Boycott road races until they BAN walkers!!!

outraged runner wrote:

This is the #1 thing embarrassing our sport, and us individually. It MUST be stopped. I propose a total boycott of all road races until the walkers are disallowed.

This is really the only solution.

I was running a Half-Marathon that also featured a 5k that started after the Half. Start and Finish lines were the same.

I was running a decent clip and winning the Half Marathon race. I came around a wooded corner with about 150 meters to go and there were 5 fat women walking abreast to finish their 5k. I had another guy like 10 meters behind me and I knew he would have more time to deal with the situation, so I busted right between two of the women. I did it in as nice a way as possible, not like a big jerk. I kind of turned to the side and tried to slide through. It was really the only choice I had other than stop and run to the side and lose all momentum, etc. It all happened too quick to yell out or warn the ladies.

Well, the ladies start moving all around after I ran through and one of them steps in front of the guy behind me and he knocks her over and he falls down, too. I win, he finishes like 25 seconds behind me.

The RD vacates my victory and I have to share the first place finish with the guy behind me...

...all because of stupid 5k walkers.

no need to ban anyone. a decent RD should be able to organise the start line and finishing times of other parallel races so that issues like the one above don't happen.

somebloke wrote:

no need to ban anyone. a decent RD should be able to organise the start line and finishing times of other parallel races so that issues like the one above don't happen.

Yes, agreed, the conflict is brought by poor organization, IMO. The walkers should be off the course if they start earlier.

The last run I did the walkers were annoyed I went way around them. They made a comment "this is such a beautiful course... (unrecognizable noises)...take this too seriously". The walkers start just minutes before the runners.

outraged runner wrote:

This is the #1 thing embarrassing our sport, and us individually. It MUST be stopped. I propose a total boycott of all road races until the walkers are disallowed.

This is really the only solution.

This is how I feel about hobby joggers like you

I think what needs to be banned from road races are rancid polecats. Also, from my lawn.

Who do you think pays for the road races? The 10 or 15 or maybe 20 really fast guys and gals? Or the 500+ "hobby joggers" and walkers?

Try being a little less judgmental...You'll find life a lot more fun.

outraged runner wrote:

This is the #1 thing embarrassing our sport, and us individually. It MUST be stopped. I propose a total boycott of all road races until the walkers are disallowed.

This is really the only solution.

-136/10

Maybe their coach told them to take it easy, save their hard effort for later in the year. They were really just scouting the course for a later event.

don't be so much of a jerk wrote:

Who do you think pays for the road races? The 10 or 15 or maybe 20 really fast guys and gals? Or the 500+ "hobby joggers" and walkers?

Try being a little less judgmental...You'll find life a lot more fun.

They should donate their money and then stand and watch the real runners run.

My area has one of the largest half marathons in the country and they did just the opposite. They stopped paying professionals and cut the prize money. Now its only a few local runners and about 30k walkers (still charge $75 though).

Years ago I ran a road race with a friend.

The flyer said "No strollers"

He said "How are they going to tell how hard we are trying?"

True story

toro wrote:

Years ago I ran a road race with a friend.

The flyer said "No strollers"

He said "How are they going to tell how hard we are trying?"

True story

Did he make sure his bib from Red Lobster was on the front?

And so what should we do when we see someone - anyone - walking?

Will there be refs who physically pull someone walking out of the race?

Will you eliminate walking starts only to have people still walking on the course just in running corrals?

Will they be interrogated as to how long they have been walking and whether is it due to cramping or just because they are a walker?

What a moronic thread. You're going to ban Masters Hall of Famers who sometimes walk in races once they turn age 90, and finish to deafening applause? You're going to voluntarily reduce the number of road races dramatically due to bans on the masses of walkers and slow pokes who fund the events?

Why would walkers and slow joggers bother you? Seriously. You may have mental instability or a lack of social development.

One of the dumber threads in letsrun history.

umstead wrote:

What a moronic thread. You're going to ban Masters Hall of Famers who sometimes walk in races once they turn age 90, and finish to deafening applause? You're going to voluntarily reduce the number of road races dramatically due to bans on the masses of walkers and slow pokes who fund the events?

Why would walkers and slow joggers bother you? Seriously. You may have mental instability or a lack of social development.

One of the dumber threads in letsrun history.

The joke is on you Sweet Pea.

trollingallofyou@fakeoutrage.c wrote:

umstead wrote:

What a moronic thread. You're going to ban Masters Hall of Famers who sometimes walk in races once they turn age 90, and finish to deafening applause? You're going to voluntarily reduce the number of road races dramatically due to bans on the masses of walkers and slow pokes who fund the events?

Why would walkers and slow joggers bother you? Seriously. You may have mental instability or a lack of social development.

One of the dumber threads in letsrun history.

The joke is on you Sweet Pea.

THANK YOU! I was OBVIOUSLY trolling, as my fake email address should have tipped you off. Trolling this site is almost too easy.

You will "hate" the folks that show up and walk races.... until you volunteer as an RD.

outraged runner wrote:

This is the #1 thing embarrassing our sport, and us individually. It MUST be stopped. I propose a total boycott of all road races until the walkers are disallowed.

This is really the only solution.

You should run real races instead of charity events where you can finish in the top 3 with 20 minutes+

It's completely unnecessary and arrogant to outright ban walkers. The problem is large groups walking or jogging 3+ abreast to chat and impeding the runners that are actually racing. A better way to deal with the problem would be to clearly state both on the race brochure and just before the start that running side-by-side more than two abreast is strictly forbidden. If practical, there should be aid stations or volunteers set up in tight areas of the course to enforce the rule. Just my two cents.