Coolest or weakest thing ever? Quarantine Backyard Ultra ends with controversial DQ after 250+ miles

rojo · 2020-04-07T00:15:57-04:00

So the Quarantine Backyard Ultra turned into a mano v mano slugfest between Radek Brunner of the Czech Republic and Mike Wardian of the USA. They got to lap 63 (that means 63 hours of running 4.167 miles every hour - 262.521 miles). Now one of the rules is you have to start on the hour every hour. The rationale for that is simple - they don't want people banking sleep. The whole point of the Backyard ultra is to equalize faster and slower runners. They don't want someone running 4.167 miles in 30 minutes and then sleep for an hour and run 4.167 miles in another 30 minutes. Anyway, at the start of the 63rd lap, Brunner got on his treadmill and was fiddling with his ipad. He didn't start running until 1 minute and 45 seconds had passed and the race organizers DQd him instantly. I couldn't believe it. Couldn't one argue that he walked one inch? But Laz - who is the organizer of the most famous backyard ultra in the world and invented the genre- was on the stream and immediately called for a DQ around the one minute mark. The race commentator did try to warn Rodek after 40 seconds but it was clear he couldn't hear anything. After the lap was over, and by the way Wardian crushed it in 31 minutes and change - his fastest of the whole thing, Wardian got on the live stream and was confused to see his competitor still running (Wardian's family told him if he finished the loop he was he was the winner). It bothered me that the race commentators didn't tell Wardian 100% what fully had happened. They told him his competitor didn't start the loop on time but they didnt' tell him that he was protesting the decision (Brunner doesn't speak English very well but I believe a translator called him in the middle of his loop and he could be seen wildly protesting). Wardian repeatedly asked why Brunner was still running. So what does everyone think? It really cool that rules are enforced no matter the consequences ? Or was this a grave injustice? For me, this seems weak. The intent of the rule seems to be forgotten. This reminds me of DQing someone in the middle of a steeplechase for stepping on the line on lap 3 of a 7.5 lap race as was the case with Kemboi in 2016.. It's not like Brunner was sleeping at the start. He was there working on his ipad. If he had taken one step, which he clearly would have done if he had been in a normal Backyard Ultra, it would have been fine. But since he was quarantined at home and on a treadmill, he's out. Plus it appears that there was a technical snafu involved. After the event was over Brunner wrote on the race's facebook page, ""My tablet was delayed and I wait for the start. Btw. If I looked for strava.com for confirmation Mike’s run. He not start evevy loop directly in start hour. It is ok???" So you've got a technological glitch, the computer on mute and a language barrier. To me, he should have been given a pass. I'll tell you what though. It did make for great tv as one of the race commentators broke down in tears in announcing the DQ. https://twitter.com/letsrundotcom/status/1247393665900785664 The race feed then conveniently went out before the Brunner was allowed to try to explain himself on camera. If he had, it would have been interesting to see what happened as Wardian said repeatedly he was willing to run more. [i] PS. If you haven't seen what happened go to the 4:54:00 mark here. You'll see Brunner get on the treadmill, drink a little start to fiddle with something and then get DQd. You can keep watching to see the rest unfold as well. Nothing really happens after they DQ him to when Wardian finishes 31 minutes into the hour. https://www.facebook.com/personalpeakendurance/videos/204153144371066/?t=12[/i]

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6 years ago 04/09/2020 10:33am EDT

re: rojo

Here is Facebook's translation (from Czech) of Radek's post about the race just now. I tried to post the text, but I get a message that it contains inappropriate language?! Not that I can see.

https://www.facebook.com/runner.cz/posts/3545890932093606

This is how you respond. You guys might not understand, but this is how any ultrarunner of his caliber would respond. Not with anger and vindictiveness, but with gratitude and understanding.

Also note that he does accept responsibility — his Zoom session, where the bell was rung, was muted. He did not realize that the feed he was following on his tablet was laggy.

6 years ago 04/09/2020 10:35am EDT

re: Bob Hearn

Dammit. The forum software helpfully expanded the link, showing only the Czech. Clicking on it does nothing.

If you want to read it, go to Radek Brunner's Facebook page. It's a public post.

6 years ago 04/09/2020 10:45am EDT

re: Bob Hearn

Both runners, I hope & believe, will benefit from the publicity. NY Daily News yesterday had it, “Even The Last Sporting Event In The World Is Ruined By Terrible Officiating,” and I doubt they would normally cover our sport (especially with such sympathy for the athletes).

6 years ago 04/09/2020 10:51am EDT

re: jesseriley

At least with a prize of toilet paper, the event didn’t become too commercialized.

Same joke I make about the races I used to organize.

6 years ago 04/10/2020 12:00am EDT

re: Bob Hearn

Hi to all,

First of all, I want to say: thank you for this wonderful event. I want to thank all the people around the world who have taken the time to watch and push us to get the best we can. And I thank all my opponents who have achieved perfect results. And also :: big thanks to Mike Wardian. Because he was pushing me to get this incredible result.

We cannot regain time and change the decision. However, the race was not completed while only one man remained ? We were both ready for the next rounds and maybe we were ready to beat the record 68 rounds. Maybe next time.

My mistake was that the sound on the zoom laptop was muted and the tablet was delayed in streaming. And I confirmed it with a boy who called me via FaceTime from HQ Personal Peaks. Then he told me - OK, go back to the treadmill and finish this lap. And after we join the zoom and will talk. So I finished the round and RD told me: sorry, DSQ.

I'm sad, but I'm not mad at Personal Peak. It was my fault what happened and they only acted according to the rules. Although very strictly but according to the rules. And I as a racer must respect them. The race is over and we can only guess how it would end if it didn't. Maybe it's time to try again next time. We all learn from the mistakes we made, and maybe we can do something no one else in the world has ever done.

Greetings from Czech Republic.

Radek

—sorry, my english is not perfect but I learn it?—

6 years ago 04/10/2020 12:08am EDT

re: my attempt with the quote

Radek for Runner Of The Year. A beautiful man and great competitor.

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