At each water stop Galen Rupp chucked off his old soaked hat and grabbed a new one from his coach. Rules?

Settle down there boy, settle, the sun will still rise tomorrow morning.

Used to Run wrote:

Senator P Sqautchworth III wrote:

However, if Galen Rupp was the only athlete in this morning's marathon to receive new gear at refreshment stations, then it is a point of contention for any other runner/country.

Totally disagree. The only thing that matters is the rules. If they did not break a rule, then there is no issue. Why on earth should someone be required or expected to disclose strategy? We can reasonably assume every runner had the same opportunity that Rupp did. The fact that those runners did not think of the idea should not be held against Rupp. Strategy is vital to competition.

Especially that Salazar is well known to push for the legal limits!

How do we know that everyone was not notified of it. Didn't anyone think to ask the other competitors? For that matter did anyone think to ask Salazar? For Olympic marathon racing it actually seems very feasible to provide runners new equipment at water stations. In any case, I would just be surprised if there is not more to be learned about this other than flipping through the rule book. Despite the tv commentators saying they had never seen such a thing before I would actually be surprised if there is not some precedence for this in all the long years of marathon racing.

Not notified wrote:

ryan foreman wrote:

Did anyone consider that Salazar probably vetted this equipment exchange with officials well before the race?

They way it works in the real world if something like that is vetted --not obvious in the rules-- a ruling is made and "everyone" is notified about it. That way the option is available to anyone who wants to use it. That doesn't seem to be the case.

Coaches will soon have special coolers at aid stations with cool ice hats and other iced goes in them. How will aid stations manage all of these personal coolers? How does a coach know the right item from it is given at the right time?

The above creates a major logistical problem. I don't see officials allowing anything like that. Too complicated to manage.

It's interesting to hear that such things are permissible at those events. I don't think that Rupp should be DQ'd, but it's worth thinking about where the line should be.

Imagine, for example, that it was a cold day. One runner decides to wear thick gloves from the beginning, while another decides they're too heavy and annoying. Halfway through, the second runner decides that it's colder than he thought and picks them up from a refreshment table (obviously he'd have had to allow for that in advance). You could argue that the first runner was better prepared, but would suffer for that because the second runner was able to get away with a lighter weight for the first part of the race.

What if one day someone invents a pair of disposable shoes, where it's possible to take them off and put on a new pair in a second or two? Rather like a motor racing tyre, you could imagine that the disposable shoe might have some property that's really beneficial but which wears out quickly. Should it be acceptable for someone to pick up new shoes at a refreshment station?

I accept that the hat-swapping was within the rules, but should competitors be allowed to swap any item of clothing at a refreshment station? I think if hats are ok, then all forms of clothing should be too. It's easy to imagine that turning into chaos very quickly, with all the material that could be lying around.

me the thread, you the needle wrote:

The issue we see here. Galen Rupp was given a new hat packed with ice every 15 minutes during the Olympic marathon. The hats, while delivering "refreshment", were "worn" as new gear the athlete didn't start in the line wearing. Rupp threw the hats off and then instantly was given a new one. Rojo called it "ghetto AC" and he's absolutely right. These ice-hats enabled Galen to have a continuous cool head throughout the race. All the talk about him being the best in the heat--well they had new ice hats for him every 15 minutes, so yeah, that makes sense now.

What else is allowable? Cold arm sleeves every 5km? Any gear?

So are you OK with runners drinking water, but if they throw it on themselves that's over the line?

Or if the water is too cold, is that unfair?

Atypical lrc'er wrote:

Typical lrc'er wrote:

Take your Meb slander elsewhere, he can do no wrong. This thread is about trashing galen.

galen did what he was told to do by alberto.

The "whoosh" you hears was my sarcasm flying over your head :)

Also, no need to post twice, I got that you missed the joke the first time.

The glove scenario would only be an issue if the first runner was not permitted to do what the second runner could do. However, if the first runner had the exact same opportunities to do what the second runner did, and just didn't do it, then that's his own fault. Forbidding that would be like forbidding someone from getting a drink at the 15 Km station just because he didn't get a drink at the 5 Km station. After all, he would be "lighter" without the water wouldn't he?

Yes, competitors should be permitted to swap any item of clothing. As a whole, this only encompasses hats and singlets. Swapping shoes would be detrimental given the lost time, and swapping shorts would take even MORE time.

I cannot think of a single feasible reason to prevent runners from being able to swap singlets and hats. "Chaos" is not a reason. There's chaos regardless of whether or not there's runners tossing old clothes.

what a joke wrote:

Regardless of the rules, Rupp showed once again that he is a spoiled brat.

