Why Do Distance Runners Hate Triathletes?

bulldog35 wrote:

It just hard for me to imagine doing the running part of a local triathalon in a speedo and a wife beater cut off, that's all!

I know, imagine trying to show your face around town after doing THAT ! I don't know where these tri-sexuals live, but I would get my ass beaten in any bar in my town if I showed up for a beer after running through town in my bananna-hammock and man-siere (or "bro", if you will). Really, I am not kidding. And I don't live in the inner city or anything, but I just live somewhere where normal guys don't put up with that crap.

Hey, maybe they all live in gated communities near San Fran, or near Provincetown, MA or places like those, and they don't "go for a beer at the local tavern" ever, but instead all go for cocktails at disco clubs or something. Or maybe they are so busy training for 3 sports, and working 2 jobs to pay for their gear that they never have the time or energy to go out except to train/race. Those are two possible explanations on why they don't get their asses kicked more often for their attire/activity.

This is exactly what I mean. Calling triathletes fags, queers and things is exactly what non-running people call runners. Why do the do that? Because they can't run around the block even if Pabst Blue Ribbon and Marlboros were being given away.

You attack triathletes because you're jealous. So what that they wear speedos? It's during the race where everyone else wears them. It's no different than runners wearing short running shorts and going shirtless at a race. Go in a blue collar bar looking like that and see the reaction you get.

Triathletes rock!

I guess its the yuppie factor; everybody hates a yuppie and triathletes are by and large yuppie slime.

I'm not sure if I hate tri-athletes, race walkers or ultra-runners the most. Basically they are all failed runners.

why don't you do a tri in your running shorts then you don't have to show your little johnsons

My guess is you wouldn't fare much better if you showed up at the pub if the "normal guys" knew about our short running shorts, either. Besides, most don't train in that stuff every day anyways. Top level triathletes are top level athletes, same as every other sport. There are posers in triathlon just like any other sport, too, just the gear costs more. Most of the top men and women could contend pretty damned well in any of the three disciplines alone and the fact that they can do it in all three in the same day doesn't make it any less impressive in my mind. I can't really see why they should be so misunderstood by the running community. Hell, ironman triathletes put in more mileage that half this board probably does and then they have to train for two other sports on top of that. Think what you want, but you guys bashing are the very reason runners get bashed by the rest of the general construction-site population...you just don't understand and its easier to poke fun than sack up and respect it for how hard it really is.

On a serious note...

I do not think that anyone dislikes good triathletes...

I am sure that a guy who can finish an ironman with a sub 2:45 marathon is tough, regardless of what he wears.

I think it is that the majority of triathletes are 5 hour marathoners or 40 minute 10k guys who oil themselves up and shave themselves down while slapping sugoi and trek stickers all over their cars. They also seem to talk more shite than runners, even though they suck. To triathletes who are decent athletes, I have no beef with you.

Got nothing against the top guys, its the 40 year old BMW driving realtor/investment banker/dentist with 15lbs of lard around his waist who buys a $4000 carbon Cervelo to shave 15 seconds off his bike split.

Those guys annoy me.

Stater of the Obvious wrote:

Got nothing against the top guys, its the 40 year old BMW driving realtor/investment banker/dentist with 15lbs of lard around his waist who buys a $4000 carbon Cervelo to shave 15 seconds off his bike split.

Those guys annoy me.

Those guys annoy everybody. Cycling has those guys, too, and undoubtedly we'll see 'em sporting the new Adidas-1 with the smart chip out on the roads this summer, too. It's not triathlon's fault...

it goes to another post today regarding the state of runners in the US versus those of the past.

i look at it via hindsight (in other words, i am old)

in the 70's running was a very counter culture act. none of us had parents that ran, and if we did then we certainly would never have taken up the sport. we were very much non-conformists. we drank, partied, puked, trained, reveled in living from paycheck to paycheck. and like quentin cassidy we had a very singular focus to our existence and that meant training and living to get faster.

we embraced the old henry miller quote ' the aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware'

todays runners are a very different species. running is conformist, old guys/gals run, health concerns outweigh stopwatch times. the majority who post here dont like their own lives so they HAVE to get involved with everyone elses (marion jones, lance, lagat, eddy, etc..). their own lives are so milquetoast that they need some type of outlet and they choose to be 'evangelical' in nature, thinking they know something others dont, thinking they are 'morally' better somehow.

it is very interesting to sit back and watch this board, and see how this slice of americana works.

as for triathletes, no different from runners, the old timers rocked hard, todays are just like i described above.

