They did the same thing with the Staten Island half last weekend. A transparent way to keep you're money and not have to spend anything. Even running has become enshttified now that it's popular.
They did the same thing with the Staten Island half last weekend. A transparent way to keep you're money and not have to spend anything. Even running has become enshttified now that it's popular.
You could apply the fee for the Staten Island half to another NYRR race. Given all the preparation costs expended prior to cancellation and the future credits, NYRR will likely lose money on the cancellation decision.
I am a 'kaapie' (capetownian) and raced competively in my youth, plus organised many club runs. I still these days own and organise medium sized events.
Some facts first. The race organisation is mostly white, the Mayor of Cape Town is white, the RD is white and the Abbott reps involved in decision is european (from some overseas country I presume)
The wind in summer is called "The Cape Doctor", pretty much similar in most Southern Hemisphere mediterranean climates, and October can have huge gusty days. Wind in Cape Town during October-March is not only unsuprising, it is an absolute given. During November/December 23 when I was there the Sou' Easter was strong literally 90% of the time.
The race was not cancelled due to the wind 'at' 6:30am start, but due to the wind gusts overnight that uprooted start line infrastructure, marquees, bunting etc, making it of course unsafe if that were to happen during 24,000 runners starting/finishing. That I agree with because that was now a status that could not be easily fixed.
However, in planning a race, your risk management, logistics etc and in approvals from council for safety standards, all temporary infrastructure has to be built to standards required for the prevailing climate. That means high winds, strong gusts up to 100km/h. This is a major failure by the organisers. 'They' have caused the wind to damage the structures because they were either not signed off by Engineers or signed off in breach of standards.
The 'easiest' way out for the race organisers, with the support of Council and Abbot by the way, was to blame an "Act of God". This not only gains them empathy, but absolves them from refunds required under law. The sponsor, SA insurance giant Sanlam, has stepped in to offer free entries to either of the next events in May 26 and May 2027
In my opinion, not only gross negligence, but dishonest and they should not get the major status ever, but the majors are a money making exercise, and Abbott is intent on adding an Southern African one.
They are. What's tougher, running a marathon or doing all that prep for nothing and not being bothered? The latter of course. So everyone here complaining that society is getting soft or corrupt or dangerous are sissies in their own right. It's like they can't cope with chaos and cancellations. Like they want to quit exposure to it. Real toughness doesn't complain about anything, including people in power doing what they want because they can. Confusing amirite? It's all relative.
If only the organisers were cowards and too scared to cancel. If everyone is.the world was a coward there would not be war. Even if someone accidentally started one no one else would show. That's real peace.
They are. What's tougher, running a marathon or doing all that prep for nothing and not being bothered? The latter of course. So everyone here complaining that society is getting soft or corrupt or dangerous are sissies in their own right. It's like they can't cope with chaos and cancellations. Like they want to quit exposure to it. Real toughness doesn't complain about anything, including people in power doing what they want because they can. Confusing amirite? It's all relative.
This has to be the dumbest response to any post ever on Let'sRun. Someone who spends $5,000 on a trip to South Afrtica and gets upset about cancelling an event that obviously could have been held (the 10K was held), and THEY are the ones who are weak? I don't know what is happening to the world, but it is sad.
This has to be the dumbest response to any post ever on Let'sRun. Someone who spends $5,000 on a trip to South Afrtica and gets upset about cancelling an event that obviously could have been held (the 10K was held), and THEY are the ones who are weak? I don't know what is happening to the world, but it is sad.
Lot's of assumptions in this thread. The 10km was held on Saturday morning, not yesterday.
..and it wasn't canceled because of the wind at time of start, but the 100km/h gusts during the night damaged start line infrastructure plus marquees and bunting, branding etc, that created an unsafe condition at the start line...any of those unsecured structures could have seriously hurt or killed someone.
However, the blame is squarely on organisers that didn't ensure the structures were built to standards that could withstand the known Cape Town wind and gusts, exacerbated by the funnelling effect of the CBD buildings. Years ago I witnessed a double decker bus toppling over as it passed the building I worked at.
