Alastair Cragg Running Boston Marathon

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Lip Kitten wrote:

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For what? For suggesting he won't finsh? The guy is a DNF in the majority of his races so its hardly unfounded

wft!!! wrote:

Lip Kitten wrote:

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For what? For suggesting he won't finsh? The guy is a DNF in the majority of his races so its hardly unfounded

Better a had been than a never been

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If holding a bunch of national records and NCAA individual championships makes you a clown, then I would like to know where you get the red nose and white face paint.

The guy was vexed by injuries during his pro career, leading to a bunch of DNFs and was constantly bashed by Irish press and fans for a sub par Olympics.

His response was to drop a 13:16 in 2009. Clown?

He had a decent debut in the half at 63 and change. Given his past track credentials and a decent half debut, he deserves an invite to Boston. Who knows. Maybe the marathon is the place for him. But cut the clown crap. The guy has perservered through some hard times that would have sent most other athletes straight to dental school.

and florence kiplagat a former world xc champion and world half marathon champion will make her marathon debut in boston.

i think it is good letting runners with a history of being a good runner, to have those soft qualifying standards waved for them.

Cragg ran 1:01 high at the NYC half last spring.

gsdgd

Clown you say?

I'd like to draw your attention to this post from the Razorback thread:

Considering everything the guy has gone, his achievements are remarkable. And as someone has pointed out his half PR is sub 62 so theres no reason why he shouldn't deserve a place on the starting line.

Just because you'll never be good enough

Most of the Kenyans/Ethipeans have spent their lives living in the most godwaful conditions and you don't hear them complaining about how tough their lives have been.

At least they've done things to merit inclusion in such a prestigious race

That is a harsh and completely unfair comparison. I give up. You're obviously determined to hate on the guy

Now you are just talking out of your ass. Without citations, your assertion that "most" Kenyan/Ethiopian athletes have slept in the most "godawful conditions" is quite simply a lie. Sure, I will give to you, that some athletes from Africa have had a rough upbringing and most definitely have not had a western style upbringing, but to say most is simply ludicrous.

You are hiding behind a username that is designed to stir up some passionate emotions amongst readers of this thread; a username designed to subliminally put them on the defensive.

Take your colonial attitude elsewhere. You are perpetuating a stereotype.

douglas burke wrote:

and florence kiplagat a former world xc champion and world half marathon champion will make her marathon debut in boston.

i think it is good letting runners with a history of being a good runner, to have those soft qualifying standards waved for them.

I missed that anouncement. Are you sure?

wtf!!! wrote:

Most of the Kenyans/Ethipeans have spent their lives living in the most godwaful conditions and you don't hear them complaining about how tough their lives have been.

At least they've done things to merit inclusion in such a prestigious race

Running 5000 meters in the low 13s merits inclusion in pretty much any race. The BAA has on occasion invited runners with no previous marathon to run their race if they think that athlete might add to the race.

To correct the quote he never lived rough in London - If you call crashing on a friends couch living rough then maybe?

The reality is his brother had just died - his parents were in limbo trying to comes to terms with the death of their son and were in the process of moving country from South Africa to the UK and Alistair at that time had no idea what path his life was going to take.

His brother Duncan played an instrumental role in getting him back into college and if it were not for the offer and close relationship with Coach Mac he would never had reached the highs he has.

The guy has qualified in back to back Olympic 5000m finals has a 4th place at the world indoor champs - has a 7:32 3k best time, has run in numerous grand prix events. There are very few athletes who have the CV he has. Yes, he also has a lot of DNFs but if you consider the alternative to where his life could have gone as opposed to where it has, you cannot help but admire the guy.

If he never took another step in running or dnfd in every race he ran from today onwards I can imagine he has overcome more obstacles and achieved far more than you ever have...

quality will be here wrote:

douglas burke wrote:

and florence kiplagat a former world xc champion and world half marathon champion will make her marathon debut in boston.

i think it is good letting runners with a history of being a good runner, to have those soft qualifying standards waved for them.

I missed that anouncement. Are you sure?

Some insider wrote:

To correct the quote he never lived rough in London - If you call crashing on a friends couch living rough then maybe?

It was me who posted that quote in the other thread. I was going by what Alistair himself says here(found an online article, I have a paper copy somewhere):

He talks about sleeping in parks- I'd consider that sleeping rough?

I knew him a long, long time before he went stateside, hence I don't know much about what he did in London.

But yeh, the OP should lay off the guy