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

Even by Let's Run standards, the hard asses trolling this post is laughable.

We should have expected the train coming through? Jump the train? (which morons understandably did) Train harder? Yes, it was our fault for not doing the event planner's job. In addition to training, traveling, and paying all the expenses, we should also coordinate the logistics on race day.

As far as Mike Rossi is concerned, the guy should have been disqualified, end of story. "Barb" is an abomination and she should be forced to resign immediately for her incompetence.

And I did BQ despite the delay, but I will take the extra minutes when the results are adjusted accordingly.

Don't ever trust what the railroad says. All of the trains are "controlled by a computer in Omaha".

Nah dude wrote:

Nah dude as far as the rules go it doesnt matter if you got stopped by a train or if you rubbed one out in the porta potty for 6 mins

Best of luck on getting the qual time next time out

I took a 5 minute handicap on a course once while _waiting_ to drop a deuce. Small-time marathon, maybe 150 people, and the course advertised port-a-potties every 2.5 miles... Well, I had to go after a mile, and 2.5 came and went... no john. Then I get to 5, in about 10th place, and the guy 10 yards in front of me runs right into the potty. Knowing that this was going to double as the 7.5 mile potty for an out-n-back leg, I knew I had to wait. How long could he be, anyway? Unfortunately, it was a desert course out on a reservation with no cover so I wasn't about to drop drawers on the course. 20 seconds go by, 30 seconds go by, 40 seconds, a minute, two, three freaking minutes that deuche was in there taking his time and I'm out there waiting. I was in and out in 15 seconds when it was my turn but it hurt. I was only in the race last second because I missed a BQ by 3 minutes a couple weeks earlier. I ended up catching up to my target time by mile 18 but by mile 22 the miles started getting slower and I missed the thing by 5 minutes.

it's kinda like this wrote:

I Rupp'ed up in the butt wrote:

Mike Rossi blew his load on her last year

If you've never wandered into the Rossi thread, the posts by the Rossi obsessives in these train threads will confirm you made the right decision.

The only thing interesting about the Rossi thread is the degree of hatred that guy inspired (still inspires). There are plenty of cheating threads, but no one else has come close to being as hated as that guy.

The 1907 Boston Marathon was interrupted by a train in Framingham. A handful of the leaders sprinted and got by, and the rest of the field, then roughly 120 guys(no chicks) or so had a lengthy wait and never saw the leaders again.

Mention that when you turn in your exemption request.

Here's the actual response from the race:

Bethlehem, PA – Despite absolute assurances from Norfolk Southern Railroad that trains would be suspended from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the morning of September 11, 2016, a train was dispatched just before 8 a.m., holding up runners in the seventh mile of the race.

Via Vice-President Gerry Yasso held a meeting on June 22 and exchanged multiple emails with Norfolk Southern officials, where race logistics, runner safety and public safety on the course were discussed in great detail.

“This is the tenth anniversary of this race, and all 10 races have crossed the Norfolk Southern rail tracks on Albert Street to enter Canal Park in Allentown,” said Yasso, Vice President of Development for Via. “Each and every year, we have contacted Norfolk Southern to assure runner safety, spectator safety and public safety at this intersection, and all other intersections that we cross. The incident is especially regrettable and was quite unexpected.”

Runners affected by this incident should contact [redacted] with pertinent data and details on how the train effected their time. Times will be addressed on a runner-by-runner basis.

Race category award winners will be notified by the end of next week. Awards will be distributed by mail or available for pick-up at Via’s offices.

d2xccoach wrote:

Midland run wrote:

As a race director, you work with everyone in the community. That includes the trains that you KNOW will be running.

Shame on her.

We also produce a half marathon that USED TO finish about 100 yards past a railroad crossing. Despite the local RR company saying "no problem we'll stay off that crossing during your timeline", they started sending trains through during the race. We had lots of runners held up just before the finish for a couple minutes. The next year we moved the finish about 1/4 mile west to avoid that crossing.

