Y'all are the same people that snitched on Peanut.
Hello...NY Police? Yes, I was watching a Time Square live webcam and someone dropped a cigarette on the ground. Not only is it a filthy habit, but littering is illegal. 2nd hand smoke is dangerous, and somebody may slip and fall on that filthy piece of filth. Until you do something, I am going to loiter on lrc and whine and moan.
Was I there or personally impacted? Wrong question Mr LEO. That persons micro aggressions were an all out assault on my psyche and well being, along with the millions of visitors to NYC that dont partake in the puff puff.
Just curious, will his fake apology with fake tears be presented shirtless? Will Matt get pumped and oiled before he fake blubbers through some well rehearsed garbage like, “I was just trying to bring the joy of running to other gym bros and thirsty housewives. Sorry if I offended you, caused you to miss water and a PR, or if my brother’s bike handling skills caused you injury. Please don’t sue me or get me banned from WMM events.”
I'm probably not the target market, but I have no real issue with influencers. Let them shoot their shot - its harmless. Where I do take issue is when they negatively influence others - as Matt Choi clearly did, and as the other influencers with cameras chasing them, or weaving all over the course did. It takes away from the experience and the race, and turns an atmosphere of mutual respect in to an atmosphere about THEM at the cost of others. I'm not training and paying to create an environment for their "content".
Of all the influencers I saw on the course (and there were a lot), Alexi Pappas was the most benign out there. She started with the pros (which is sort of stupid) and was walking the race in a wild costume with a dude in a tuxedo (which is kind of attention seeking), but she was on the side of the course and it had zero negative impact on anyone's experience.
I really don't get the Stans who come out on Reddit, LR or Instagram to defend Alex Chois behavior. What happened in your life to make you go to bat for someone you probably don't even know, whose accomplishments are not that impressive?
She should not have started with the pros if that’s what she was gna do
Let me apologize to anyone who was negatively impacted by my brother on the bike. That was not our goal at all and I know that he tried to stay out of people's way as much as possible. Secondly, just like Austin, it was cleared with NYRR ahead of time for him to be on the course. They may not want to come out and say it with the backlash now, but rest assured it was cleared.
I get that people are intimidated to start, but the thing is, road races are every damn weekend, and I live in an urban area where I see people of all shapes and sizes lacing it up to run. Cross-country notoriously has no cuts, and it's a sport where even the slowest kid on the team included.
I've never met anyone who got into running because of an influencer. Recently a good friend of mine started running on their own volition. Not an athlete at all, but was growing concerned about her health. Laced up a pair of shoes looked up a couch to 5K training plan and that was that on that. She didn't need Matt freaking Choi to motivate her. She didn't need Alexi Pappas to show her running could be joyful. She's an adult with a job and a life and is capable of doing it all on her own. Found an inclusive group too.
I too am going to vomit in my mouth when I see his stupid apology video or worse the "haters and bullies can't stop me" video. Because once again he's going to use the sport and people he exploits and pushes aside as a shield to defend himself. I wish people would just stop following him.
lol you dipsh1ts sure are bunched up over this. You idiots have 0 clue how marketing works. I will just leave it at that.
Great marketing for a sold out marathon major with a wait list to allow non-runners on course that interfere with paying participants' race experience.
Let me apologize to anyone who was negatively impacted by my brother on the bike. That was not our goal at all and I know that he tried to stay out of people's way as much as possible. Secondly, just like Austin, it was cleared with NYRR ahead of time for him to be on the course. They may not want to come out and say it with the backlash now, but rest assured it was cleared.
I commend you for posting here and apologizing, I would have more appreciated if you also said that you'll never do this again. Even the idea that the NYRR approved a CitiBike following a runner on the course is completely bonkers. I am not aware of this ever being done for any other individual runner. I'd be really curious to see why they approved such an arrangement. Care to post their correspondence with them?
