Help me understand if this is "legal" while racing...

I have bad ankles, so I should get a pass when it comes to corners on courses.

You should either:

Make a citizen's arrest

OR

If you can't beat them, join them

This is in fact course cutting and not permitted. At least, all the certified courses I've seen specify any departures from the street. If it's a certified course, you can look up the certification document and see what it says. I believe in running corners tight, but the course is the course.

Did the guy who cut the course place in his AG? Was the next guy close behind? If not, all you need to do is mention to the RD to say something about staying in the street in next year's pre-race instructions.

It's done in all races in Kenya and Ethiopia - not a big deal - who cares?

I see this too often nowadays.

It’s cheating.

Once I did say something as this jagoff was telling his family that he broke his PR. I simply stopped, butted in, and said ‘no he didn’t, he cut the course at numerous corners’ and left it at that.

You gotta follow the blue line, blue line, blue line, blue line, blue line.

Why would a guy who isn’t elite runner care about other runners cheating? He feels bitter that he might have got 265th place instead of 266th

OP doesn't know if a him or her measured the course so no way of knowing whether course was wheeled over the sidewalk at turns. The runner seen doing this may have even been the course measurer and was simply following the correct course while all you others were running farther.

Im wit ya wrote:

I see this too often nowadays.

It’s cheating.

Once I did say something as this jagoff was telling his family that he broke his PR. I simply stopped, butted in, and said ‘no he didn’t, he cut the course at numerous corners’ and left it at that.

Did you feel better after doing that?

Depends on the corner. If it is a tight corner give the person a brake. If it isn't, ask yourself is saving a meter or two really making a difference to put your panties in a bunch?

Depends on the corner wrote:

If it is a tight corner give the person a brake.

I gave a guy a brake a few years ago when he cut a corner.

I tackled him and punched him in the face.

Depends on the corner wrote:

Depends on the corner. If it is a tight corner give the person a brake. If it isn't, ask yourself is saving a meter or two really making a difference to put your panties in a bunch?

In many situations it should cause the person to lose.

Should just follow the official course.

my 2c wrote:

This is in fact course cutting and not permitted. At least, all the certified courses I've seen specify any departures from the street. If it's a certified course, you can look up the certification document and see what it says. I believe in running corners tight, but the course is the course.

Did the guy who cut the course place in his AG? Was the next guy close behind? If not, all you need to do is mention to the RD to say something about staying in the street in next year's pre-race instructions.

I only mentioned the AG thing because this guy has years of racing experience behind him and should know better.

Ggff wrote:

Why would a guy who isn’t elite runner care about other runners cheating? He feels bitter that he might have got 265th place instead of 266th

Because it IS CHEATING? Bitter? I think not. Believe it or not, but I can still mix it up the younger kids so placing 265/66 is not the norm for me.

Depends on the corner wrote:

Depends on the corner. If it is a tight corner give the person a brake. If it isn't, ask yourself is saving a meter or two really making a difference to put your panties in a bunch?

These are 90 degree corners where there is a distinct advantage. The possible downside is falling to get on the sidewalk.

What was the guy's time? I have seen larger road races where the midpack is forced to spill way past sidewalks all the way up to the houses on the first turn. So if this guy wasn't running a legit time or earning money, it just doesn't matter.

R.I. Red. Was this the Hangover Classic in Bristol?

[quote]Jejeheb wrote:

R.I. Red. Was this the Hangover Classic in Bristol?[/quote

No, not the Hangover. I don't recall any 90 degree turns with sidewalks on that course. But I do have my Coors Light beer can trophy from years ago...