This, this, is let's run in a nut shell, pure jealousy since his days at Central Catholic "spoiled" because Alberto met him and not you this is where all the vitriolic comments stem. Silver and now bronze NOP worked and you can't believe it

Runner man wrote:

what a joke wrote:

Regardless of the rules, Rupp showed once again that he is a spoiled brat.

This, this, is let's run in a nut shell, pure jealousy since his days at Central Catholic "spoiled" because Alberto met him and not you this is where all the vitriolic comments stem. Silver and now bronze NOP worked and you can't believe it

Your post "is let's run in a nut shell", i.e. someone who responds to an obvious anonymous troll with "pure jealousy since his days at Central Catholic "spoiled" because Alberto met him and not you", I mean, FFS, are you serious?

I don't think it should be allowed.

Refreshments are defined as food and drink, nothing else. That's fairly obvious that anything other than water falls WITHIN that area of refreshments.

Are you allowed to wear an active cooling jacket?

Sponges, towels have always been handed out at events. They are not part of your outfit. What you line up in should be it.

I don't think it's within the spirit of the Olympic Games personally.

I was one of the officials working the marathon and race walks in Rio for the IAAF.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a common practice and allowed.

At every major international championships/Olympic Games there is a Technical Information Center (TIC) where coaches/team representatives can submit questions to the organizers. The use of the hat(s) with/without ice was vetted through this process prior to the competition.

I see your point with the water. Where I'd have a problem is if someone developed a technology that gave those who could afford it (perhaps because of the country they come from) get a substantial advantage over those who can't, and maybe the shoes could be something like that. One of the reasons athletics is the most popular sport globally at the Olympics is because so many countries can have decent competitors, and the fact that technology doesn’t make that much difference (apart from PEDs of course) contributes to that. We saw that situation with swimming a few Olympics ago where the high tech swimsuits were (I understand) too expensive for many competitors. Fortunately I don't think shoes would make enough of a difference to have the effect that the swimsuits did, but it's not impossible that technology will get so advanced.

Not that that's anything to do with hats of course, and it's not really about changing mid race. I love the fact that athletics is open to everyone almost regardless of budget though and want to see that continue.

D.Katz wrote:

I was one of the officials working the marathon and race walks in Rio for the IAAF.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a common practice and allowed.

At every major international championships/Olympic Games there is a Technical Information Center (TIC) where coaches/team representatives can submit questions to the organizers. The use of the hat(s) with/without ice was vetted through this process prior to the competition.

As many here have stated, I view this as an oversight that should be addressed. The issue is that an athlete received 5 different hats from his support crew over a 42km course. We view the hat as gear. Is an athlete permitted to change singlets?

Race officials decide on acceptable clothing/assists depending on race duration and weather conditions. A 100km race has an entirely different set of parameters, as does trail running. The water on the track of a 10,000m is required even though it's not taken.

The door is way too wide open. It could have been exploited even more, and as Rojo suggested, it may very well evolve.

D.Katz wrote:

I was one of the officials working the marathon and race walks in Rio for the IAAF.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a common practice and allowed.

At every major international championships/Olympic Games there is a Technical Information Center (TIC) where coaches/team representatives can submit questions to the organizers. The use of the hat(s) with/without ice was vetted through this process prior to the competition.

You're awesome David!

What many don't realize is they can essentially be 'crewed' at road races. As long as the person crewing you does so at an aid station and not elsewhere. Can grab whatever you need from them.

Don't try to steal my name.

Athletes have been using cooling helmets for a while - just look at Gladiator style Ashton Eaton. Are you asking for his DQ?

Should divers be allowed in a hot tub between jumps? Should a runner be allowed to throw water on your head? If a hat is legal everyone can do it. This isn't like trying drugs on your son to see how the effects will last.

I have to say that getting ice packs with the fresh hats seems over the top and should probably be illegal.

Was there any evidence there was ice packs in his hat? Or was he just changing his hat because the one he was wearing was soaked?

Donger wrote:

Free for all then? wrote:

That's correct, sponges have always been sanctioned. To my knowledge swapping running gear is illegal. Athletes cannot received new hats, new gloves, warmer gloves, hand warmers, new dry hats, or any other running gear they didn't line up with.

Why? Bike races get new tires... Runners can't get a hat? Anyone who thinks this matters is an idiot.

we can discuss if hats should be allowed or not.

until the rule is changed and it is made legal, it has to be considered illegal. BAN HAMMER ON ELF BOY.

I read through the messages on this board and have offered factual information when appropriate. This is one of those times.

Many have discussed this issue and everyone is entitled to their opinion but the fact still remains that this was reviewed and approved by the IAAF.