well said. my annoyance toward recreational joggers/walkers comes out only at the very start of a race. Maybe more race directors could mention starting line positions in the prerace instructions; a lot of times people who are not real competitive don't understand our preoccupation with getting a good start.
I, personally, have respect for the "joggers" at races; I feel not at all superior for being intense about my training and driven to pain. sometimes I maybe envy those people that can just go out, finish whenever they finish, and be happy about it. I have immense respect for the elites of the sport, also. I respect, but do not, envy their single-minded devotion to the sport. I am happy to keep running as my #1 passion in life and still have a full life apart from running.
(at local races i am the runner near the start but not on top of the line, wearing ultra-lightweight racers and very raggedy-looking workout gear I have had for 5-7 years b/c I can't afford anything new.)