Babyjoggers should be outlawed in ALL races

[quote]Pebbles wrote:

Again, it is not the stroller that is the issue, it is the individual. Just because I like to push my child in a stroller does not make me a danger to runners or to my daughter. The fact that all of the people on this thread are so upset is bunk. quote]

While we are at it, here are some suggestions for other things to do with your kids: play pickup basketball with your stroller kids; what about swim meets while dragging your kid on a raft; maybe some karate sparring with your kid on your shoulders; mountain bike racing on a bicycle built for two.

My point is that it would be absurd in most sports to involve your kid, so don't be surprised when the majority of runners don't want their sport bastardised either.

It's true, I didn't make it to the olympics. But if they held the baby jogger olympics I could probably make it.

Regarding that downhill mile, yeah, 4:15 was definitely out of control at a few points, and I probably wouldn't do it again. But my daughter actually fell asleep before the race started and didn't wake up during the race. The baby jogger had a plastic rain cover over the front which blocked the wind (it was a cold day). And I think that at least for the baby jogger brand of strollers, the baby would be protected in the event of a wipe out. There's a shoulder harness and a lap belt holding the baby into the seat, the seat is strapped into place within the aluminum frame, the front plane of the passenger area is protected by the frame, and the back (behind the seat) is also protected by the aluminum frame and the wheels. I have an engineering degree that I definitely put to use while I considered my child's safety before running the race. As to whether I considered the safety of others, I'm not so sure, and that's partly why I don't think that I've run any races with her since.

I've actually taken her for runs up to sixteen miles in the baby jogger, and in general she enjoyed it. For the really long runs, I would take her around her nap time so she would usually sleep for about the first hour and then wake up and just watch the scenery passing by. I think she enjoyed the trips because at home she wasn't easily entertained at that age, but she could sit in the baby jogger for an hour or more without complaining. There were of course a few times when she got antsy and would whine or cry, but kids do that.

Basically I hate rules that I don't like and I hate insurance and the need for insurance even more. But I also don't like rudeness, so reading through this entire thread was fairly interesting to me. I can see the points on both sides of the issue. I think the problem with trying to have separate races for baby joggers would be when you went down to the local police station to ask them to close roads and direct traffic. "So how many people do you figure will be running?" the cop would say. "Oh, four or five probably," you might answer. I don't think they'd close the roads for you. The underlying point being that the roads are for everyone to use, so if you're going to close them to motorists so that people can run on them, it seems that any member of the community should be allowed to participate within reason. There probably should be a bike and rollerblade division that starts well before the runners too. I can see why people would take their baby joggers along in races because there really are very few places and times where you can run without worrying about automobile traffic hitting you. I remember watching the Boston Marathon near Boston College when I was a kid when several wheel chair racers wiped out at high speed on the wet train (T) tracks coming down from heartbreak hill. I've also run in races where I caught up with the wheel chair racers even though they had a headstart. So if there's a way to include them, then there should be a way to include baby joggers. It's just a shame that the insurance is so much higher. Maybe baby joggers could sign a more inclusive/descriptive waiver to satisfy the insurer.

As to the charge that the baby joggers are just trying to bring attention to themselves, I can say that there's probably some truth to that in most cases. But isn't that a part of why we run with or without a "handicap"? I think that most people are trying to impress someone when they race, be it friend, family, or themselves. So if you're getting beyond the a

It's true, I didn't make it to the olympics. But if they held the baby jogger olympics I could probably make it.

Regarding that downhill mile, yeah, 4:15 was definitely out of control at a few points, and I probably wouldn't do it again. But my daughter actually fell asleep before the race started and didn't wake up during the race. The baby jogger had a plastic rain cover over the front which blocked the wind (it was a cold day). And I think that at least for the baby jogger brand of strollers, the baby would be protected in the event of a wipe out. There's a shoulder harness and a lap belt holding the baby into the seat, the seat is strapped into place within the aluminum frame, the front plane of the passenger area is protected by the frame, and the back (behind the seat) is also protected by the aluminum frame and the wheels. I have an engineering degree that I definitely put to use while I considered my child's safety before running the race. As to whether I considered the safety of others, I'm not so sure, and that's partly why I don't think that I've run any races with her since.

I've actually taken her for runs up to sixteen miles in the baby jogger, and in general she enjoyed it. For the really long runs, I would take her around her nap time so she would usually sleep for about the first hour and then wake up and just watch the scenery passing by. I think she enjoyed the trips because at home she wasn't easily entertained at that age, but she could sit in the baby jogger for an hour or more without complaining. There were of course a few times when she got antsy and would whine or cry, but kids do that.

Basically I hate rules that I don't like and I hate insurance and the need for insurance even more. But I also don't like rudeness, so reading through this entire thread was fairly interesting to me. I can see the points on both sides of the issue. I think the problem with trying to have separate races for baby joggers would be when you went down to the local police station to ask them to close roads and direct traffic. "So how many people do you figure will be running?" the cop would say. "Oh, four or five probably," you might answer. I don't think they'd close the roads for you. The underlying point being that the roads are for everyone to use, so if you're going to close them to motorists so that people can run on them, it seems that any member of the community should be allowed to participate within reason. There probably should be a bike and rollerblade division that starts well before the runners too. I can see why people would take their baby joggers along in races because there really are very few places and times where you can run without worrying about automobile traffic hitting you. I remember watching the Boston Marathon near Boston College when I was a kid when several wheel chair racers wiped out at high speed on the wet train (T) tracks coming down from heartbreak hill. I've also run in races where I caught up with the wheel chair racers even though they had a headstart. So if there's a way to include them, then there should be a way to include baby joggers. It's just a shame that the insurance is so much higher. Maybe baby joggers could sign a more inclusive/descriptive waiver to satisfy the insurer.

