Pull a "Glenn Randall" (GR)

Funny he even obtained notoriety from the RW crowd

http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/runner-communities/marathoners/glenn-randall-boston-stupid-funny

Your famous "Glenn Randall"

Dennis Reynolds wrote:

You will forever be known as "that douche who led the Boston marathon for a few miles looking like a moron".

Glad you're happy with that "notoriety".

And when was your last 2:20?

How about that NCAA championship you won?

Just to play devil's advocate...

Somebody decides to take the race out hard, at a pace way faster than they are capable of finishing, and possibly paid by a sponsor, and we call them out for an idiot move and say it is unacceptable.

Somebody is asked to take the race out hard, at a pace way faster than they are capable of finishing, and paid by an athlete or race director, and we call that rabbiting and accept it (even if begrudgingly).

I realize he was WAY faster than his projected finish, but if others had stuck with him, he would simply be a rabbit.

Just sayin'

Malamute wrote:

...if others had stuck with him, he would simply be a rabbit.

Just sayin'

No, because Boston doesn't employ pace-setters. It's a record-ineligible course, so there would be no point. So, not to be a dickhead or anything, but your devil's advocacy in this case is hopelessly stupid and pointless, and you possibly should die.

Just sayin'

The major difference - a rabbit typically has a set pace (obviously none of the contenders were going to run 2:06 in the heat) and sticks around for a majority of a race. I see your point regardless. The interest is why someone with a 2:20 PR went out in a marathon at 2:06 pace in the largest race in the world - the only plausible answer is publicity.

Similar to any LR thread, it is interesting to see the responses. If Ryan Hall or Dathan have led the race and finished 10th it would be an american failure.

I am sure Glenn is a solid Nordic Skier, a great mountain climber, etc. For me - It was embarrassing to watch an American dart off well in front of the kenyan pack (he could have just as easily sat in front of them) and then fall off so badly he finished 60th, 17 minutes slower than their targeted finishing time. This almost seems to reinforce that americans tend to go for the spotlight rather than put in the time. He can tell his grand kids how he led the Boston marathon - pretty cool (unless the grandkids ask - so what happened?)

I did not anticipate this much interest.

Ahahahaha...

The OP got the whammy with the very first response. Now I'll read the rest of the posts... ha ha

Maybe he had read this thread about the Olympic trials.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4307907

one thing I know is that Phil Hersch loved seeing a guy like Glenn Randall go for the win in a major marathon. Glenn clearly is not OK with just being the runner that he is. He wants to cement his place in American distance running history. Phil Hersch is currently penning his column on Glenn Randall's bravery.

You guys on here that enjoy seeing people fail (like Alan Webb) make me sick. The people with personalities like that who I meet in real life normally turn out to be losers that never have and never will accomplish anything worthwhile in life.

Glenn, you should come to SF and put on an Elvis suit for Bay to Breakers this year. There's always a couple of Elvi out in front of the Kenyans for the first few blocks and then they fade. It's a different pace than you ran yesterday but you'd only need to hold it for about 1.5 miles to gain notoriety as the longest-leading Elvis in the race. Or hold on and be the first Elvis to beat the centipedes, or something.

And I promise to buy you drinks and introduce you to some hot chicks after the race, because I actually like what you did yesterday and so do most people who aren't whiney still-virgins-after-high-school losers spewing envy from their parents' basement straight onto letsrun.

Around the world whenever there's a big televised race open to the masses you'll see non-contenders mixing it up at the beginning. If people can't deal with it at the Boston Marathon then "people" need to unclench and get a life.

New Catch Phrase wrote:

I am sure Glenn is a solid Nordic Skier, a great mountain climber, etc. For me - It was embarrassing to watch an American dart off well in front of the kenyan pack (he could have just as easily sat in front of them) and then fall off so badly he finished 60th, 17 minutes slower than their targeted finishing time. This almost seems to reinforce that americans tend to go for the spotlight rather than put in the time. He can tell his grand kids how he led the Boston marathon - pretty cool (unless the grandkids ask - so what happened?)

I did not anticipate this much interest.

Embarrassed, eh-yet you didn't enter the race and try to do better? Do not live vicariously through others-and then be embarrassed when they fall short of the way you would have done it. What will you tell your grandkids-that you watched the race on TV-and that you could have done better, if only you had entered the race. Glenn's story is better.

There's a lot of attitude getting thrown at the people that found his little stunt hilarious. No hard feelings toward Glenn, I have no insight into why he did it, but it was funny to watch.

There was another runner a while back that went out with the leaders - he was wearing basketball shorts if I remember correctly. He hung with the leaders for a while, anyone have that clip?

And of course, the classic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmhrPdkW1cE

AK-54 wrote:

Dennis Reynolds wrote:

You will forever be known as "that douche who led the Boston marathon for a few miles looking like a moron".

Glad you're happy with that "notoriety".

And when was your last 2:20?

How about that NCAA championship you won?

Last year in Chicago. I never won an NCAA championship but I did run much faster in college for 10000m than Mr. Randall did.

the whole point of PowerBar is to keep you from bonking, why would they want one of their sponsored runners pulling the biggest bonk of all time?

bloodsport wrote:

the whole point of PowerBar is to keep you from bonking, why would they want one of their sponsored runners pulling the biggest bonk of all time?

POD

I don't care about your PRs. All I know is that you had your 15 minutes of fame looking like a fool in a tri-suit.

Glenn Randall wrote:

I find it funny that 90% of the people cant run my 5k split. Heck they probably can't run my average 5k pace for a 5k. Yet they come on here and bash me. Look I knew I had no shot in running a 2:20 with the heat. To me there's no difference in running a 2:25 to a 2:35 not when your mindset is on 2:20. I dind't think I'd blow up as much as I did but like I said before I don't regret it. Next year you guys will be talking about me, asking who will pull a GR and the next year, and the year after that. I've gained more noteriety by leading the first few miles at Boston than I would have running a 2:25.

Anybody remember Gary Fanelli?

1:04 - 2:16 at OT marathon trials in Buffalo, 1980. And he was known to pull a lot of stunts at major events.

He got a lot of attention and probably some ribbing and digs from fellow elites but don't recall the level of ripping you see here and elsewhere.

0986 wrote:

Anybody remember Gary Fanelli?

1:04 - 2:16 at OT marathon trials in Buffalo, 1980. And he was known to pull a lot of stunts at major events.

He got a lot of attention and probably some ribbing and digs from fellow elites but don't recall the level of ripping you see here and elsewhere.

And how many other non-qualifiers from the 1980 OT marathon can people even remember?

Look, we all spend enough lonely hours on the road to become good marathoners. Hardly any of us become good enough to even be in the limelight for 2 hours. So don't be so uptight when someone pulls a stunt to get a little attention. It's not like Glenn is pulling a Dean Karnazes here, he was just having some fun. You people need to lighten up. Go get laid or something, just get that bitterness out of your systems.

0986 wrote:

Anybody remember Gary Fanelli?

1:04 - 2:16 at OT marathon trials in Buffalo, 1980. And he was known to pull a lot of stunts at major events.

He got a lot of attention and probably some ribbing and digs from fellow elites but don't recall the level of ripping you see here and elsewhere.

Thats because there is a big difference between a 2:20s guy who runs events like Pikes Peak and does cross country in the winter and a guy that is a 1:04 - 2:16 OT guy. I don't recall seeing GR at the Olympic trials - but would he have pulled the same stunt there?

Would have been a sight to see: "Oh take that Ryan Hall and Meb, 4:40 first mile in my Powerbar trisuit biatch!"