Im not trying to bring you down dude, because you seem like an alright person......but you kind of ate your own words when you posted what you wrote.

I'm not so sure that runners hate triathletes. Frankly, I hardly ever think about triathletes, until you bring them up. Many runners ARE triathletes, and there was at least one from Canada who made the 2000 Olympics in the 10,000 and the triathlon. Me, I was never interested in a sport that required learning how to use the gears of a bicycle properly. Too much technology for me.

I hate them because they're obsessive compulsive geeks with huge egos and 99% of them aren't good at one sport, let alone three.

Stater of the Obvious wrote:

Got nothing against the top guys, its the 40 year old BMW driving realtor/investment banker/dentist with 15lbs of lard around his waist who buys a $4000 carbon Cervelo to shave 15 seconds off his bike split.

Those guys annoy me.

I don't even own a BMW!

Shit, there are people of all sports that are annoying (listed below):

Once a year golfers that decide to play the week after the Masters

Old White Men that play basketball at the local YMCA in a College Jersey, eye goggles, knee pads, etc.

Runners who didnt run all their life, then decide to follow a magazine's plan on a marathon... end up running 20 miles a week, run the marathon, then call themselves a "marathoner". Even though it took them damn near 5 hours.

Also, what about the 5kers who wear a fanny pack with goo and water?????

We have enough problems of our own to worry about what Tri's wear. Damn

Thanks! It is so sad, but so so true.

Triathletes are all up their own asses, even more so than runners, and I know a few of them personally.

Actually, what we love/hate about tri-boyz is that they are so sensitive about their sport, and flip out when people rag on it. AND THAT IS WHY WE PUSH THEIR BUTTONS!!!!!

(and to some of the posters that responded to me, I don't wear short-short running shorts. No, and I don't wear super long baggy hoop shorts either (just as stupid). I wear medium length soccer shorts, or, believe it or not, there ARE running shorts that are not super-short. So sure, maybe some 14 year old homeboys think I my shorts are still a little short, and maybe some runners think my shorts a little long and too much like hoop shorts, but I think they are just fine....right in in the middle{yeah, call me goldlilocks}. I don't have a need to follow any extreme fashion/equipment trend in either direction. My shorts are completely functional (don't restrict my legs when running, and are very light), but don't make me look like a fashion-slave to either extreme culture (runners on one side, hoopsters on the other). Imagine that.....NORMAL MEDIUM LENGTH SHORTS, THAT DON'T OUTLINE MY PACKAGE/GIVE ME A WEDGIE OR FALL OF MY ASS IN THE BACK. Yeah, freakie man. And I wear no shirt, a t-shirt, or a NORMAL tank-top when I race. Again, imagine that, no man-siere for me! And the funny thing about it is: while you are defending the outfits of tri-guys, and saying that runners look funny too, you would QUICKLY laugh at some guy in some outfit that you find unusual, wouldn't you? If some guy ran buy in pink tights with a sports bra on you, you'd laugh your ass off. Or if some kid ran a 10k in long baggy hoops shorts down to his ankles, again, you'd laugh at him. But trust me, you tri-boys look just as silly as those examples, and a LOT SILLIER than a typical runner even in short running shorts, and 1000 x sillier than me in a NORMAL FITNESS gear, to neither extreme.)

Look at Bekele, Geb, Radcliff, Lance, Phelps, -

truly exceptional athletes. The look at someone like Tim deBoom who is a good athlete, but not "one in a million." What annoys me is the TV coverage that makes all athletes equal. I have the same gripe with golfers, NASCAR, jockies, bowlers, etc.