elites in a major marathon...unfair advantage?

Most races have an elaborate sorting system on which bottle is on which table -- e.g., bottles for bib #s 15-20 will be on the 2nd table on the left.

And an addendum to "MAYEROFF," no one's supposed to be handing bottles to the the top runners -- they are supposed to pick up their own (so there is reduced opportunity for tampering -- it's a rule that grew out of the "someone handed me a bottle spiked with Nandrolone-flavored toothpaste" excuse for testing positive).

As for the advantage? Probably some. You get to consume your beverage of choice, and it's generally easier to drink out of a bottle than a cup. But barring foul play it will probably be a marginal at most. I've tried out of bottles and now I just drink from the cups ( I drink plain water anyway).

I was working at an ITU sanctioned Tri in Shreveport and the pro's had their own water tables with bottled water provided them. The suck thing was that we couldn't even crack the seal for them. On the bike they were opening the bottles with their teeth. Age-grouper bike handups were regular squirt bottles, that had to be way easier.

As far as I understood it was to prevent the athletes drink from being spiked with an illegal substance. Not that this would ever happen, but it eliminate them from using that as an excuse when they are caught cheating. I know that was a main reason in triathlon, but not sure in the marathon since I drink the same cups as the rest of us.

Yeah, ball breath, I guess it's just hard for someone like me who finishes in the top fifty to understand what it's like to that far down the field.

Well thats your problem then, you dont think very much.

A top 50? After top ten does it matter, or anyone care anymore, you might as run back with me.

To answer your original question.

No, I don't find this frustrating.

not an issue

I'd rather run in front of you so I can throw down some oh so dangerous water bottles in your path.

Irishguy:

I have learned to drink from a cup while running. Why not subject the elite runners to drinking from cups as well? They're getting a bit of a break when taking in fluids from bottles.

In response to another poster:

I suspect that drinking from a bottle vs. a cup could make a 3-5 minute difference during the race. I'll never run sub 2:10, but I'd have liked to drop off a few minutes from my 2:29.

~2:29 = 2:29.599999999999999999999999999999999999999999

another guest wrote:

I suspect that drinking from a bottle vs. a cup could make a 3-5 minute difference during the race. I'll never run sub 2:10, but I'd have liked to drop off a few minutes from my 2:29.

Give me a feakin break. 3-5 minutes due to bottle vs. cup

I'd be not likely to give 30 secs different. If 3-5 mins is correct you are either running in very warm weather races or haven't gotten the art form of cup drinking down yet.

feakin???? Should be "friggin" (proper U.S. slang term)

scooleen wrote:

hey cock bags, imagine running over 3000 water bottles, everyone tripping on their asses, great job idiots.

hay asshole, if they ran the marathon in heats of about 20 or so people that wouldn't happen.

For the record, my one, and only, marathon is 2:29:13. At first I thought the issue was whether it was "fair" to allow certain runners in a race to have an advantage, as elites do. The issue there is what the rules allow.

But then I saw that he asked whether this was "frustrating." On that issue, the elites earned the treatment. I have no problem with that.

The folks against whom I was competing as a practical matter (and they're not wearing 1- or 2-digit numbers) all had to deal with the same conditions, and that included getting enough water on the course. If it's hot, you grab a cup at the start of the station and douse yourself and then get a cup for drinking and maybe grab 2 to pass one over to the guy next to you so he doesn't have to cut over.

And please don't slam me for saying what most of us think is pretty obvious.

I've run in marathon's in which I've been allowed my own bottles, and I've run in those in which I haven't.

My opinion is that it is a significant advantage to be able to use a personal bottle. This may just be for me, but even with practice I've never been able to get down much more than a couple of ounces at most from a cup, and I always end up gulping some air, and spilling liquid all over me.

In good conditions I very much doubt that it would be a 3-5 minute difference, but I wouldn't doubt a difference somewhere between one and two minutes in moderate conditions.

If you're close to a qualifying standard of some sort (2:22,2:47,3:10,whatever) it might be a worth your while to find a small enough race where you would qualify for placing your own bottles. On the other hand, you would likely have lesser competition (unless you're a woman I suppose).

another example of the effeminization that has taken place in society and running as well..

back in the 80' and before then, guys just found away to do it, (see bill rodgers, viren getting up and winning)...

quit bitching and just do it...

heats of 20, are you kidding, think like a race director, heats of 20 for a 4000 smallish marathon, or 15000 for a medium to large marathon or 16-3000 for a mega event?, no FRIGGIN WAY,

f*** it maybe it will work, my point was and still is a couple thousand plastic bottles laying in a bunch of freaking water is dangerous, and more expensive then paper cups, which is way off OT anyways from the original question which was is it a huge advantage, who knows, but if you arent in the hunt to win, and YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE, then a paper cup over plastic wont be the difference.

just pinch and run like the rest of us, and by the rest of us I mean those from #50 on not like the pseudo elites like cock bag, who like the rest of us pays to run the course.