An open letter to race directors from the back of the pack!

uconn history wrote:

Big boneded 893 wrote:

https://300poundsandrunning.com/an-open-letter-to-race-directors-from-the-back-of-the-pack

The "everybody is a winner" mentality runs deep here. Same guy?

https://www.necn.com/news/new-england/UConn-Employee-Accused-of-Awarding-Husband-Fellowship-he-Didnt-Apply-For-416889353.html

This post isn't getting enough attention. Without a doubt the same person. Really, this should be the nail in the coffin for anybody that is on the fence about this BS article. This guy is just trying to further his personal agenda and become "internet famous" with a provocative subject that he knows is going to get the crowd here and on social media riled up.

Entitled, to say the least.

The lack of water for the back of the pack is not right, that issue should he avoided at every race.

On the other hand, if they run out of finishing medals then cry me a river does a grown man really need a medal to verify his completetion?

Lastly, one quote that especially pissed me off:

" I'm not meb keflezighi but I put my running shoes on one foot at a time just like him. I trained for this race just like him"

No, you didn't. that's false. you did not dedicate your life to showing up on the starting line healthy and fit, grinding out 120 mile weeks and countless hours agua jogging and strength stuff and drills and massages. so no you did not train for this race just like him, you trained to finish this race by running like 30mpw with an 18 mile long run. not the same.

nonelitestart wrote:

More races should allow these back of the pack types (say 6:30+ marathon) to start two hours earlier than the real runners. Things might not be fully set up as they start, but it won't be torn down when they finish their lengthy voyage.

The issue is that none of the more talented and hard working runners who don't run that slow want to have to through all of that traffic when they come up on the slow ones on the course.

How are we not talking more about this? This guy keeps talking about his "hard earned money" both in the article and on his podcast. What hard earned money? His wife just tried to give him $53,700 from the university that he absolutely did not earn. If this is something that he got caught doing, what else is he doing where he doesn't get caught?

My favorite part is when he calls himself a "fat athlete." That's an oxymoron in the sport of running. If you want to call yourself a "fat athlete" in the sport of sumo wrestling or football, fine. But even those guys can run a faster 40 yard dash than most people on this site, which is plenty athletic.

I like the poster who mentioned that these people need to stick to shorter distances. If you go into a marathon with the intention of walking most or all of it, then go to your local track and do it. But somehow we've created a society where everybody needs to feel equal and that the rest of us all owe them the exact same treatment.

You want to know what I don't think is fair? The fact that I have to sign up to run Chicago or New York almost a year in advance because now everybody wants to do a marathon. Or the fact that it costs so much to run now because these 300 pound runners need the "experience" of a big race expo and the biggest, fanciest medal and brightest colored finishers t-shirt. Forget all of that mess. Just give me a closed street for 2.5-3.5 hours and either line the course with water every few miles or allow me to put my own out on the course in an area you keep secure. Save all of us $100. I've throw away more finisher medals and given away more finisher shirts than this guy has probably felt he's earned in his entire life. I keep the ones that mean something to me.

runnerguy315 wrote:

The lack of water for the back of the pack is not right, that issue should he avoided at every race.

On the other hand, if they run out of finishing medals then cry me a river does a grown man really need a medal to verify his completetion?

The issue's not whether finisher medals are a good idea (personally, I think they're kinda silly and wish races would get rid of them). If Hobby Jogger Joe signs up and pays the entry fee for the Turkey Trot, he should get whatever swag the race promised him. Period.

The finish line of a marathon is pretty chaotic once the bulk of the runners come through. Some are thrilled, others are crying, and many need medical attention. I'm sure some of the stuff gets lost in the chaos. Not to mention almost everybody helping at the finish line is a VOLUNTEER and this guy is really mad at them for their mistake. If 20,000 people "run" a marathon and 100 people finish so late that all of the medals have been taken, then that's still a 99.5% success rate. Way better than most businesses. If you think anybody can be perfect when organizing an event for thousands of people, you're delirious.

My exact thoughts when seeing the title of this article.

