Thought this was silly. Tracksmith launches a singlet only available to Boston Qualifiers, and people are losing their minds in the comments section on social media (Instagram) about how it's "elitist" (among other things):
LRC Note: We like to have one thread per subject. We've merged two threads on this into 1 and kept the original thread title. The 2nd thread was titled, "Tracksmith Decides: When Digging a Hole Make It Bigger."
Why are runners so soft and easily offended?
So...the BQ singlet is available to people who have BQed? Blasphemy!
Love the assumption the entire comments section is making that people who aren't BQing are putting in just as much effort as those who are.
In some specific cases, that may be true. On average, absolutely no way.
Only hobby joggers care about marathons.
saint ralph macchio wrote:
Thought this was silly. Tracksmith launches a singlet only available to Boston Qualifiers, and people are losing their minds in the comments section on social media (Instagram) about how it's "elitist" (among other things):
Running is not a democracy.
The Track Smith post embodies everything Serious Runner makes fun of.
Tracksmith should have enough money from their over priced clothes to hire a marketing person who should have known this post (specifically the Jock Semple thing) was going to elicit these types of responses.
Other than that, these responses are just completely ridiculous. They gave Cravont Charleston a chance when no one else would and he became the US 100 meter champion.
Tracksmith isn't bad for the sport. The Boston Marathon is becoming bad for the sport. Running influencers on Instagram are AWFUL.
Speedism rears its ugly head!
poosmacker wrote:
Speedism rears its ugly head!
I'm upset that they will give a free kit to people who make the Olymic Trials! It's a slap in the face to us slower people who still run a lot! /s
This is laughable on so many levels.
-The idea of a BQ singlet is extremely cringe and try hard and I would never want one for that reason. Who cares? It's a great achievement but you don't need to be a tool about it
-Jock Semple was a giant piece of sh*t and they understandably edited his name out of their original post. Maybe not the best quote to include but I don't think that's the end of the world
- Boston is Boston for a reason. The whole point of the race is that it’s the normie olympics. Running and sport as a whole is ideally inclusive but that doesn’t mean there can’t be standards set for particular events to challenge higher level participants. Doesn’t make anyone more or less of a runner than anyone else. It’s good to have elite amateur competition. I love golf. I’d love to play in the Amateur US Open. The problem is I’m not that good at golf and would probably never qualify. That doesn’t make me less of a golfer than anyone else. Doesn't make me less of a person. That doesn’t mean golf isn’t inclusive or that the event of the Amateur US Open should drop all entry standards. Some people are going to be better at certain things than other people and there is not problem in recognizing this
I received a free hat at the Phoenix Mesa Marathon a few years ago. If you ran a BQ, you went to the results tent and got a printout of your time, then took it to another tent for verification that you BQed. If so, free "Boston Qualifier" hat. I wonder if they still do this or if people complained that some runners were getting an extra free hat?
They could've done the same thing but led off with a Congratulations to Boston qualifiers. We have a special thing just for you. People took the "no jogging" upfront message to heart and they're actually losing customers.
Plus, I think one good point made is that someone said she can't wear her older Boston singlets now without looking like a douchebag.
I think all the sashes always looked douchey, but I like their other stuff.
Are the same people upset that only people with accepted entry get a race shirt?
I’d be more upset if they sold them to people who haven’t qualified.
No, obviously only the runners of the 2024 Boston Marathon should get a race completion shirt. Completely different situation. It’s a race completion shirt, not a BQ shirt.
the issue here is that Tracksmith is selling a “BQ” singlet, and the literal definition of a BQ is spelled out precisely on the B.A.A. website: to meet your age group qualifying standard — yet the Tracksmith post goes out of its way to rub salt in the wound by obfuscating the meaning of “qualifying” and only selling singlets to those who actually register for the race, despite the cutoff having nothing to do with the actual definition of a BQ. It’s generally not good marketing to present themselves to the public as elitist pricks
anyone who would actually buy such a singlet is a complete d-bag tool regardless, but the fact remains that the post is completely tone deaf in a year where 11,000 qualifiers were shut out due to space constraints
Well it’s stupid because there are 11,000 people who qualified who can’t buy the shirt. People who ran Boston in previous years would not have qualified this year with the new cut off. It’s so arbitrary and stupid, much like everything else running related.
Tracksmith clothes are overpriced bullsh!t anyway. People take this sh!t way too seriously.
Is BQ season over with? Boston gets really tiring.
Tone deaf wrote:
but the fact remains that the post is completely tone deaf in a year where 11,000 qualifiers were shut out due to space constraints
Maybe if the hobby joggers slimmed down a little more of them would fit.
Tone deaf wrote:
No, obviously only the runners of the 2024 Boston Marathon should get a race completion shirt. Completely different situation. It’s a race completion shirt, not a BQ shirt.
the issue here is that Tracksmith is selling a “BQ” singlet, and the literal definition of a BQ is spelled out precisely on the B.A.A. website: to meet your age group qualifying standard — yet the Tracksmith post goes out of its way to rub salt in the wound by obfuscating the meaning of “qualifying” and only selling singlets to those who actually register for the race, despite the cutoff having nothing to do with the actual definition of a BQ. It’s generally not good marketing to present themselves to the public as elitist pricks
anyone who would actually buy such a singlet is a complete d-bag tool regardless, but the fact remains that the post is completely tone deaf in a year where 11,000 qualifiers were shut out due to space constraints
Totally agree with you, however it seems like the people who are complaining in this are not people who BQ'd but didn't make the cut. It's mainly people who are nowhere near qualifying.