What can be done to STOP BANDITS?

Wait a minute !! What happened to "You cannot be serious!!" ??

One race I bandited was a really, really, REALLY small town 5K, where I had a pretty good idea I would win, and I asked the RD to waive my entry fee (and not give me a T-shirt), but he refused. It was so small, they didn't even use race numbers, so I ran the race, skipped the water station, and about 50 meters from the finish (while leading by 200+ meters), made a right turn and kept running. A few weeks later, I saw the guy who was second and he said he was shocked when they gave him the winners award.

So did I "hurt" anyone ??

mile fan wrote:

My idea for stopping bandits is simple...its just like at a baseball stadium...if someone is on the field that doesnt belong they get the shit tackled out of them. Over the course of a marathon there are over 5 officials per mile (including cops, race officials, water people and all the toehrs) if bandits are that big of a deal for the event well they should just get tackled that simple! I am will to do this for a fee if anyone is interested...I'll stand at certain points of a 5k or 8k and if i see someone without a number, they are getting a ray lewis tackled to the pavement

Great idea! For fall races we could recruit the local high school footbal teams and lines the course with them. They'd get some good practice, bandits would have an incentive to run real fast. A true win-win!

Whats so bad about banditing? I ran the last 15 miles of the Chicago Marathon to help a buddy of mine. I ended up helping a group of 6 runners and even took the wind for them throughout the course. Then after the race each one of them personaly congratulated me for helping them to a PB. You get a little, you give a little.

Flagpole Willy said, "Beat them to within an inch of their lives. Well, none of you runners could do that, but you could pay someone to do it." That indicates FW IS NOT A RUNNER!

mr chest could do it.

Hmmm... wrote:

Flagpole Willy said, "Beat them to within an inch of their lives. Well, none of you runners could do that, but you could pay someone to do it." That indicates FW IS NOT A RUNNER!

WRONG! That indicates nothing of the sort. To clarify, I am a runner - not that fast anymore or that consistent even with injuries, but a runner I am nonetheless.

What that quote of mine COULD mean is that none of YOU runners could give those a bandits a beat down, but perhaps I could.

right on chicago runner. you should not have to pay to help out a friend while not taking any of the amenities offered to paying entrants. at chicago people were yelling "bandit" at me as i passed, but i only ran a 9 mile segment of the course to pace a friend and ended up helping some others along the way by cutting the wind. i see nothing wrong with that at all.

NOT TAKING ANY OTHER AMENITIES?

How about the ability to run through the middle of a city road without getting hit by a car? You know they do close roads, hire extra cops, set up the course for the entrants.

So there you have it...you took some amentities...if your friend cant do it by himself or find 1 of the other thousands of entrants to run with thats his own fault.

kent wrote:

.... so I ran the race, skipped the water station, and about 50 meters from the finish (while leading by 200+ meters), made a right turn and kept running. A few weeks later, I saw the guy who was second and he said he was shocked when they gave him the winners award.

So did I "hurt" anyone ??

Yes you did, Kent. You compromised the integrity of the competition. Banditing the race and using it as a workout was an insult to the those who entered the race--especially the guy who actually won. You probably won't realize this, since you seem to be unaware of how you're viewed by others around you. The race is for the people who enter, and nobody else. If you need further clarification, why don't you bandit a middle school cross country race, and see what happens. If that doesn't enlighten you, try this: you're an asshole.

John Kerry and myself have a plan to stop bandits. This president, on the other hand, has had no plan to stop bandits. We have a plan.

possible wrote:

Yes you did, Kent. You compromised the integrity of the competition. Banditing the race and using it as a workout was an insult to the those who entered the race--especially the guy who actually won. You probably won't realize this, since you seem to be unaware of how you're viewed by others around you. The race is for the people who enter, and nobody else. If you need further clarification, why don't you bandit a middle school cross country race, and see what happens. If that doesn't enlighten you, try this: you're an asshole.

Wow, you're really an uptight SOB, aren't you ?? If this is how you act in person, I think I know how people view YOU.

"Compromised the integrity of the competition" ?? What the hell is THAT suppose to mean ?? People use races as workouts all the time, it has nothing to do with whether or not they paid an entry fee and got a T-shirt. I've had my ass kicked many times by guys who were just out there doing workouts and running a minute or two slower than they would normally run. Doesn't bother me a bit. I run for myself, and my own joy. If it bothers you that I "won", but they gave you the award because in reality "I was never there", then that's a problem you need to resolve within yourself.

As the director of the Cresent City Classic 10K said when I asked him (before the start) if he was nervous: "Nah, it's just a race."

You seem to want a flame war. You won't get it from me, just a much-needed reality check. Why don't you contact the guy who finished "second" in the race you bandited and ask him how he feels about you banditing that race? Go on, call him up and tell him what you did. If you really don't think you've done anything wrong you shouldn't have any problem with talking to him about it.

If you're feeling some shame in contacting him, you could try the idea of banditing a middle school XC race--it's really no different, just carried out a few extra degrees to highlight your wrongdoing. Go ahead.

Kent, I don't mean to get you angry and I'm not trying to attack you personally. I'm just pointing something out to you: you're an asshole. You ought to do something about it. Have a nice day.

