Another Frown on Letsrun

I know that when I'm racing and someone points me in the right direction, i like to just go in the opposite direction that they're pointing me in. Sure I'll get DQ'd from a race I'm probably going to win/do well in, but what the hey, life is too short i like somethin to spice it up

SEE, EVERYONE!!!! THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE J-U-S-T LIKE ME!!

I was not at the race, but when a team pays $150 entry fee, flys into town and must stay at the host hotels which the race director makes a cut out of the deal, they better have enough course marshals out on the course. I don't think the top 5 runners in the high school race would cheat. And how can you compair this to a drug cheat. Your crazy dude. Lets face it they have to much to lose with college recruiters looking at him. Basically it was poor meet management. better luck next year.

Sorry, I have to take the side of the meet manager. Name a cross country race other then championship series that there is a marshall at all turns. Part of being a cross country runner is being smart enough to read a map. If only five went the wrong way then I would say thats a pretty good job at such a big meet. I have gone the wrong way a couple of times in meets, it's easy to do but there is no one to blame but myself. The meet manager has more important things to do then hold each runner's hand during the race. That is why warm-ups and maps are done.

Part of being a good cross country runner has nothing to do with reading a map. Plenty of other races have bikes or golf carts leading the way, as well as arrows painted on the ground and the route well marked. Most of the '5000' runners who 'got it right' were just following others in front of them. If the meet managers want to be taken seriously on running websites then they should take their jobs seriously and make efforts to make the course clear for the racers.

Its not always as simple as it sounds. Many runners (including myself) can get a little zoned out during a race once they've got the lead and are pushing for the break. If there is any part of a course that is confusing or unclear, the state of mind during those crucial parts of a race can make it very difficult to remember exactly every little detail of a course. Of course its easy for everyone following. That's why a course should be clearly marked and marshalls should be available to ensure this doesn't happen. Then again one can argue that skill should be the responsibility of a complete cross country runner. Maybe I'm deficient in attention skills but I've too often had difficulty following some courses. When you're in the lead that adrenaline can cloud up the thinking sometimes.

Never, ever, under-estimate large numbers of stupid people.

Fredo wrote:

Its not always as simple as it sounds. Many runners (including myself) can get a little zoned out during a race once they've got the lead and are pushing for the break. If there is any part of a course that is confusing or unclear, the state of mind during those crucial parts of a race can make it very difficult to remember exactly every little detail of a course. Of course its easy for everyone following. That's why a course should be clearly marked and marshalls should be available to ensure this doesn't happen. Then again one can argue that skill should be the responsibility of a complete cross country runner. Maybe I'm deficient in attention skills but I've too often had difficulty following some courses. When you're in the lead that adrenaline can cloud up the thinking sometimes.

I was leading a race one time and feeling pretty good about it. The next thing I knew I was off the course by 100m. Fortunately I was able to recover and catch up to the pack and win the race. My feeling is that it is the runner's responsibility to know the course.

The drugs comparison is ridiculous. I don't think Curtis needed to cut the course to beat a 16:50 5k runner. Last I heard his PR was somewhere around 14:45. Get real!!

Courses should be set up so that it is "impossible to cut the course" Some race directors use tape to keep runners from taking inadvertant shortcuts. There is not a lot of oxygen going to the brain while racing on the lead. So, decisions on which way to go when given choices are difficult to make at sub 5 pace.

The Johnson brothers are right. And it is THEIR website. If you don't like it, you don't have to visit.

It is never the runner's fault when there is a mistake in a cross country race. Never. Especially when the five after make the same mistake.

Umm I just want to point out something that everybody else has overlooked. The part of the course where the guys made the wrong "turn" was pretty much a straight away. The reason a marshall was not at that point in the race was because of this fact. I realize that runners can get a little "dazed" during a race but to make an arbitary turn. . .come on!

5 runners out of over 4000, hmmmm...

cheap meet managers who dont want to pay anyone to work the course at a race = people going the wrong way.

Should there be enough marshalls to fukking hold hands and line either side of the entire course?? This is getting ridiculous.

By the way the meet never earned a profit. Selling it this year paid off all the debts they had acrued over the last 4 years and they broke even. So for being cheap meet officials and a meet that was just to put money in those officials pockets, I'd have to say ya'll are wrong.

Are you kidding me. The meet director must not know how to manage money. Look at facts, $150 for each team to run thats $300 for boys and girls. The teams must stay at a host hotel. Nike is a big sponcer. you can't tell me they spent all that cash on paint, flags and meet officials. This meet probally made over $70k in entry fee and hotel fee's, t-shirt, and nike. Give me a break. Sorry I don't feel sorry for the race director if he can't manage that. Also when you charge that kind of money you better not have anything go wrong or it will come back on you.

>>The Johnson brothers are right. And it is THEIR website. If you don't like it, you don't have to visit.<<

Of course they can do what they want. But in trying to build a reputation as a serious and reliable news source, they should "do what they want" more responsibly.