Do you think Gary Robinson will be permanently affected by the loss at Barkleys?

'I've covered a lot of races ... and this is one of the saddest moments I've ever witnessed in sports'

You mean Gary Robbins?

No chance - that 6 seconds was a way better story for him than coming in 2nd. He completed all 5 loops, so he knows he can do it, and that drama was marketing gold. Coming in 2nd would be relatively meaningless, this is a story he can sell. Who wants to watch the documentary about him coming in 2nd? Nobody. But now tons of people are already asking about seeing the documentary. That 6 seconds was the best thing that could ever happened to him. Was actually probably better than winning. Much more intersting story. For example, some guy named Nick won in 2013. Nick who? Exactly. A hell of a lot more people are talking about Gary's 6 seconds.

While I agree that missing by six seconds is a great story to sell, Nick Hollon did get some solid national press that continued after his finish.

http://www.espn.com/sports/endurance/story/_/id/13295306/endurance-sports-nickademus-hollon-building-impressive-endurance-portfolio

I think he is bummed, sure the masses think he missed it by a hair but in reality he was a pony tail away from finishing.

copy paste

A message from the RD of The Barkley Marathons #bm100:

i wish i had never said 6 seconds...

gary had just come in after having run off course

and missing the last 2 miles of the barkley.

that is, of course, not a finish.

i do, however, always record when runners come in,

whether they are finishing a loop, or not.

so, i had looked at the watch,

even tho there was no possibility that he would be counted as a finisher.

so, when someone asked if he had gotten in before the limit;

i foolishly answered.

i never expected the story to somehow become that he had missed the time limit by 6 seconds.

he failed to complete the course by 2 miles.

the time, in that situation, is meaningless.

i hate it, because this tale perpetuates the myth that the barkley does not have a course.

the barkley is a footrace.

it is not an orienteering contest,

nor a scavenger hunt.

the books are nothing more than unmanned checkpoints.

the boston marathon has checkpoints.

and you have to show up at all of them or you can be disqualified...

that does not mean you are allowed to follow any route you choose between checkpoints.

now, the class with which gary handled this terrible disappoinment

at the end of a truly magnificent performance...

that was exceptional,

and is, in and of itself, a remarkable achievement.

but he did not miss the time limit by 6 seconds.

he failed to complete the barkley by 2 miles.

laz

dot dot wrote:

i hate it, because this tale perpetuates the myth that the barkley does not have a course.

the barkley is a footrace.

it is not an orienteering contest,

nor a scavenger hunt.

the books are nothing more than unmanned checkpoints.

the boston marathon has checkpoints.

and you have to show up at all of them or you can be disqualified...

that does not mean you are allowed to follow any route you choose between checkpoints.

.....

he failed to complete the barkley by 2 miles.

laz

What a load of bull shit. I watched the documentary and I've read a lot of race reports, and unless two runners are together nobody is following the exact same route. Read this years winners race report from last year - he took a different line etc etc. If it's not an orienteering contest why do you ban gps watches and why do so many people get lost?

It's not a footrace, Laz. If it were you'd mark the route that everyone had to run. You've put together an entertaining endurance event, but it's an oddity and not to be taken anymore seriously than an overweight chain smoker who lights a cigarette to start an event he could never personally hope to complete. Enjoy your carnival for what it is. The media attention has gone to your head.

Laz is a fool wrote:

What a load of bull shit. I watched the documentary and I've read a lot of race reports, and unless two runners are together nobody is following the exact same route. Read this years winners race report from last year - he took a different line etc etc. If it's not an orienteering contest why do you ban gps watches and why do so many people get lost?

It's not a footrace, Laz. If it were you'd mark the route that everyone had to run. You've put together an entertaining endurance event, but it's an oddity and not to be taken anymore seriously than an overweight chain smoker who lights a cigarette to start an event he could never personally hope to complete. Enjoy your carnival for what it is. The media attention has gone to your head.

I think Laz has is authority here and you aren't. When Laz says he didn't finish the loop, then he didn't finish the loop. Gary Robbins finished four loops of the Barkley and started a fifth.

Who?!

notting here wrote:

I think Laz has is authority here and you aren't. When Laz says he didn't finish the loop, then he didn't finish the loop. Gary Robbins finished four loops of the Barkley and started a fifth.

