Worst of the worst: ultra, color run, race walking, half marathon, or 26.2 relay?

So you're (deductively) okay with a 6.2 mile race, a 26.2 mile race, but not a 13.1 mile race?

13.1 isn't a true race distance. It isn't even in the Olympics. It is more of a standard distance for hobby joggers.

Race walking is the worst.

Color run is a close second.

Ultras are not my cup of tea but I'm glad they exist because it keeps a lot of the real weirdo runners away from normal distance races.

26.2 relays are not bad in and of themselves but often race organizers screw up the logistics because the whole thing is something they tack onto a marathon in order to make more money. But if you get two or three good, competitive teams duking it out, it can be thrilling to be a part of.

Half marathon is fine though I would be happier it they were all replaced by 20Ks. Wouldn't hurt to see a few 25K and 30K races as well.

Race walking is the worst.

Color run is a close second.

Ultras are not my cup of tea but I'm glad they exist because it keeps a lot of the real weirdo runners away from normal distance races.

26.2 relays are not bad in and of themselves but often race organizers screw up the logistics because the whole thing is something they tack onto a marathon in order to make more money. But if you get two or three good, competitive teams duking it out, it can be thrilling to be a part of.

Half marathon is fine though I would be happier it they were all replaced by 20Ks. Wouldn't hurt to see a few 25K and 30K races as well.

Race walking is the worst.

Color run is a close second.

Ultras are not my cup of tea but I'm glad they exist because it keeps a lot of the real weirdo runners away from normal distance races.

26.2 relays are not bad in and of themselves but often race organizers screw up the logistics because the whole thing is something they tack onto a marathon in order to make more money. But if you get two or three good, competitive teams duking it out, it can be thrilling to be a part of.

Half marathon is fine though I would be happier it they were all replaced by 20Ks. Wouldn't hurt to see a few 25K and 30K races as well.

To be fair, four people splitting up a marathon however they want would be a decent international event.

As is a half marathon.

Cross fit.

Aaaaaaaaaargh!!!

Makes color runs look legit.

I'd rather put Anton Krupicka's beard in a bowl and eat it than do cross fit.

IMO, worst is the quarter marathon. Yeah, it exists...

Troll, idiot, general dick or ShannonHays?

The worst? People who start threads on LR about what type of runners are the worst instead of appreciating that running just might, just maybe, be important to different people for very different reasons and that each of those is valid.

Elitism sucks no matter how you dish it out.

10000m. 25 laps on a running track. You have to be really empty between your ears to run that.

Can't we just all get along?

There's enough hate on this planet, and it may be our only one...

The marathon is the stupidest and worst race distance ever devised. All because the 19th century europeans wanted to be like the buggerous ancient greeks with their butt-naked olympics and reenact a run that never happened over an arbitarily chosen distance that it turned out humans are not well-equipped to travel on foot without constant refreshment because it exceeds their glycogen stores unless they are unnaturally skinny, having grown up so desperately poor and starving that their energy economy exceeds everyone else's.

The half marathon is better because you can get there without running out of glycogen. Ultras are ok because they consume nutritive refreshment along the way. Color runs are ok because at least they don't pretend to be great athletes by achieving them. A marathon relay would be ok except that no races should ever be run in miles, or fractions of kilometers, i.e. 4x10k is the sensible thing. And even race walking is better because nobody takes it seriously, whereas marathoning still captivates the minds of unathletic joggers everywhere, convincing them that it's somehow worthwhile for them to sacrifice all genuine athletic talent, including speed, for the sake of an achievement of dubious import.

It is because of marathoning and road racing that nobody watches track, and since nobody watches track, there's no room for anyone but top elites. For track to live again, the marathon must DIE.

It is clearly race walking. i don't understand why cheating is so rampant in racewalking. Seems like there are always racewalkers getting busted every time a round of failed tests are announced by WADA. Why so much cheating for such a niche sport with even less money and fame than track and field???

Color runs are obnoxious because they arent really about running, they are about being goofy with your friends to post selfies on facebook. There is nothing wrong at all with Marathon Relays, Half Marathons or Ultrathons.

Race walk is the only one that's stupid. Because it's a competition where you intentionally limit your ability to compete.

Color run--not a competition, just fun and exercise at the same time.

The rest? I like arbitrary distances to race (not that the ones you've mentioned are that arbitrary). Some of my favorite races have been 6.5K, and 8, 10, and 20 miles.

With those type of races, I actually prefer that they don't have mile markers or anything either. It's an interesting challenge.

Bad Wigins wrote:

The marathon is the stupidest and worst race distance ever devised. All because the 19th century europeans wanted to be like the buggerous ancient greeks with their butt-naked olympics and reenact a run that never happened over an arbitarily chosen distance that it turned out humans are not well-equipped to travel on foot without constant refreshment because it exceeds their glycogen stores unless they are unnaturally skinny, having grown up so desperately poor and starving that their energy economy exceeds everyone else's.

The half marathon is better because you can get there without running out of glycogen. Ultras are ok because they consume nutritive refreshment along the way.

It is because of marathoning and road racing that nobody watches track, and since nobody watches track, there's no room for anyone but top elites. For track to live again, the marathon must DIE.

So basically because white people can't compete in the marathon against the east africans, you're jealous and think it should go away? Besides the last point that's the only reasoning of yours that makes sense if you think marathons are stupid because the human body "isn't made for it" yet that ultras are different

I wonder what mandy gilbert thinks.

Act like a troll: Check

my bucket list is coming along nicely now, just need to complete a marathon is all that's left!

Dust wrote:

I wonder what mandy gilbert thinks.

Dust, glad you asked.

Race walking is the worst.

Color run is a close second.

Ultras are not my cup of tea but I'm glad they exist because it keeps a lot of the real weirdo runners away from normal distance races.

26.2 relays are not bad in and of themselves but often race organizers screw up the logistics because the whole thing is something they tack onto a marathon in order to make more money. But if you get two or three good, competitive teams duking it out, it can be thrilling to be a part of.

Half marathon is fine though I would be happier it they were all replaced by 20Ks. Wouldn't hurt to see a few 25K and 30K races as well.