I can recommend 6- 12- and 24-hour loop courses. They're are more of them all the time. Back to basics, user-friendly, easy to organize also.

I shoot races and unless I'm pulled, I shoot every last finisher. It can be a long wait. During one recent race I finally got in my car and went looking for the tail of the race. I found it - two women hanging out by a tree, falling off 7hr pace. In another race I found the last finisher sitting on a park bench, clutching a large purse, talking on her phone. She had a bib on, so I waited until she stood up so I could take her photo and go home. I do see plenty of slow, but motivated finishers and people who are dealing with serious health issues at the back of races too. In any case, I am thanked by a lot of people at the back for staying on the course.

nonelitestart wrote:

More races should allow these back of the pack types (say 6:30+ marathon) to start two hours earlier than the real runners. Things might not be fully set up as they start, but it won't be torn down when they finish their lengthy voyage.

So then as the RD I have to have the course set up 2 hours earlier?

If the course is scheduled to be open for 7 hours, then yes all the amenities should be there. Although sometimes water stations do run out of water (not good), but taking down mile markers and timing mats should not happen until the proper time.

Then don't run wrote:

If you can't run under 5 hrs for a marathon, you have no business running the distance. So don't show up to the race and save everyone and yourself the trouble.

At YOUR race, you can set whatever time limit you like, but many are open 6 or more hours.

Imagine if you were headed to buy a pair of running shoes at the only place with 1000 miles that sold them and you made a special trip just to get them. The store's website says it is open until 6pm, but because business was slow the owner closes an hour early. How ticked would you be?

Well if a race advertises to be open 6 hours then accommodations should be made.

Sometimes you run out of water.

Sometimes you run out of medals maybe because more late sign ups than you planned for.

My suggestion is that they do what I do when a race doesn't bother to make the course accurate, has poorly marked course, etc. Don't run it again. Let your wallet do the talking.

This is from a "front of the pack" runner. I think there is a place for most types of runners in a race. But let's remember it is a "race" and it is for "runners".

Peace.

I agree to let your wallet do the talking. That said, I have been putting on races of varying distances for 40 years. I always have a person designated to follow the last runner. That way things can start getting cleaned up and markers taken down and the same with water stations once the slowest runner has past by. If a race doesn't have a person out there following the last runner, you are not putting on a safe race.

Positive Contribution wrote:

An open letter to the back of the pack runners!

Lose weight and get faster.

Sincerely,

Everyone else

+1000000000

George Smith wrote:

I always have a person designated to follow the last runner. ... If a race doesn't have a person out there following the last runner, you are not putting on a safe race.

We call them the "back marker" in Brit cross country. A basic health and safety point. With Strava, OpenTrack, mobile phones et al, there is no excuse for not knowing where the last person on the course is.

race photog wrote:

I shoot races and unless I'm pulled, I shoot every last finisher. It can be a long wait.

I was pretty concerned when I read this part lol

So if this girl or guy really does train like Meb as they claim then why are they so slow?

The tone of the article is garbage. But if they are finishing within the time limits. They deserve to be mad. They paid money like anyone else. If they can't finish within the time limits, pick a different exercise activity.

As someone who has directed many races before, here is my perspective.

Races must fairly provide the same advertised amenities for back of the packers as for the race leaders. Same aid, same course markings, same finishing medals, etc.

That said, it takes extra preparation and resources to properly accommodate back of the packers. Often times these people are more likely to have marginal fitness and other health issues than those nearer the front of the pack. This can tax a race's emergency response network. Back of the packers often require more aid (water/ gels) because they are out there longer. There must be adequate sag wagons to evacuate DNFs from the course.

Prudent race directors establish a time limit under which all official finishers must finish, and intermediate time cut offs to ensure participants are making adequate progress towards finishing under the time limit. These need to be clearly stated from the beginning as part of the initial race information.

Clear directions and information must be provided to runners regarding what happens if they do not make the time cut offs.

No matter where a race director sets these time limits, there will be a group of runners that will be unhappy because they can not finish under the set time limits.

Also, anyone who is not satisfied with the way current races are conducted is welcome to become a race director.