Not having rabbits makes the marathon way more interesting

I'm totally with you here.

agreed. and Galen Rupp is a very good commentator (still think he'll make the LA olympics though).

They don’t have squirrels either

Rabbits and wave lights should be illegal

Pacers are idiotic. You’re supposed to be watching the best marathoners in the world, but you end up seeing some guys in referee outfits.

He might be a dog to make it to the line for LA trials ... pretty dead to make the team.

All races, with rabbits, are more boring.

You're saying Dave Bedford broke his world records looking like John Anderson from Gladiators?

Actually didn't John Anderson coach both Commonwealth and Olympic athletes, do maybe not a bad comparison.

Pacers are rubbish. The Shaftesbury kit isn't.

Agreed. They are ridiculous. No WR should be allowed when there are rabbits or WL being used.

Serious question - I don't like pacers either, but if they have pacers, why do they even have to be runners? Couldn't they just have a bike or moto to pace them? Is it just to have a better sense of moderating effort for terrain (although pacers are more often on flat courses). The whole thing seems kind of dumb.

Marathons don't allow bikes or any other non-marathon runners on the course. A pacer registers to run the race like anyone else.

I didn't know that. Then why do they have men pacing the women? They generally start separately, so I figured they were designated pacers.

Really? So this is illegal?

Ride a bike or drive a vehicle onto the course the next time you're at a marathon, and see how that goes for you. If any officials have a problem with it, ask them why.

You are switching the subject. You wrote bikes were not allowed on the course. That includes the police bikes that are controlling the traffic.

Pacers/Rabbits whatever you want to call them are ruining the sport, both on the roads and on the track. Yesterday's NYC Marathon was a prime example with a lot of excitement in both the Mens and Women's races. Also pacing lights on the track are joke to, just makes the entire thing seem mechanical. In any case I hope all the marathon Majors adopt a no Pacers allowed rule. Just my two cents

I was clarifying my original point. Sounds like your problem isn't with the point I was making.

And still Letsrunners constantly bitches over slow times in races.

Indeed. I for one am happy that we have paced and unpaced marathons.

Besides, most of the times it goes the same way: running in a pack for 15 - 20 miles, then somebody makes a move and the race is on.

That move sometimes comes earlier in unpaced races, but that's about the only real difference (aside from the different pace in the pack).