The best time to hold a marathon in Cape Town is either April/May or late August/September. The latter including October is out of bounds due to the major calendar, and likewise April. April also has the Two Oceans Marathon, which ain't moving , but rather than the old Easter Saturday (late march to late April) they have locked in first weekend in April instead to also give uniformity in prep for Comrades, and that's not moving either (mid June).
So they are stuck with May, which should have already been the date this year for evaluation purposes
After i've slept on the dissapointment - Thought worth adding a few extra thoughts.
I came across from Europe for the race on a tour package after having done business trips a few times in past. I can give the City itself approval for a Major as a tourist. Was a great couple of days prior to the race and never felt unsafe and things generally went very smoothly and thoroughly enjoyed it. In terms of changing the date to May I guess the weather for the "Tourist" aspect may be worse but that's lower on the end of priorities .
I've run 3 of the majors and have done many races across the world with varying sizes. I think smallest marathon field I've run was 150.
I've done a smallish race (2 000) people which does make it easier literally change the route as the race was on the go because of a fire in the fields along a section of the route. Which meant the race was 400m too long but no one complained as we all thought the race would be cancelled as we could see the fire from the start.
So as a prospective "Major" you are not a little city marathon which can easily cancel a race for which people have spent loads of money from around the world to come your race .. It should be a last last resort . We all suspecting it was a bomb scare as couldn't surely have been the wind ..
Sadly for a small marathon to lightly take the decision to cancel it was poor but can be accepted to a point. For a "World Major" it means the City/Organisers/Police or whoever is involved don't fully comprehend the meaning of what it means for Runners who make the trip across the world and if they don't understand that concept then they don't deserve the status anytime soon.
This obviously doesn't even touch on all the people who have trained specifically for this event for a long time.
All in all I think the City has potential to be a great marathon, but some hard lessons need to be learnt by all in involved first as it shouldn't be a Free Candy award but rather for the Elite of the Elite
If Abbott do approve it next year then is definately just a money grab
But they've already paid for everything. The food and drinks are there. The start finish area. Medals, shirts. Maybe they don't have to pay the race marshals and police.
I think they cancel because that's just how weak society is now. They'd never have cancelled if it was the 90s. I remember the days when Michael Jackson was dangling babies out of 5th floor windows by one leg. That baby is an adult now, perhaps with permanent brain damage, but he will always have that moment.
If only you have posted under a registered name, it would be worth of a free shirt.
Some unofficial reports that the athlete’s village was heavily damaged and the overnight nights were making it extremely difficult to stage parts of the marathon course/finish. Not so much that it’s particularly windy or unrunnable now on race day.
Still, having run Boston in 2018, it’s hard to imagine any WMM (or legitimate wannabe) cancelling the day of for anything short of a life-threatening event or natural disaster.
But they've already paid for everything. The food and drinks are there. The start finish area. Medals, shirts. Maybe they don't have to pay the race marshals and police.
I think they cancel because that's just how weak society is now. They'd never have cancelled if it was the 90s. I remember the days when Michael Jackson was dangling babies out of 5th floor windows by one leg. That baby is an adult now, perhaps with permanent brain damage, but he will always have that moment.
WTF does that have to go with this? This is a money grab, that's all.
But they've already paid for everything. The food and drinks are there. The start finish area. Medals, shirts. Maybe they don't have to pay the race marshals and police.
I think they cancel because that's just how weak society is now. They'd never have cancelled if it was the 90s. I remember the days when Michael Jackson was dangling babies out of 5th floor windows by one leg. That baby is an adult now, perhaps with permanent brain damage, but he will always have that moment.
WTF does that have to go with this? This is a money grab, that's all.
A money grab how? What expenses could they have that they don’t have to pay?
The organization is incompetent certainly, they cut corners in a way that forced the cancellation. But this is not a profitable event for them.
That's where white people have to live in gated communities, windows have iron bars and taxis carrying tourists have to run red lights. I'm not running 26.2 miles in a 3rd world hellscape.
Entry fees add up to nearly $7M, and interest rates in South Africa are just under 9%, so they can probably expect about $600,000 in interest in a year. I imagine the money they have put out already will be largely or entirely offset by the non-returning runners who forfeit their entry fees. (If 15% don't return, that's a million dollars.) Michael Johnson should get into this business.