tool, even more so his smartass comment on speaking German. Bloody cheaters!

Happened to me in a race in Germany last year. Guy cut the course several times. He finished fourth to my third. When he was called up to the podium (Top5 was there), I refused to shake his hand in front of about 200 people and said "You know very well why I don't shake your hand." It was funny how he was all pissed about it. :)

you were right. dude was a massive pussy and you called him out, and he couldn't respond like a man to it. He had to create a language barrier to escape the situation. You made him feel like a cheater, if not on the surface than deep down, which is what he was. As for the cowboy thing, he is definetely saying that to himself and his freinds but who cares. At the end of the day, if being honest and calling out cheaters is a bad thing for Americans, F^&* the other guys and be an American. For all that I hate in our country, I am proud of the honest people we produce, espcially in international athletics (olympics and soccer). Good job, BTW he sure sounded like a German (UK, Ireland, Scandanavians don't do that crap)

Isn't 'course cutting' an accepted/common practice in European road races? I seem to recall several European marathoners getting in trouble at the NYC marathon for cutting across sidewalks.

Could this just be a cultural difference with regards to road racing rules? He may have thought he ran the race totally legally, and you believed him to be cheating. How would you react if someone accused you of cheating when you believed you did nothing wrong?

Arkman wrote:It actually felt like a misunderstood Larry David moment - where the cheating runner was in the wrong, but I look like a jerk for calling him out on it.

It is funny that you mention this b/c larry David always overreacts to everything, regardless of whether it is a big deal or not. He cannot let things go, and it works out poorly for him every time.

I disagree with the advice of the poster above me, even though I think he is on the right track. By making a huge scene and getting in his face, you are letting him off the hook. He will not think about his cheating, he will think about how you are a crazy cowboy, and justify what he did by laughing at you.

Think about it. If someone is yelling and screaming at you about something, you aren't going to agree with them out of principle. In fact, you may even be glad that you did what you did just to spite them.

Thanks for the support. He was actually Austrian, but I don't want to get into nationality stereotypes (although I could). I am trying to let it all go, but venting with the LetsRun crowd certainly helps.

Barry Abercrombie wrote:

Isn't 'course cutting' an accepted/common practice in European road races? I seem to recall several European marathoners getting in trouble at the NYC marathon for cutting across sidewalks.

Could this just be a cultural difference with regards to road racing rules? He may have thought he ran the race totally legally, and you believed him to be cheating. How would you react if someone accused you of cheating when you believed you did nothing wrong?

Not that I know of. Thousands of other runners managed to stay on the road and didn't hop the curb. He was being a cheat and I'm pretty sure he knew it.

You did the right thing. I would have threatened violence, and backed it up with real violence if necessary, but that's just me. I'm not a tough guy and would probably get my butt kicked though. I tend to get worked up during races, especially when cheating is involved. Some of us are niave enough to believe in some sort of honor code, while others will take any opportunity presented.

I remember one incident when I was a freshman in college running a po-dunk local 5k in the off season. I was out front and alone with another dude who happened to be a 40ish year old HS coach. There was a massive headwind so he tucked in behind me. I swerved from one side of the road to the other but he stuck right on me. I then asked him to move up next to me and not draft. Since that didn't work I came to a sudden stop, let him run into me with my elbow extended and whacked him in the chest. We then started running again, but I slowed way down, forcing him to take the lead. Since he was a much stronger runner than me I let him go and finished 20 seconds back. I couldn't find him after the race to bitch him out some more. Yes I have a temper problem.

Wow, are you guys for real? Relax.

To the poster above me, there is a good chance you'll end up in jail with that temper...

It was a RACE. He is allowed to draft you. If you pulled that junk on me, I'd stop running and beat the shit out of you.

I totally disagree. The guy said something about how he should speak english, this is the exact sort of remark one would make to try to get out of a situation where they're in the wrong and they want to avoid conflict. Moreover, as i wrote in my post, deep down he knows he is a cheater. Again, I bet he told himself and his freinds the cowboy excuse, but this is a diversion for himself and he knows it. I adamantly contest that cheaters who are called out feel bad for it, no matter how they are called out. There is that sinking feeling in the stomach, shame, etc. My principal in elementary school was a complete ahole when he called me out for doing bad stuff, but deep down I knew he was right even if he presented it loud and aggresive. On the other hand, Sometimes I'm called out for things that I am not wrong on and guess what: I don't feel bad about it, no matter how its presented.

I totally disagree. The guy said something about how he should speak english, this is the exact sort of remark one would make to try to get out of a situation where they're in the wrong and they want to avoid conflict. Moreover, as i wrote in my post, deep down he knows he is a cheater. Again, I bet he told himself and his freinds the cowboy excuse, but this is a diversion for himself and he knows it. I adamantly contest that cheaters who are called out feel bad for it, no matter how they are called out. There is that sinking feeling in the stomach, shame, etc. My principal in elementary school was a complete ahole when he called me out for doing bad stuff, but deep down I knew he was right even if he presented it loud and aggresive. On the other hand, Sometimes I'm called out for things that I am not wrong on and guess what: I don't feel bad about it, no matter how its presented.

You let him off so light that he beat you?? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should have dropped him so he couldn't get up and demolish you in the race. What are you a girly man? Most men racers would not wimped out and let him get up so easily to win.

You don't have a temper problem you have a pansy problem!

You don't know how to race. Just surge and slow down until you break them or they have had enough and decide to take the lead. You let him get in your head. Or if you have a strong kick, run away from him at the end or go with him and kick past him.

Arkman wrote:He had some smartass remark about how I should speak German. I said, in German, that I don't speak German, but does he speak English.

You should've started speaking French. That'd show the f***er.