Overly pacemaking has ruined the marathon

This is a comment from an old-timer. Back in the day in my group of running buddies, times in road races were like XC times: meaningless. Most of the races were measured by some guy using his car odometer. It was all about trying to beat your local rivals.

Track was where we chased times. Maybe it was because a 5K on a track was faster than the roads anyway so that made us look better.

Yes they were- I remember some articles in Running Times about it and there was a book- Inside the World of Big Time Road Racing or Marathoning, something like that- great book with details about money, etc

I'm old enough to remember when pace makers were against the rules and if someone was running pace he had to finish the race- making it look like he was giving effort or the record wouldn't be ratified.

There just weren't pace makers. Now their bib says Pace!

I am a running fan and stopped watching most marathons due to pacing. It dilutes the spectacle for me.

Personally I feel marathon is always a race against yourself, if you give absolute 100% then you place the best you can (if placing is what you are looking for). And pace makers make that easier.

These days the so called "racing" just make people not give their 100% for the most part during a race.

I would rather see people go for it and blow up than "racing" others at 80%.

They should replace the male pacers with chicks in bikinis on electric scooters with precision cruise control and digital ad billboards on either side of the rear wheel.

It would be funny to see a pacer drop the field and win the race. Tom Byers did that on the track many years ago.

I thought "faster higher stronger" is why we start sports. Then people became obsessed with the win.

Anyway I compiled a short list of recent races that were destroyed by peacemaking, so nobody waste time watching any of them:

Amsterdam men's race 2022, 7 (or was it 12) guys were bunched together at 35km. Boring.

London women's race 2022, 4 ladies battled for the win. Really Boring.

Tokyo men's race 2022, a guy ran 2:02:40 and had company at 39km. Super Boring.

Valencia men's race 2021, 4 guys together with 15 minutes left in the race. Boring boring.

Valencia men's race 2020, sprint finish. Horrible.

Chicago men's race 2019, 3-way sprint finish. Awful.

Berlin men's race 2019, probably greatest comeback in history. Yawn.

London men's race 2019, a guy ran 2:02:37 and had two guy with him at 39km, combined with the terrible commentation make this the worst race of all to watch.

The only race one should watch is probably men's race in NYC in 2022. Nascimento was way ahead of everyone until he dropped out. Then Chebet was way ahead of everyone else until he won. No idea who the hell was racing whom but there were no pace makers so they must be racing.

I guess it would be boring if Kipchoge is running sub2 with 4 other guys still following him at 40km, just because there were pacers 15km ago.

Still think depth of the field plays a bigger role in making a race boring or exciting.

+1

Not sure why one would be opposed to pacers in the marathon.

With pacers (or Hall): a group runs fast for 25 - 30 km, and then the racing begins.

Without pacers: a groups runs slowly for 25 - 30 km, and then the racing begins.

The pacer scenario has the added excitement that some might fall behind early, and that records may fall.

The pacer-free scenario has the added excitement that someone might go for a break before halftime.

In any case, as pointed out by others here before: we get to watch both kinds on a regular basis. Chicago actually went back and forth on the pacer/no pacer plan.

Having Gidey (or anyone) surrounded by a battalion of pacers seems like ... not a race, just a time trial (at best) and cheating (at worst). As a casual fan ... I don't like it. Pacemaking makes sense to the diehards, the test of us want to see an actual race.

I feel similarly about track races and strongly prefer them without pacers.