The heartwarming moment a runner gets a competitor DQed

th3bt wrote:

No. Sometimes people are in a crisis. If someone collapses at or near the finish, be a real hero and alert the medical staff. Getting someone help is a lot better than getting someone to the finish line.

If someone goes down, then your first duty is to call for help, not drag them across the finish line. Stay with them until professionals arrive, then finish.

It would of been interesting to see if he'd of been so helpful if he'd manage to maintain his 03:47 min/Km pace. I suspect part of the reason he was so keen to assist was that his race was over at 35K!

He openly admitted that his race was over. Whats the issue here?

Also it was obvious that he had cramp and not some emergency medical need so the right thing to do was to help him to the line.

The ONLY annoying thing about someone helping someone else across the line is that it's getting a lot of attention from the media and is being painted as some amazing humanitarian act. Clearly that's not the case, but aside from that who really cares? It's not impacting anyone in the race except the two or three people involved in the incident. And there is absolutely no reason to officially DQ someone who already isn't doing well.

Bottom line: Stop feeding this behavior and the media with attention and this fad will go away. Simple.

Most reasonable people would say that what Rees did was classy unlike people who are trying a bit too hard to prove what big tough competitors they are.

Lol at the snowflake thinking that he's got everyone who doesn't fall for this normie inspiration porn figured out.

How about some questions for you:

1) were you so fat in school that you gave up on goals in life, except for the goal of making condescending judgements to competitive types?

2) how often do you fantasize about being a charity runner, cutting a course, or white knighting a Mike Rossi on a public forum?

ExpertKipWatcher wrote:

Most reasonable people would say that what Rees did was classy unlike people who are trying a bit too hard to prove what big tough competitors they are.

I don't know that it's especially classy. If the guy needed medical help classy would be making sure he gets help. Helping someone across the line doesn't help with a medical crisis, and if the person is just tired it's maybe "nice" but really a useless gesture. Why does crossing the line in a race have to be a life or death thing?

That said, again, I don't think it's anything worth losing sleep or threads over. At the end of the day, just like the multitudes of people who finish behind me in a race and who get all sorts of sh*t upon here on this board, I couldn't care less about this activity. It has zero impact on me, my race, or my training.

Naw, I'm sure he's spent his whole life dreaming about someone like you, buttercup.

What bothers me is we are seeing this nonsense in championship races like NCAA conference meets and HS State Meets. In championship races all the runners are capable of getting themselves across the finish line without help. These races are short enough and the athletes elite enough that more than likely no one is going to be in serious medical trouble. Yet we have one runner assisting another runner cross the finish line, which is cheating and not sportsmanship.

This is a new phenomenon. It wasn't happening 20 years ago. This is not heroic, compassionate nor sportsmanship. Heroic is saving a person from drowning. Compassionate is volunteering at a nursing home. Sportsmanship is patting the runner on the back when they finally do finish. Assisting a fellow sub 3 hour marathon runner, who paid to run a grueling race and more than capable of finishing on his own, cross the finish line is not.

Moral preening is a serious problem in our society and this is an example.

Thanks for speaking out Heartless.

"Moral preening." I love it. That's exactly what it is. It seems everyone wants a "look at me, I'm so inspiring, I'm a good person" moment. Guys, if another runner is in that amount of distress where he (or she) is on the verge of collapse, that runner needs medical attention. Alert the appropriate staff and get out of the way.

Heartless wrote:

Yep, another of these stupid schmaltzy stories:

- If the runner could possibly finish on their own, you just ruined their race by getting them DQed.

- If the runner truly needed medical help, there are professionals around to help them and whatever might do would likely make it worse.

- I suppose if they are falling and you catch their head before it smacks the ground, you helped them. But other than that, YOU'RE NOT HELPING.

- Just run your race.

Obviously you didn't watch the video.

-There was no way that guy was gonna finish. He didn't even know which direction the finish line was in.

-The only medical professionals that I saw were across the finish line.

-The runner definitely would've fallen had he not been held up.

Races could put an end to this by stationing medical personnel along the last quarter mile or so instead of having them all past the finish line. They won't, though, because they think these kinds of stories are good publicity.

This is your comeback on my questions. Furthermore, is this supposed to sway me to even entertain the other side?But, I digress. I will answer your questions with a bit of a commentary on the side.1> it is certainly not the competitive types that I judge or seem condescending to. Nope. I personally have the utmost respect for Lagat, Kipchoge, Tergat, Farah, Rupp, Hall, Webb, Radcliffe, Linden, and Hasay, just to name a few, although a comprehensive list will take pages.No. My problem is with the insecure competitive types who, much in the style you emulates, choose to belittle people with terms like snowflake and even fat to try to one-up them. Yes, you see, my problem is with you "one-upmanship types. And honestly, if you're running 16 minute 5Ks ( as I seem to have visited before, the fact that you are only 20% faster is not a license for the attitude or to imply I was fat. So, I am not giving you this carrot. As the fat person you thought I was, I will eat the carrot, um, and your lunch, as I am doing now.You'll just have to wonder.2> Nobody fantasizes about a moment when it happens. Sometimes, it just happens. Have you even run a marathon to know what I mean?Yes, I do have you figured out. It's written all over your angst.Sincerely,MikeSan Marcos, CAfitsport156@aol.com

Live to run wrote:

Lol at the snowflake thinking that he's got everyone who doesn't fall for this normie inspiration porn figured out.

How about some questions for you:

1) were you so fat in school that you gave up on goals in life, except for the goal of making condescending judgements to competitive types?

2) how often do you fantasize about being a charity runner, cutting a course, or white knighting a Mike Rossi on a public forum?

Drops mic

AuthorPrecious RoySubjectRE: The heartwarming moment a runner gets a competitor DQedMessageAt the Houston marathon a few years ago, a guy dropped at the finish line. Medical staff jumped into action and found that the guy was having a heart attack. They had an AED and saved his life.

You never know what is happening with someone who is struggling this badly in a marathon or tri. Race officials really need to start taking charge of these situations and stop letting other competitors try to turn them into feel good moments. It is too dangerous. Medical staff needs to jump in and get the runner off the course and into the medical tent.

this ^^^

those in the pic are not what is being questioned; but rather the attitude about running that seems to be surfacing that it is more about helping others and being "warm-hearted" than competitive and/or driving to the finish. the net reaction seems to be that running isn't being taken seriously, and, honestly, i agree to an extent.

in the peace core... yes. if someone is literally having a medical emergency, yes. crossing the finish line in a race when someone is improperly fueled?

not to be a nit here, but qualifying standards for boston (for example) would beg to differ.

this is a RACE. time is an important factor. if you don't think so, go for a jog on the bike path!! why cheapen the experience of other runners in a race by celebrating those who don't care about time? it cheapens the sport and detracts of the general interest in elite events....

.2 matters. because its a timed race. c'mon.

I'm not buying it.

weeping willow wrote:

Stoppit Smith wrote:

And realistically, how you look is not everything.

After 26 miles, nothing really matters.

.2 matters. because its a timed race. c'mon.

I think how you look matters, a lot... especially where weight is concerns...Stoppit Smith amiright?

Yet another 0/10.