[quote]kent wrote:

Wow, you're really an uptight SOB, aren't you ?? If this is how you act in person, I think I know how people view YOU. quote]

possible wrote:

You seem to want a flame war. You won't get it from me, just a much-needed reality check. Why don't you contact the guy who finished "second" in the race you bandited and ask him how he feels about you banditing that race? Go on, call him up and tell him what you did. If you really don't think you've done anything wrong you shouldn't have any problem with talking to him about it.

If you're feeling some shame in contacting him, you could try the idea of banditing a middle school XC race--it's really no different, just carried out a few extra degrees to highlight your wrongdoing. Go ahead.

Kent, I don't mean to get you angry and I'm not trying to attack you personally. I'm just pointing something out to you: you're an asshole. You ought to do something about it. Have a nice day.

Point by point:

No, I'm not flaming you at all. Quite the contrary, as I'm trying to get you to chill out. I'm also pointing out that you seem to have a problem with other people doing something you don't like. Think about it, it's YOUR problem if you get angry, not theirs.

If you read my first post, you'd remember that I talked to the runner who "won" only a few weeks after the race (and it's been at least 10 years since then). He and I did an easy training run and laughed about it all. He wasn't upset, but apparently you are. No "guilt" here. That must be something you've made up to justify your position.

You seem to have some sort of obsession with middle schoolers, as that's twice you've tried to get me in a race with them. If that's you thing, well, good for you. Personally, I like to race where there's a "level playing field". If you'd like to race me, come ahead. I have no idea if you're faster or slower than me, and in reality it doesn't matter one bit, but I'd welcome the friendly competition.

When you call someone an asshole, you ARE attacking them personally, so you're either a liar or an idiot (or possibly both). Do you feel like that's a personal attack ?? It's not, it's just a fact. If you think I'm and asshole, again, that's YOUR problem, not mine. I can look myself in the mirror anytime and be satisfied with the person looking back at me.

I'm not a doctor, but I think you've got issues, dude. I hope you get them worked out. And I always have a nice day. Thanks.

kent and possible, time to go to seperate corners.

as an side, i would be interested in knowing from rd's, are bandits really a problem or just a minor pain in the behind?

Keith Stone wrote:

Great idea! For fall races we could recruit the local high school footbal teams and lines the course with them. They'd get some good practice, bandits would have an incentive to run real fast. A true win-win!

Superb idea! When one of the football players you have hired physical assaults me, I'll be rich when I sue you and collect from liability insurance. Imagine you and I in court, in front of a judge; You claim I am guilty of "theft of services" and I claim I was just out for my daily run when some goon under your direction tackled me. I imagine some real problems for you when the tackled person was a first time 5Ker who didn't understand that his race number should be on the FRONT of his shirt.

I feel your pain when having to cater to late registrants. But let me ask you something: How do you feel about the runners who were pre-registered for the Denver and Malibu Marathons, both of which were recently post-poned or cancelled? I'm sure that these two races have successfully created quite a few "late" registrants.

As a runner who doesn't bandit, I have absolutely no problem with those that do, but do I understand your disdain for bandits, as it's obvious that you are a RD. When I show up race morning, I'll pay and expect the same treatment as everyone else. Want to alleviate some of your problmes? Try the following:

No race day registration (you won't do that; you want the $$)

T-Shirts to pre-registered runners only (and print up a few extra for those idiots that really want one race day)

Prior to starting the race, announce that bandits must move to the back. Have one of your police crew standing by to explain the concept of trespassing.

Kent, YES you are an ass

What other athletic event can you particpate and not pay..

Not on the golf course, not at the bolwing alley, ect.

Why do you think you can do it in a race.

If you want to get a work out go to the local track, run on the bike path.

Races are put on for the benefiyt of paying runners. Not free freeloaders like yourself> PERIOD.

Not all of us are as lucky as you. Some of us are wondering how we are going to pay for our text books, and, let's not even think about next semester. A race fee. Ha.

What other dishonest things do you do?

Sneak into the movies?

Shoplift?

Break into someones dorm room and steal their computer?

Knock over an elderly lady and snatch her purse?

I guess you're saying that you would be more honorable if you had more money.

Sam, since you want to know if bandits are a problem from a race director--yes they are. I have been a manager for a large well-known marathon, and we've had huge problems with bandits in our race. Our aid stations ran out of water, the course was too crowded in long narrow stretches of road where only 1 lane of road is ours, the results get screwed up because of them crossing the finish line, and they sometimes photocopy bib numbers so they won't get pulled off the course. Then we have to spend time figuring out why number 1013 crossed the line twice, disqualify the person for lending his # for copying, and rearrange the awards. Some of these problems exist even if they don't cross the finish line. Bandits are a problem for EVERYONE, not just the people who try to deal with them. We never crack down on them because our non-running sponsors thought it would give them bad PR.

Kent, I really am not meaning to insult you by calling you an asshole. It's just that that is the way you are perceived by anyone who has volunteered for or managed a race. Don't take it personally, take it to heart.

My example of banditing a middle school XC race is only an example. If your weak conscience musters the strength to keep you from doing that, you could bandit another race that will enlighten you: the Olympic Trials, a NASCAR race, or how about a bicycle criterium.

Yeah, I have issues--issues with bandits. Just like I have issues with Osama bin Laden.