Train stopped me and other BQ seekers for 6+ min at Via Marathon today

Man, so what about someone like me who beat the standard by about 2 minutes in my spring marathon?

They are just going to make a guess as to how long every person was delayed? What if they give people a minute or two more than they deserve, and I miss the cut by, say, five seconds?

Can we just ban the LHV from being a qualifier marathon already? These clowns have screwed up enough already!

Also, I just want to say, my heart goes out to those who were stopped by the train. I would LOSE MY FREAKING MIND if that happened to me, after training for months. You definitely all need to get your money back. What a mess.

You have got to be kidding me!!

People had to stop for 8 minutes--at least--

and their times were affected.

I'm sure we can get video footage to verify that.

That you can even say that times weren't affected is really offensive.

Please rethink your response.

So you are saying a train did not cross the course. I am passing this information along to all of those runners who had to stop and race was ruined because of the train. What world are you living in???

Have you read all the posts.

How can you continue to say this BS!

Happened a couple of years ago at the RnR San Antonio marathon. As I remember it, my time was adjusted about 4 minutes.

I believe this has happened in the past at our local Marathon from Schenectady to Albany. The race has timing mats placed before and after the tracks, and allows a net time. It doesn't keep you from possibly tightening up or something, but at least compensates for the time.

What did I say? That this is rich. She seems to find controversy.

susan Kelley wrote:

You have got to be kidding me!!

People had to stop for 8 minutes--at least--

and their times were affected.

I'm sure we can get video footage to verify that.

That you can even say that times weren't affected is really offensive.

Please rethink your response.

So you are saying a train did not cross the course. I am passing this information along to all of those runners who had to stop and race was ruined because of the train. What world are you living in???

Are you braindead?.....the whole thing was satire.....

you people that can't beat your BQ time by more than 6-8 minutes need to step up your game.

Photo booth operator wrote:

I just saw some runners posting that a freight train ran through the middle of the infamous Lehigh Valley marathon course delaying a lot of them. If this is true does anyone know if time adjustments can be made or ever have been made in the past? Also, does blame fall on the RD for not checking schedules?

Trains don't strictly follow schedules, particularly freight trains. They can be anywhere from very early to sometimes days late depending on circumstances. Essentially, schedules don't mean to much beyond initial departure times, and freight trains don't often adhere to that either.

Leeza Gibbons wrote:

Email from the RD this morning:

After a thorough review of the available evidence in relation to a train's participation in the 2016 Lehigh Valley Health Network Via Marathon, the Marathon committee concluded that while there is data from participants indicating that a train may have impeded them, there is not conclusive evidence that their times in the 2016 LVHN Via Marathon are inaccurate. The LVHN Via Marathon has reviewed more than 2000 race photos from our licensed photo checkpoints and midrace data from 6 on course timing mats all of which show no data from a train's timing chip. Therefore the LVHN Via Marathon Committee concluded that a train did not cross the marathon course unless additional conclusive information arises in the future.

Genius!

Some Facebook comments.

(Barb McKeever is removing them quickly, she gained some experience thanks to Mike Rossi, who was apparently in the train.)

As one of the few spectators (less than 10) that witnessed this, it was a nightmare. Only about a dozen runners made it across before the train came and stopped the initial runners for up to 10 minutes. Train company was notified ahead of time, but obviously it didn't matter. We were in shock and then watching runners attempt to jump on and through the train cars was terrifying. It took me awhile to think of it, but I did post post a live FB video towards the last few minutes of the stoppage. We never go here to spectate but we messed up directions and decided to go here instead. For those of you that remember, it occurred at the start area of the old 22 mile River Relay a little over 7 miles into the race.

Is anyone concerned about the train messing up people's times and possibly ruining a qualifying time for Boston which needs to be submitted this week. Not only did those people lose time, but also momentum. You just can't stop for 10 minutes at mile 13 while you have been going at a 6:30-6:50 pace and expect to regain your momentum. Any thoughts.....

