For the people who think he F'd up anybody's race plan... why would anybody go with him? They know he's a pretender. It was the other way around. He was keeping up with the leaders, running 4:39 on a downhill mile. Zero effect on the race today.
14:22 once upon a time apparently. I thought it was funny
Derek Yorek is a hero
He did not hamper the race in any way
You are going to die one day - lighten up, have fun. He did.
Derek Yorek is hero
How is Yorek leading at the mile any different than Ritz leading at mile 16? Neither were near the winner when he finished. What about Tola sprinting to the lead only to finish 4 minutes behind the winner?
What happened wrote:
I don't get it. What happened?
This guy Derek Yorek bragged on facebook how he had only been running 3-4 days a week but was going to lead the Boston marathon as long as possible. He then went out and took the lead despite having to start behind the pros. On facebook someone is saying his first mile was 4:27.
The debate is whether he affected the pace of the race at the beginning. The pros ran much faster than they often do the first few miles. Now usually some joke like Yorek would be ignored but I wondered after last year with Meb running away with it if a few people were paranoid about letting anyone get ahead so the pace was fast because of Yorek.
I'm surprised believe people are praising him. A decent high school runner could lead the Boston Marathon if they wanted to. However they don't try to.
Or should LetsRun get in the act and pay some jokester to lead every year. It will become it's own meme like Deer Adam Goucher or Rupp Certified.
This dude is an a$$clown. Even in his days at Adams State, Damon Martin couldn't stand him. He was whiny and always wanted attention and would stupid crap to get it. Everyone as relieved when he finally left Adams.
Derek Yorek
Cycling would be the other sport. Thanks for asking.
wejo wrote:
Or should LetsRun get in the act and pay some jokester to lead every year. It will become it's own meme like Deer Adam Goucher or Rupp Certified.
I actually like this idea...but only if it's Rojo one year and Wejo the next and so on...
video?
There were a couple of guys running in these illegal shoes (forgot the brand) with the metal springs in it that ran upfront during a really slow Boston (I believe 2007, the year of the Nor'easter). They let them go because they knew they'd eventually blow up. If I recall correctly they held the lead until halfway point or so...
The Bald Eagle wrote:
Ryan Hall goes out from the gun every race knowing he has no chance in the world at finishing and we don't ridicule him.
May be the most ludicrous thing I've read on here.
ascer wrote:
He went to Adams State
Makes sense. Classic DII inferiority complex move.
Arishole wrote:
Who cares? Attention seeking? Sure. But the notion he's screwing up the pros is ludicrous. He wasn't cutting them off. If he wants to and can do it, who cares.
+1 - as long as he didn't impede anyone I have no problem with it
sort of all for it, actually.
I actually think the E. Africans were happy to have him block the wind for a bit and get the pace moving early. No harm in having someone pull a stunt like that as long as they are mindful of the other runners. If he was clipping heels, cutting in front of people too closely or weaving around to show boat for the cameras, he should be taken off the course and banned from the race.
I do think it is a pretty douchey and disrespectful think to do, even if done with due care. If you want to run with the elites as long as you can, stay in the back and enjoy the show. The elites get on TV twice a year in the marathon in the US. They dedicate their lives to the sport. The TV coverage should be all about them. Doing a front running stunt makes the beginning moments of the race about the stunt and not the elites. That is a classless move.
Precious Roy wrote:
The elites get on TV twice a year in the marathon in the US. They dedicate their lives to the sport. The TV coverage should be all about them. Doing a front running stunt makes the beginning moments of the race about the stunt and not the elites. That is a classless move.
The great democracy of running should allow any runner entered in the race to run the race in any way that they want as long as they are not physically impeding other runners. The runner in question in this thread will have also given a chunk of his life to the sport so why should he not be able to grab his minute of fame on TV if he is physically able to do so? Yes he looks daft when he eventually blows up but that is his choice to do so and, in a footrace, nobody should be prevented from having this choice. Ultimately these kinds of things make the race more interesting to follow which is what the sport should be about rather than viewers being forced to watch a metronomic procession of (EPO fuelled - as some would argue given the recent news) E. Africans moving along from start to finish.
Yes, runners should be allowed to pull lame stunts like this, but they ought to have some class and not choose to do so.
I'm amazed that some people on this thread don't see the importance of basic good sportsmanship.
Dr. Nathaniel Higgers wrote:
It's one thing to pull that when you're incredibly fast like Altra guy, but you're a giant joke and huge POS if you're only sticking with them for a few minutes and putting their races in jeopardy just so you can get your picture taken and shuffle in to a mediocre hobby jogger time (3:05 or thereabouts).
F that POS, I hope he chokes.
You've got problems.