Ray wrote:
Not going to comment on who is a runner and who is a hobby jogger. It is a matter of personal belief. I'm 62 going on 63. I still run everyday. Try to get to the track at least once a week. Ran a cross race last year and did ok. I ran it. I didn't race it. I am too slow to race anymore. God bless all those people who go out there and take the sport seriously. How fast is that? I don't know.
How many days per week? I don't know.
But, the reality is, those "hobby joggers" are driving the sport. It has become big business to where they have changed the sport. In my opinion, not for the better. They have lost site of the history of the sport. This, to me, is the bigger issue and one which saddens me. Recent announcement that New Haven 20k is planning to switch to a half marathon next year after 40 years as the premier 20k in the country. Why? Because joe jogger has no idea what 20k is. People complaining about the length of Falmouth, Litchfield, the Johnny Kelly race, Manchester....why aren't they 5k's? Half marathons? or marathons? Hell, nobody wants to run a 10k anymore! Never mind an 8k. What happened to cross and road races where you put a line down and said "ok, start here, run around that tree, over to the bar in bumbletown and the first one back wins a beer?"
Excellent post. I suppose they cut down all the trees, eh? I love "odd" distance races. I wouldn't say your too "slow". How do you get on in the the O60s category? A buddy of mine never won a prize until he turned 60. Then every race he turned up to, it was him against 5 or 6 other guys out of a field of 500 or so to win a prize in his age group. I don't know how in works in the US with regards to organising road races etc. but surely if enough people got together to organise e.g a 6k road race in a suburb or country area, $5 -$10 entry, no chip timing, just an old fashioned gantry clock at the finish, then that would sort the wheat from the chaff? The only prize would be bragging rights - no medal, no t shirts and maybe a cup of water at the finish? Just take the organisation out of the hands of big business. Let local runners organise local low key races - for the love of running. Get workplace teams going and start a spring or summer 5k league. Or even get parkrun going over there on a serious basis.