Who's Laz? What is he an authority on?

Trasie Phan

5 hrs ·

A message from the RD of The Barkley Marathons #bm100:

i wish i had never said 6 seconds...

gary had just come in after having run off course

and missing the last 2 miles of the barkley.

that is, of course, not a finish.

i do, however, always record when runners come in,

whether they are finishing a loop, or not.

so, i had looked at the watch,

even tho there was no possibility that he would be counted as a finisher.

so, when someone asked if he had gotten in before the limit;

i foolishly answered.

i never expected the story to somehow become that he had missed the time limit by 6 seconds.

he failed to complete the course by 2 miles.

the time, in that situation, is meaningless.

i hate it, because this tale perpetuates the myth that the barkley does not have a course.

the barkley is a footrace.

it is not an orienteering contest,

nor a scavenger hunt.

the books are nothing more than unmanned checkpoints.

the boston marathon has checkpoints.

and you have to show up at all of them or you can be disqualified...

that does not mean you are allowed to follow any route you choose between checkpoints.

now, the class with which gary handled this terrible disappoinment

at the end of a truly magnificent performance...

that was exceptional,

and is, in and of itself, a remarkable achievement.

but he did not miss the time limit by 6 seconds.

he failed to complete the barkley by 2 miles.

laz

I don't think he cares ultimately if it affects him mentally.

We'll find out next year when he shows up or does not show up.

If you ask the question and think people care then you don't know ultrarunning.

Or outdoor adventure sports.

The Mountains don't care.

We don't care.

People don't care.

What's next on the calendar?

And Laz and everyone like him Me; are laughing at you and your response right now. This is a parody of the sport.

hehe

But there is a serious to it as well.

One past elite runner wrote that on loop 5 he was sitting in a pool of mud delusional. Running mud through his fingers.

hehe, that's funny

But one runner on the other hand solved the puzzle and has finished 3 times.

I fuel my long runs by going from Dunkin' Donuts to Dunkin' Donuts. It's a great way to keep me moving through the landscape when the things get tough.

Late during one 35 miler I stopped at my favorite DD to find they had just sold the last jelly-filled doughnut like 2 minutes before. I was crushed, and not sure I could go on. It was really soul sapping.

But then I bought 6 vanilla creams and life was good again. I think I gained 2 pounds during that run. LoL!

It is absolutely an orienteering race. I've done fat laz's race and there is no other way to describe it.

I wish it were an orienteering race then elite orienteer-ers would come run it and win.

Laz is a fool wrote:

What a load of bull shit. I watched the documentary and I've read a lot of race reports, and unless two runners are together nobody is following the exact same route. Read this years winners race report from last year - he took a different line etc etc. If it's not an orienteering contest why do you ban gps watches and why do so many people get lost?

Entitled much?

I'm confused and not knowledgeable about this race at all. If the requirement is to present a page from the book to prove you've made it to the checkpoints, and he did that, then how does Laz know he missed the last two miles of the loop? Laz says the books are unmanned checkpoints and that, like a running race such as the Boston Marathon, if you miss a checkpoint you're DQ'd.But he didn't miss a checkpoint. What's with this missed the last two miles stuff?

Barkley participant wrote:

It is absolutely an orienteering race. I've done fat laz's race and there is no other way to describe it.

Ultra people are the worst

Trump_better_listen wrote:

I wish it were an orienteering race then elite orienteer-ers would come run it and win.

Agreed. That's probably why the RD doesn't label it as orienteering, it would attract actual athletes.

Er... wrote:

I'm confused and not knowledgeable about this race at all. If the requirement is to present a page from the book to prove you've made it to the checkpoints, and he did that, then how does Laz know he missed the last two miles of the loop? Laz says the books are unmanned checkpoints and that, like a running race such as the Boston Marathon, if you miss a checkpoint you're DQ'd.

But he didn't miss a checkpoint. What's with this missed the last two miles stuff?

Barkley participant wrote:

It is absolutely an orienteering race. I've done fat laz's race and there is no other way to describe it.

You obviously don't know this laz guy. His race. His rules. He has po'd a lot of people through the years.