Let me apologize to anyone who was negatively impacted by my brother on the bike. That was not our goal at all and I know that he tried to stay out of people's way as much as possible. Secondly, just like Austin, it was cleared with NYRR ahead of time for him to be on the course. They may not want to come out and say it with the backlash now, but rest assured it was cleared.
if you are who you say you are, I'd be very curious to see some receipts. It is insane that so much rope would be given to a participant who is an average level runner, ultimately, when they have the finest athletes in the world at their race.
Yea - I’m kind of skeptical. Did they approve a film crew? - no doubts there. But did they approve the crew pacing you on multiple bikes? - not buying it. your post seems vague by design.
if I’m wrong, then it’s on NYRR and it’s BS. But I kind of doubt they approved the bike shenanigans. And chapter 1 of the influencer playbook to stretch and bend the rules to personal benefit.
Your brother blocked aid stations, shooed runners out of his way and ran up on racers' calves and went in the runners' lane on the Queensborough Bridge... if that's your definition of "Staying out of people's way" (with a cute little "as much as possible" caveat, GTFOH), you're even more delusional than your account lets on. I hope you get the DQ you deserve.
Let me apologize to anyone who was negatively impacted by my brother on the bike. That was not our goal at all and I know that he tried to stay out of people's way as much as possible. Secondly, just like Austin, it was cleared with NYRR ahead of time for him to be on the course. They may not want to come out and say it with the backlash now, but rest assured it was cleared.
"as much as possible." No, as much as possible is him *not being on the course.* Some people near you undoubtedly trained their asses off for months to try to break 3 hours, and you're okay with getting in the way of that just so you can post some video on instagram or something? Grow up and never do this again.
WE NEED A SCOOTER TO FILM THE GUY FILMING. WHAT ABOUT HIS EMOTIONS, THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BEING THE OUT OF SHAPE BROTHER FILMING SOMETHING HE COULD NEVER DREAM OF, HAVING TO LIVE A LIFE ON A SCOOTER WITH A SHIRT ON...
Additional question, if this is actually said Matt Choi jumping in on Lets Run - did he also provide special fluids and fuel that you didn't have to carry? And that only you benefitted from? Also cleared by NYRR?
Can someone do a sanity check for me? I watched the video on his instagram page that was linked to in the Canadian Running Magazine article a few posts up. Am I crazy or does it look like he's jogging and not running anywhere near 6:44 pace in any of the clips? Or is he just so good that 6:44 to him looks like he's jogging. I'm genuinely asking and not accusing him of cheating.
Let me apologize to anyone who was negatively impacted by my brother on the bike. That was not our goal at all and I know that he tried to stay out of people's way as much as possible. Secondly, just like Austin, it was cleared with NYRR ahead of time for him to be on the course. They may not want to come out and say it with the backlash now, but rest assured it was cleared.
No way NYRR would clear this. So this not Matt Choi. Their insurer would never allow this. I was a spectator at the race at 2 different spots. The runners around 3 hours/pace were bunched up in packs like people waiting to get into subway just after rush hour in NYC before Covid. Riding a bike on the course would be very reckless.
Hey one more for tonight! Here's some select comments from your instagram, not just from one friend you pissed off and could have cost a star "your brother on the e-bike clipped my leg and blocked runners from trying to get water station twice." ... "It was extremely dangerous, I was running at the same pace for at least 4 miles, bikes were by me and blocked access to water table. It was also dangerous how they got on the runners lane in the Queensborough bridge." ... "there's video of Matt having bike orders clear other runners out of the way" ... "Made the course incredibly congested when I was with him." ... "He was getting pulled by his brother on a citi bike on queensboro bridge. Had his hand on the seat." ... "they almost hit me and i was just a spectator" ... "I was following the blue line and ended up one the outside and one of the bikes almost hit me. Then the two bikes got in the middle of the group of runners and when they tried to leave from the group they cut a runner off." ... "the runner that got cut off by the bike when they were dead center of the group of runners got pissed off." ...