Hey Lehigh Valley Health Network Via Marathon... You going to offer time adjustments to everyone affected by that train? The GPS doesn't lie:

. I waited 8 minutes for it to go by. Some people had it worse and missed out on a Boston Athletic Association Boston Marathon qualifying time either due to time or dropping out because they knew they couldn't make it. Something needs to be done and quickly. Special thanks to Strava Run for making forensics like this possible!

Hi. I had several teammates run today in an attempt to Boston Qualify. At mile 7.3 a train ran through the course effectively stopping them for just over 4 minutes. In looking at some splits via Strava some of them would have hit the qualifying standard with time to spare had this not occurred. Are you planning on adjusting times to compensate for this?

I was one of the first people stopped by the train and it took at least 8 minutes to go through. Runners were JUMPING onto the train to try and stay on pace. One almost fell under the wheels. Via needs to step up and correct these times to give runners the time (and potential BQ) they deserve. Whatever that means, I'll gladly send in my GPS data that shows me (and at least 50 others) standing around.

Unfortunately I dropped out at the 1/2 bc I knew it would be next to impossible to make up almost 6 minutes (given the temps) lost at the train stop. Had I know that Boston would accept the time if adjusted I would have continued! Incredibly frustrating!!!!

WE LOVE YOU BARB MCKEEVER

susan Kelley wrote:

You have got to be kidding me!!

People had to stop for 8 minutes--at least--

and their times were affected.

I'm sure we can get video footage to verify that.

That you can even say that times weren't affected is really offensive.

Please rethink your response.

So you are saying a train did not cross the course. I am passing this information along to all of those runners who had to stop and race was ruined because of the train. What world are you living in???

Hey, I'm just passing along an email from the RD. They have a very strict level of evidence required to change anyone's posted finish time and this train story could have been made up by a group of runners who just missed their BQs. Barb McCeever is nobody's fool.

This is crap wrote:

Also, I just want to say, my heart goes out to those who were stopped by the train. I would LOSE MY FREAKING MIND if that happened to me, after training for months. You definitely all need to get your money back. What a mess.

Hate to say it, but maybe it's karma for choosing to support and race in a Barb McKeever event.

Agreed that any affected runners should receive a refund.

I was on pace for a new American record in the marathon when I was stopped by the train. You do not want to be on the wrong side of the train.

the boycott lives on here! wrote:

This is crap wrote:

Also, I just want to say, my heart goes out to those who were stopped by the train. I would LOSE MY FREAKING MIND if that happened to me, after training for months. You definitely all need to get your money back. What a mess.

Hate to say it, but maybe it's karma for choosing to support and race in a Barb McKeever event.

Agreed that any affected runners should receive a refund.

There will not be a refund. LVM is very upfront that their main goal in holding the marathon is to raise money for the hospital. Why do you think they charge $170 to run on a sidewalk and unpaved trail for much of the race? They bill it as a fast BQ-friendly course just to lure more people since it is held the last weekend possible to qualify. And the suckers keep coming back!

The train thing is going to be ignored for a while, eventually a non-apology apology will go out and they will announce no refunds due to logistics of this and that while at the same time tooting their horn a bit more about the money they raise for charity hoping to shame anyone that still wants a refund.

Nothing will be said about it at all until after Boston registration is already done so people won't care as much about getting their times changed.

This isn't karma for their handling of Rossi because karma doesn't exist, it is simply yet another fvck up by an RD who puts the runners secondary to raising money.

Why give karma the cred when simple McKeever incompetence explains all.

Solution. Don't run marathons that get stopped by trains.

Solution is to cross the starting line, get off course and drive your car to the finish line, then jog the last half mile or so for a big PR and BQ.

Mike Rossi thought of this several years ago and he's got a double digit IQ so I'm sorry for what that implies about you, OP.

At the 60 seconds point you pull out, get your money back and register for another Boston Q race.