Technical Question: Is This A DQ Offense (Flying Pig 10K)?

Somebody in that condition should not have been allowed to finish the race. It would be nice if officials understood that one of their functions is to protect an endangered runner from her own instincts--not to help her "heroically" finish.

Yeah, she should have gotten a Dorando DQ anyway. Doesn't matter that it's a race without prize money or whatever--she wasn't the first to cross the finish line unaided.

They ran 44:00, should we care?

Jeepers 44 minutes WON?? Yikes.

Soft and Doughy wrote:

They ran 44:00, should we care?

Exactly, it was a fun run. Who cares about DQing anyone.

It was a good thing this wasn't a high school competition. Finishing that slow would have given all the officials time to check for any offending uniform violations also. They surely would have been able to find an infraction.

10k bonk?

Not enough gels, I guess.

Agreed. Especially with Irving S Black and some Connecticut High School coaches.

JoeGarland wrote:

I saw a video of the finish of the women's 10K at the Flying Pig Marathon. The leader is walking about 20 yards from the finish. The woman in second stops and starts to pull the leader along, and the leader falls. A race official runs out and helps pick the leader up, as does the woman in second.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThlAenn6yV0&feature=player_embedded

I believe that the official providing help would cause a disqualification. What about the aid from someone competing in the same race, i.e., the woman in second? I think the woman in the lead would have finished, albeit in second, without falling had she just be left alone.

If the race is USATF sanctioned then they have to follow USATF rules and disqualify the runner (or they shouldn't be sanctioned next time). If it's not USATF sanctioned then they can do whatever they want. It probably needs to be said that road race volunteers need to have a basic understanding of the rules and in this case the women who ran out to help the runner did not. For the legitimacy of the sport we should follow the rules, even when it's just a road race.

Update: Someone got the following response from the race:

Thanks for your comments and for watching our video! The Flying Pig Marathon does not offer prize money, so our rules are not as stringent as if there were cash on the line. Similar to earphone rules: It is our choice to let people know they shouldn’t wear them, but we won’t disqualify them (like some events) if they do.

From the video, it is quite clear that the aided runner stepped over the line before the runner GIVING the aid. Thankfully, no prize or points were awarded, as that might have opened another conundrum.

Plus they found all ten water-bottles strapped around her waist still full.

the flying pig also has as 5k, half-marathon, and marathon, so it makes sense the 10k wouldn't be particularly competitive.

Further update: The video, which had been put up by the race itself, has been taken down.

Who gives a flying pig about this......

Dude, just train harder. Stop looking for a meaningless DQ to move you up in the results.

I think it is technically a DQ, but given the nature of the race I don't think it matters what they choose to do. I'm generally a "rules are rules" type, too.