As to the charge that the baby joggers are just trying to bring attention to themselves, I can say that there's probably some truth to that in most cases. But isn't that a part of why we run with or without a "handicap"? I think that most people are trying to impress someone when they race, be it friend, family, or themselves. So if you're getting beyond the ability to set PR's in your local road race (or even if you still can), it makes sense to make up a new event or a new division to compete in. It's one reason why people usually move up in race distance as they get older. When I ran that downhill mile, or that sixteen mile long run, or the tempo runs at 5:30 pace with my daughter, I was definitely not slacking or being uncompetitive. I was trying to see how fast I could run pushing my kid. And now I've had a chance to brag about it! But I couldn't afford a babysitter and didn't have the time to arrange one anyhow. If you don't have a kid of your own, you probably won't understand how tough it is to be a serious runner and a decent parent while holding down a job, but regardless, running with your child is a great bonding experience. So my point is that if I wanted to run a race with my baby jogger, I would be pissed if someone tried to stop me. I agree that the baby joggers should be embraced as part of the running community, but there should be a some formal arrangement agreed upon that limits the risk for race directors and other competitors while allowing baby joggers to take part. Or maybe most people don't really care and all the posters are just a bunch of internet geeks with too much time on their hands.

Bumping this on account of an incident over the weekend.

http://www.splitsecondtiming.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=80

Seems they could easily find out the identity of the offender and ban him from all future local events. Making violent threats against other runners, whether or not you're pushing a baby jogger, is just uncalled for -- in fact, grounds for a severe beating (and I'd like to be the one to deliver it).

Mouth of the Rat wrote:

Making violent threats against other runners, whether or not you're pushing a baby jogger, is just uncalled for -- in fact, grounds for a severe beating (and I'd like to be the one to deliver it).

So your making violent threats against someone making violent threats? Hope that was a joke, seems a bit too ironic/moronic.

Pebbles wrote:

Rude people suck, but you can't ban everyone for a select few idiots.

Of course you can. It happens all the time and examples of laws created specifically one account of irresponsible assholes on the fringe are legion. Kids in strollers don't belong in road races. If I ever got run over by a stroller I'd grab the infant and dash it firmly to the ground or at least slap the f***er silly, then I'd go after the parent. Easy call.

Screw this ongoing "feel-good" story. That guy wields his son's "stroller" like it's a f***in' battering ram. Dick Hoyt is an amazing athlete but has no qualms about taking out anyone near him. And it's not a baby he's pushing it's an adult with considerable heft. Either give him a head start in every race or ban his old ass too.

Jesus WAILED! Six FUCKING pages on the SIMPLEST of issues!

1. I believe it says in the entry form of every USATF/RRCA sanctioned race that BABY STROLLERS ARE NOT ALLOWED.

2. Therefore, DON'T BRING YOUR FUCKING BABY STROLLER TO A RACE.

Couldn't be SIMPLER, really. But you've ALWAYS got this faction of parents that think the rules don't apply to THEIR gurgling little proto-people and thus rationalize breaking them. "Oh I can wear a Walkman because I took an alertness class." "Oh I can enter in roller blades because I played hockey in college and know what the f*** I'm doing." "Oh I can run with my dog, he'd never hurt a flea much less a person." So we have these "debates." Well BULLSHIT and FUUUUUUUUUUUCK YOU! You should all be banned for LIFE!

Mary wrote:

Neither one of us have ever encountered any negativity nor have ever seen or impaired anyone.

That's easy to say when you keep your f***in EYES shut!

squash wrote:

If the entry form says no stollers or babyjoggers, leave them at home PERIOD.

I know, it's a hard concept for the privileged TWATS of the world like MARY to grasp, but keep trying! If we can get the f***ers to OBEY the RULES it will ALL be WORTH IT!

Ok I have run 26 races in the last 2 years and I pushed my two year old son in every one of them. I have never seen or heard of a single problem with any strollers. I am not sure why everyone says that most races ban strollers. All 13 of the races that I do explicitly ban walkman’s, skates, and dogs but none of them ban strollers(I email the race director every race to make sure that they are ok with strollers). Like some people have said the problem is not with the stroller it is with the runner pushing the stroller. I know that when I run with my son my number one concern is his safety and then the safety of the other runners. I used to start at the back of the pack but I soon realized that it was actually safer for me to just get out in front of the majority of the runners until it thinned out. I start right on the second row. I run a sub 6 minute mile for the first mile so I am not in anyone’s way. Now if the races did actually ban the strollers then I would not attempt to run with one anyway. I think that that is wrong and you are just asking for trouble if you don’t follow by the rules. I specifically don’t run the Race for the Cure with a stroller because it is too large(~15000 people). However, that doesn’t stop one guy who runs with a double jogger at a sub 6 minute pace. He basically blasts his way through the field of 15K. That is reckless and that is why strollers have a bad name.

Jerry Lawson once clocked a sub 15 5k pushing a baby jogger. Seems the only people who have problems with them are the ones getting their a$$es jacked by them.

My wife bought me/us a baby jogger recently. I for one look forward to pissing those same people off.

what do u want them to do not run and leave their babies home alone? get a

Stupid trolls go away

Babbyjoggers suck

"I have never seen or heard of a single problem with any strollers."

Have you not read the freakin' thread?