Sub-elite men trying to race elite women at the end of a road race is the worst. (from David Monti @d9monti)

Huh? They were meters apart. And that was hardly a sprint finish. Even by marathon standards. Look up Boston 2019 or Dubai 2018 finish. You guys sure do have a weird point of view. Paula says she raced the men and didn’t see them as pacers. Y’all are starting something from nothing.

But I guess to answer you, If you’re not racing then don’t sign up for a race.

Why would you not beat Shalane Flanagan in a race if you were able to??

A race is a race. I walked a marathon recently and in the last half-mile or so was trying very hard to pass one last "runner," who happened to be a woman. She found a kick in the last few hundred meters and finished about a half-minute ahead of me.

*Of course* she and I were in different divisions. *Of course* I had a chip-time advantage, having started at the back of the pack. But physically trying to pass that other human being got a better performance from me, and a better performance from her.

Play the game with the other people in the event. Sort out sexes and age groups later.

Twitter is just an echo chamber haven for overly sensitive types. This guy wasn't challenging Flanagan, elbowing and surging on her. Dude was over 10' away across the road from her through the finish. It's not like he was trying to steal camera time from a podium finisher, either, they were clearly back in the pack as she was 14th among women. 🙄

If everyone in the race together, then it is just competitor vs competitor. Why do you have to obsess over gender??

That was a terrible example.

No one was racing her to the line. Maybe a guy was racing her earlier on.

I've been through this a couple times after I stopped training seriously and jumped into races with less consistent training.

I ran an 8K race in about mid 27 minutes. The lead woman came close to me without about a quarter mile to go.

I picked up the pace and finished well ahead of her, so it wasn't a race to the line.

Years later I was running a 5K in mid 16 and a Russian woman pulled up near me with a bit more than 100m to go. She was charging fast to win the women's race.

I didn't want to be in that scene at all, so I eased up and let her pull away. I jogged it in.

I would have finished harder if she wasn't right there.

It's not a good look to either outsprint or be out sprinted by a woman right at the end of a race.

Make the move early or back off.

Alter Klocker wrote:

A race is a race.

It's not a race if you are listed in separate results.

A race is a race. Neither runner is sprinting or trying hard to outrun the other runner.

Interestingly, the guy is ahead of Shalane from the first time we can see them right up until the last 10m when he eases up and Shalane pulls ahead of him at the line.

As a woman, a race is a race.

Please don't "let me win" or pull to the side. That's just insulting.

(of course, if I'm about to break the tape in a race, I'd prefer a guy not break it right in front of me, but you should be able to out kick me while staying to the side.)

He let her win. What kinda loser mentality is that?

I woulda kicked her a$$

Only time where I've seen it as offensive is when a dude broke the tape that was being held for the first female. Such a dick move.

Burritos and Beers wrote:

Only time where I've seen it as offensive is when a dude broke the tape that was being held for the first female. Such a dick move.

Okay, this I can agree with.

Burritos and Beers wrote:

Only time where I've seen it as offensive is when a dude broke the tape that was being held for the first female. Such a dick move.

Totally fine to race anyone in my opinion, and should be anyone's opinion. The guy had a little extra left in the tank, Shalane comes up on him, then he uses her to race and drag him to a slightly faster time. They were running in the 2:30's, that's still competitive for a guy, several extra seconds by inducing a better kick is worth it to that guy. I think it'd be dumb to race the women's winner in a big event, since she's 'winning' her race, it would take away from her experience. But Shalane was not winning the race, she was just running a pretty quick race, good for the guy to race her.

And on that note, I'm glad that Shalane actually ran a pretty good one, when the articles first came out saying she was going to run 6 of them and just try to be under 3 hours, I thought that was probably dumb. Sub 3 is not hard for her, it's a normal long run pace and she would typically run 20+ miles in a long run anyway when she's marathon training. So for her to actually run 2:30's, I love to see it. I hope she keeps giving pretty good efforts in the remaining marathons.

Burritos and Beers wrote:

Only time where I've seen it as offensive is when a dude broke the tape that was being held for the first female. Such a dick move.

This. Competing with class includes both competing and class. If you don't like competing then don't enter and start a race.

I was unaware that everyone had to just stop racing because the all mighty elites were coming through. I guess no one is allowed to try and finish hard and run well for themselves.

Burritos and Beers wrote:

Only time where I've seen it as offensive is when a dude broke the tape that was being held for the first female. Such a dick move.

This - race all you want just don't interfere with or otherwise get in the way - esp if there is money involved.

Burritos and Beers wrote:

Only time where I've seen it as offensive is when a dude broke the tape that was being held for the first female. Such a dick move.

Total dick move but also kind of funny especially if done with a lean

Twitterverse is populated by idiots. You should know that by now. What can be more egalitarian than two competitors racing to the line in a sprint finish? At that moment it is just a battle of wills and heart. Nothing else matters. The SJW types will never understand the feeling.

Probably yes wrote:

Burritos and Beers wrote:

Only time where I've seen it as offensive is when a dude broke the tape that was being held for the first female. Such a dick move.

Total dick move but also kind of funny especially if done with a lean

I'm the gangsta of lean, but even I wouldn't do that.