Runyan's Bike in NY

I wouldn't worry about this too much. The elite women are starting in front of the other 29,950 runners, so there will be none of the usual 2:25 to 2:35 men hanging onto them. By the time they finish the long stretch on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, I'm sure the women will have spread out considerably. Runyan had a bike with her at the Philly Distance Classic and nothing went wrong. You can be pretty sure that the New York Road Runners aren't going to bring people like Lornah Kiplagat in just to have them run over by Runyan's cyclist.

Eagle Eye

We disagree right off the bat because I think that Casey Martin should be allowed to have a cart. He still has to hit the ball and you can't tell me that playing 18 holes of golf 4 days in a row is that strenuous when you walk when you don't have a disability like Martin. Therefore, I feel no advantage is given to Casey Martin using a cart.

By the same token how is Marla getting an unfair advantage from someone on a bike? I think having a pacer like Ndereba had at Chicago (which I think is fine as well) is more of an advantage than having a bike person telling her where to turn. At Freihoffer's Colleen DeReuck helped Marla out by yelling ahead to her where to turn, should Colleen have been chastised for helping her out? Bottom line is that Marla still has to run the 26.2. You can't compare the track to the roads, on the track she just has to keep turning left.

Brian

If she was totally blind, she would be rubberbanded to another athlete. In that case, I still think it is acceptable, but there definitely is a debate. But in this case, there really isn't an issue.

I am believing the biker is acting solely as her eyes...Now if the biker was motivating, encouraging, coaching, pacesetting, and blocking wind, then of course there is another argument and reason to bring on a debate.

I remember a female american athlete on the track who didn't want Marla running at all because she felt uncomfortable running with Marla. I forget who that was, but it was a really dumbass bigoted reason.

I understand that the NYRRC is providing the escort, not someone necessarily known to her. Just directional information...turns, upcoming water...etc. I think she should be cut some slack here...really!

Of course a bike is going to act as a pacer, intentional or not. She should be more worried about NY-Sized potholes and manhole covers than making turns. How's the person on the bike going to protect her from those hazards?

Goose's description of the cyclist's role is correct, if you read the accounts of Runyan's press conference in NY this week. The cyclist will never ride in front of her; it will not be pacing her. And as the NYRRC indicated, the marathon course in in excellent shape in early November. There are none of the kind of potholes Justin seems worried about.

Goose wrote:

I understand that the NYRRC is providing the escort, not someone necessarily known to her. Just directional information...turns, upcoming water...etc. I think she should be cut some slack here...really!

No matter what her disability is she should not be given aid that other runners are not entitled to. Do you want all of the elite men and women to have escorts?

Bad idea.

Apart from the bike debate...do you know any other american athlete -female or male, disabled or not - who has such a broad range in track and field?

2001 - 1st 5000m, 1st 3000m, 5th 1500m

2000 - 3rd 1500m, 4th 5000m

1999 - 2nd 1500m

1996 - 10th Heptathlon

1995 - 9th Heptathlon

I don't understand the problem really with the bike escort. I don't understand how this is actually performance enhancing.

An escort for all elites is a bad idea. The cost would be too prohibitive. In NYC, a really hot escort starts at about $300-$500 with additional charges if you want something kinky. Who knows what sort of freakery the top athletes might be into. This could bankrupt the NYRRC.

Apparently the NYRR istaking great efforts to be as sure they can that Runyan's not aided, but just protected from a possible dangerous situation, for herself or others. The other runners will be able to see the big signs alerting them to the upcoming drink tables. And at the tables, if Runyan tried to pick out and grab her own bottle, there's a decent chance she'd knock over a lot of them. As long as the biker isn't a partisan, extra pacing, encouragement, etc., should not be an issue.

Casey Martin should be allowed to use a cart. Being able to complete a ropund without abject leg pain merely puts him on a level playing field (so to speak) with the other players. If other players are so poorly conditioned or smoke so much that walkign the round is su[pposedly physically demanding, the LAST thing they should be doing is calling attention to the fact that they get tired.

A quick look back at Berlin for the last several years, as well as Chicago last year tells you all you need to know about pacing in women's marathoning....it already exsists! Marla has a profound disadvantage compared to the other runners....should this preclude her from running the marathon? As indicated, the cyclist will be appointed by the NYRRC and will ride off of her shoulder. To simply give her a heads up about an impending turn or a water station is a far cry from what already exsists in the sport. As someone posted before, it not only helps Marla, but the others around her(i.e. prevents jostling or water bottle mix-ups). I really think this is a non-issue, and I'm sure that's how the other elites view it.

The bike doesn't give Marla an advantage; it insures fair competition. Unlike the runners she competes aganist, Marla can not see the turns, waterstops and mile markers. The bike merely insues that Marla can compete on the same course as her competitors (i.e. she can "see" the waterstops, mile markers and turns) I'm sure most of Marla's competitiors would rather beat Marla because they were the better runner on that day than beat her because Marla missed a turn and was thrown off course.

In fact, this issue came up at the recent Philly 1/2 when some elite runners raised their concerns about Marla's bike escort. Assurances that the biker would only give directional assistance and would not interfere with other runners, assuaged the elites' concerns.

As long as the biker doesn't give her any special aid and only tells here where the turns are, what is the difference between the bike and the car that leads the race?

I agree.

It is definitely not fair that a runner gets told where to turn and what course to run and stuff. Like, OMG, so not fair. She is such a cheater. Runners with eyes should have them removed as well.

And course markers are so definitely uncool and UNFAIR. The course walk in XC is such a cheater too. Get her out of the race before those other runners catch cheat!

I still don't understand why she should be allowed to have a "bike escort" when no one else does. They don't allow blind baseball players to have someone ride a bike next to them to tell them where the bases are and when to turn... Is this a competition or not? We shouldn't be handicapping our elite competitions whether they be football, baseball, or running.

Same thing with Casey Martin. Part of the game of golf is walking between each shot. Now, as runners we don't think it's a big deal, but it is part of the game. They walk about 1/4 mile per hole - that takes its toll.

I haven't played blind baseball, but the ball and the bases make a sound so that the players know where they are.

Jeez Doug, are you really that concerned that someone else is getting something you aren't? Would it be OK if you had a bike escort, too?

I meant to add this to my previous post. Per state (or federal?) law, relating to the americans with disabilities act, employers must make a "reasonable accomodation" for those with disabilities.

For example, someone who has a macular problem applies for a job with your firm. In order for this person to be able to use their computer, they need screen magnification software. The cost is negligible (let's say it is $100). Is this a reasonable accomodation? Yes. You cannot "not" hire this person due to their disability.

Now, Marla is not an employee of the NYRCC (or whoever sponsors the race). However, let's take the spirit of the ADA laws and apply it to this situation: can we make a reasonable accomodation for Marla to do this race? The answer is "yes" - that is what the cyclist is for.

Runyan's also a huge story from a pubilicty perspective. I know you all have heard it a jillion times, (still about 0.5% of the number of time's Runyan's had to tell it, i'm sure) but not everyone has...sooo...realize that

Every chucklehead who's said "'They' gotta market the sport better" will instantly realize that a disabled person from the "home team" (sorta -- USA) who still steps up the the plate in the NYC Marathon has the makings of huge crossover stardom if she does really well -- so there's a bike idea floated instead of a "you're on your own, Runyan, good luck" pep talk.

My guess is the biker will be under strict gag orders -- like not answering questions like "How far ahead is Jane Blow?"