Doesn't surprise me that you had a finish line 100 yards past a RR crossing since you were the RD who decided NOT to DQ Kip Litton despite a mountain of evidence demonstrating that he cheated. No better than Via RD not DQing Rossi.

I think barb should convene an independent committee of railroad engineers and officials to review all of the available information. She should also issue a decision as soon as possible, preferably the Friday before Labor Day.

I won my age group and I damn well better not be passed up by somebody "supposedly" got behind the train. Not my fault I didn't get stopped by it.

These people expect to get their time back. Hell, I could have gone faster too if I took an 8 minute break.

There's going to be a $shit-storm if I don't get 1st.

Figures wrote:

d2xccoach wrote:

We also produce a half marathon that USED TO finish about 100 yards past a railroad crossing. Despite the local RR company saying "no problem we'll stay off that crossing during your timeline", they started sending trains through during the race. We had lots of runners held up just before the finish for a couple minutes. The next year we moved the finish about 1/4 mile west to avoid that crossing.

Doesn't surprise me that you had a finish line 100 yards past a RR crossing since you were the RD who decided NOT to DQ Kip Litton despite a mountain of evidence demonstrating that he cheated. No better than Via RD not DQing Rossi.

long-time registered user d2xccoach is Barb? Who knew?

d2xccoach wrote:

...When you design a course that crosses RR tracks, you know that there is always a possibility that a train will interrupt the race. When you sign up for a race on a course that crosses RR tracks, you also acknowledge that it's possible you might get held up...

.

Large RR companies, like NS, who I think owns the tracks and property, will do as they please or have other track users do as they please. BUT...I think Via had some responsibility to clearly mention this possibility rather than advertise it as one of the best BQ races.

I wouldn't be surprised if the email correspondence was fabricated, but their proposed solution, to adjust times on an individual basis, seems fair. I would hope that the race will also consider the petitions of those runners without gps watches, given photo evidence or spectator confirmation.

hey you! wrote:

somebloke wrote:

I decided to let it go, yes. Hard to accept I got royally screwed over for no reason, but my time is not worth it.

Best get a contract next time.

I thought you said you had the time and money to put this guy down. No?

I did, and still do. Still decided to let it go after the initial anger was gone.

It appears LVM might be doing the right thing. Curious to see the outcome.

Keyboard Cowboys wrote:

Even by Let's Run standards, the hard asses trolling this post is laughable.

We should have expected the train coming through? Jump the train? (which morons understandably did) Train harder? Yes, it was our fault for not doing the event planner's job. In addition to training, traveling, and paying all the expenses, we should also coordinate the logistics on race day.

As far as Mike Rossi is concerned, the guy should have been disqualified, end of story. "Barb" is an abomination and she should be forced to resign immediately for her incompetence.

And I did BQ despite the delay, but I will take the extra minutes when the results are adjusted accordingly.

I always check the train schedule when I'm about to race a marathon I paid $100 for. I figure the tens of thousands of dollars in revenues go towards the bagels and bananas at the end and the free nut butter samples at the Expo.

somebloke wrote:

It appears LVM might be doing the right thing. Curious to see the outcome.

Right thing? What about the people not affected by the train? They didn't get a 10 minute rest break?

They should NOT give anyone any time back. They will be de facto penalizing those not affected by the train.

When things go bad, throw Yasso under the bus. Or train.

Hal 9000 wrote:

Don't ever trust what the railroad says. All of the trains are "controlled by a computer in Omaha".

Thanks Obama and Thanks Omaha.

I missed BQing by 37 minutes at this race thanks to this train. I am putting in for an exemption.

Right Thang? wrote:

somebloke wrote:

It appears LVM might be doing the right thing. Curious to see the outcome.

Right thing? What about the people not affected by the train? They didn't get a 10 minute rest break?

They should NOT give anyone any time back. They will be de facto penalizing those not affected by the train.

Who does this really affect? Did the train come early enough in the race to impact the leaders or even top age group finishers? Does anyone have info regarding the actual timing?

If it only impacts people who were running 4+h or something, then who cares. Let them have their 10m back.