What can be done to STOP BANDITS?

Before the race make an announcement to all the racers that they should look around and see if anybody there doesn't have a bib number and if they do make them step behind them because they didn't pay. The bandit will be embarressed by this and have less chance of further stuf

My friend and his Bro are banditing the NYC 'thon.

-Soup

MachoTime wrote:

Any ideas on how to stop the thieves?

Well, nailing them to a post by the finish line by their privates would certainly cut down on them. You'd really only need to do one per race, which would cut down on the crowding at the post.

It could make for a really snappy slogan too, "Get the point, or you'll GET THE POINT".

here is a few ways how you could really stop (or help depending on your point of view) bandits. eliminate manditory entry fees. or make a bandit registry for your race. or make potential bandits write a two page essay on why they should not have to pay to get into your particular race. or tell bandits they must volunteer before the race start or after the finish to make up for the money they don't have to spend on race entry fees. bandits aren't criminals many are just too poor (or too poor at balancing their check book) to afford all the race fees they encounter. that's my 2cnts

Making an announcement before the race asking all runners to check other runners for bibs might work.

Also instead of giving runners t-shirts after the race, give them a racing singlet before the race with their bib number printed on it. Every registered runner would be wearing the same color/style singlet, anybody in anything different would be a bandit.

Might be tough to do in marathons that allow same day registration, but might work for those that fill up and close entries 10 weeks out.

I doubt they make it to Tavern on the Green. The course funnels into Central Park just prior to Mile 26. The bandit catchers are waiting.

Place strategic machine gun nests one mile before the finish. Blow away anyone without a number, then quickly have course volunteers put a flag that says BANDIT on their cold, dead bodies for other runners to run by.

Public flogging?

As a college student without enough money to always pay race fees, I have bandited a few races. If i do bandit a race it's because its a low key race and i just want something to check my fitness. Besides I think a great deal of banditing is due to the fact that race directors make you buy stupid shit to enter their race. Frankly, I think giving out trophies for every bumbling jogger that crosses the line and t-shirts is stupid. If we cut that out of the budget, I'd be glad to pay the $5 entry fee to run the race. Maybe there should be a budget entry status. No frills..just a race number and your name in the results. But long story short...chill out about the bandits. There really arent enough of them to have much of an impact on the race or cost to race directors.

SoupNazi wrote:

My friend and his Bro are banditing the NYC 'thon.

-Soup

a ton of people i know are going to bandit the NYC as well.

Robin Hood was a bandit and we loved him. He even raced in tights.

snowbear, that singlet idea is the dumbest thing i have ever heard. you obviously have never bought tees for a race, or had anything printed on them. do you know how much $$ that would cost? use your brain, son. how about this... bandits will always exist. if you go so far out of your way to ensure they don't run the race, you make it less fun for everyone else. face it, the majority of people running a race, excluding the top maybe 10, don't give a crap about their time, the other people running, the importance of it all, the winners. they just want their tee and a little prize pack at the finish. just make sure that bandits don't cross the line and screw up the results.

the best idea i heard from you whinners was asking some unregistered people to help out. only a few might actually do it, but at least the other people there don't see hostile race directors. if you're trying to get a race established, you can't have a negative atmosphere. there are too many other races people can run rather than yours, and you need to do everything possible to make joe-on-the-street runner feel comfy.

further, is banditing really stealing? you're not making the cash from it, but if you force everyone to pay, the bandits just won't show up. you won't get their $$. how do you come out the loser? you lose more by being an asshole. most of these bandits i've seen are college and HS kids trying to get in a race to figure out what kind of shape they're in. singling them out for ridicule or whatever will only ensure that they don't come back when they do get a job and race on the weekends. and, god forbid, you have a running store or have a store sponsoring/timing the race. you just lost them a customer.

you want a long-term successful race? make it fun for everyone. just make sure those bandits pull up short before the line. jesus people, don't think with your dicks.

who's going to be the first to misquote me with "...is banditing really stealing?"

At last years R-N-R AZ I had a pack of 5 bandits in front of me running with a friend-seemed to be their HS teacher. They popped out about mile 7 and joined in. I notifed "race officials" at the next several aid stations and nothing was done. In fact I saw several of them at the finish area drinking and eating the food that was for the finishers. This year I shall carry a Tazer.

Don't worry about the bandits. I didn't start banditing races until last year. Now I find it one of my simple thrills in life.

I bandited a 5k yesterday. I wasn't planning on running as I forgot it was this past weekend. Then yesterday morning I drove past the start area and decided to go back home, change and come jump in the race.

It was a charity deal and I don't think the people putting it on knew shit so they gave me a shirt. I didn't even press them hard for it. She just asked if I had gotten my shirt yet. You'll feel good knowing I didn't eat or drink anything at the end.

"that singlet idea is the dumbest thing i have ever heard. you obviously have never bought tees for a race, or had anything printed on them. do you know how much $$ that would cost? use your brain, son. how about this..."

ummm, the Nike One Hit Wonder race does give all the runners a shirt to wear as their number for the race.

I know how to take care of the race bandits.

Ryan Lynch wrote:

Don't worry about the bandits. I didn't start banditing races until last year. Now I find it one of my simple thrills in life.

I bandited a 5k yesterday. I wasn't planning on running as I forgot it was this past weekend. Then yesterday morning I drove past the start area and decided to go back home, change and come jump in the race.

It was a charity deal and I don't think the people putting it on knew shit so they gave me a shirt. I didn't even press them hard for it. She just asked if I had gotten my shirt yet. You'll feel good knowing I didn't eat or drink anything at the end.

This is the second time you've posted about your bandit experience in the charity run. You didn't impress anyone the first time and this post is an even sadder try to draw attention to yourself. You would have gotten the acknowledegement you are trying so hard to get a month ago before all the teenagers went back to school, but I doubt you'll get it now, so please go away.