I'd like to address my remarks to this poster directly.
What is the nature of your obsession with liberalism? Where does that enter into this discussion at all? I am a Liberal. I'd be willing to bet I give a far bigger percentage of my income to charities than you do. How in the world do you take the subject at hand and twist it to give your judgement about who among us is destined for some hell you apparently believe in? It might be asking too much, but try to be a bigger man.
To the matter presented by the OP, I think the underlying question is what the nature of our sport is. When I was getting started nearly 40 years ago, all marathon entries had a statement above the athlete's signature line, in which the athlete certified that he had been examined by a doctor and had trained sufficiently to complete the course in under five hours. After five hours, they closed down the course and everyone went home. It's different now: different constituencies and interests. It's now a competitive athletic event, and it's something else too. I don't particularly like it, but I realize I'm in the minority, except, perhaps, among the small number of people on a web site like this one.
I'll add something that might have a bearing on this subject. I have a degenerative visual impairment, and about a year ago, I started using a white cane. From time to time, people -- sometimes complete strangers-- tell me I'm "inspiring." I'm sure this is well intended but it makes me feel very uncomfortable. No one thought me "inspiring" a year ago before I started using a white cane, and I'm the same person now I was then. I'm just another person trying to have the life I am capable of having. After 21 years as a marathon runner, in my early 40s, I got out for reasons unrelated to my eyesight. I had had enough and didn't feel like I could compete at a respectable level.
The real question here is what kind of event the BAA wants to put on, and I don't think they know. On one hand, they still have qualifying standards, on the other hand, they waive them for fund raisers and people who are severely disabled. I'm not sure what kind of point the gentleman with muscular distrophy was trying to prove, but I gather the BAA issued him a number, and they knew what to expect. Thank you.