Why does running not have weight classes?

Triathlon has Athena/Clydesdale

Shhhh, we're not allowed to discuss the "w" word on here. Reported.

weight class wrote:

What is the reason for running events not having weight classes such as other sports like boxing? Seems like it would make sense, there are age groups and gender division, but not weight? Weight is easily just as much a factor. Wouldn't having weight classes make running more popular? How many athletes would participate in running events if they actually could complete on an even playing field? No large athletes will ever stand a chance against smaller athletes in running so none of those athletes will take it seriously.

Should there be weightclass in Basketball, Football, Tennis, cycling, , swimming, formula one?

Weightclass only exist in fighting sport so people don't get upset seeing a small man getting beaten up by a big man.

Wouldn't this also alleviate that issue? Such as with Mary Cain?

It would even ad an element of strategy that doesnt currently exist, with runners choosing to go up or down in weight where they think they might be more competitive.

Seems like a no brainer.

Hardloper wrote:

Shhhh, we're not allowed to discuss the "w" word on here. Reported.

Did your win your well prepared 5k ?

Track & field has weight various weight divisions. Smaller guys are distance runners, sprinters to 800m athletes are usually average size and large guys are throwers.

Where to stop? wrote:

Hardloper wrote:

Shhhh, we're not allowed to discuss the "w" word on here. Reported.

Did your win your well prepared 5k ?

My 5K is next week amigo.

weight class wrote:

What is the reason for running events not having weight classes such as other sports like boxing? Seems like it would make sense, there are age groups and gender division, but not weight? Weight is easily just as much a factor. Wouldn't having weight classes make running more popular? How many athletes would participate in running events if they actually could complete on an even playing field? No large athletes will ever stand a chance against smaller athletes in running so none of those athletes will take it seriously.

Doesn't matter nearly as much as in boxing. There are skinny sprinters like Wariner or Lemaitre and heavy distance runners like Solinsky and Mottram (160+).

Why make an entire sport extremely complicated? How many races would you do at Olympics, 5x100, 5x200, 5x400, 5x800, ......, 5xMarathon, x2 (male/female) turns out to a few hundred if not thousand races.

Alternatively, if you let everyone race together it would be too complicated to notice who is winning in which division.

Cycling, swimming, all endurance sports would have the same problem. You would be willing to ruin a sport just to have your stupid weight classes.

One of the most stupid ideas I've ever read on LRC, and I'm also stupid myself for typing a long reply -_-

I would say there should be weight classes in any sport where physics dictate that a certain size will have an unfair advantage over an opposite sized persons.

In football, no its a team sport make up of various sized individuals (granted mostly large). Tennis, i dont know enough about to say how much advantage there is for different sizes.

Boxing has weight classes because of the devastating effects that could result in putting two unmatched competitors against each other. In other sports, the less powerful athlete just loses, in boxing he could die or suffer serious injury.

I agree that weight classes for running is stupid. Besides the obvious reasons that it is stupid and unneeded, to do it properly, you couldn't just have people declare what weight they are, you'd actually have to have a weigh-in for all of them. I mean, get serious here.

I mean, it wouldn't even have to be that complicated. You could just have even just 2 divisions rather than in boxing where there are many.

Maybe it would 'ruin' it for some, but would make it more appealing for those who are too large to be competitive against the small guys.

It does. For decades now there have been thousands of races with weight divisions.

Don't athletes already have to get tested for doping? Why is having them stand on a scale so hard but testing for doping no issue?

Kvothe wrote:

Boxing has weight classes because of the devastating effects that could result in putting two unmatched competitors against each other. In other sports, the less powerful athlete just loses, in boxing he could die or suffer serious injury.

Interesting logic, but flawed. Weight classes in boxing are there to expand the pool of competitors. Weight classes give guys an opportunity to compete that would have no chance in an open weight class.

In football, light guys can't just build a team. Like you say, they could die or suffer serious injury against a NFL team. They could very well compete against other light guys, let's say in a sub 130 lbs football league. But boxing allows athletes without the physique to compete at the highest level due to weight classes, football does not.

weight class wrote:

Wouldn't this also alleviate that issue? Such as with Mary Cain?

It would even ad an element of strategy that doesnt currently exist, with runners choosing to go up or down in weight where they think they might be more competitive.

Seems like a no brainer.

It would be the reverse of boxing.

They cut weight and desydhrate themsleves to try fight in a smaller weightclass to have the advantage.

In running it would be the reverse, people would be padding themselves trying to be in the heavier weightclass then try to lose the weight quickly after.

We would have to make naked weight in in order to be sure people aren't hiding weight in their clothes.

Lame Fake Name wrote:

I agree that weight classes for running is stupid. Besides the obvious reasons that it is stupid and unneeded, to do it properly, you couldn't just have people declare what weight they are, you'd actually have to have a weigh-in for all of them. I mean, get serious here.

1) Imagine weighing in 30,000 people for a marathon. LOL.

2) Imagine what Salazar would do to have his athletes cut weight like crazy. I think weight classes would be the real start of modern (weight-)doping, and thyroid meds would probably be one of the softest things he would get to cut the weight of his athletes.

Yeah, weight classes in boxing are mostly for the opposite reason I am arguing for them in running. Its to allow the small guys a chance to compete whereas this would allow for larger athletes a chance to compete.

weight class wrote:

I would say there should be weight classes in any sport where physics dictate that a certain size will have an unfair advantage over an opposite sized persons.

In football, no its a team sport make up of various sized individuals (granted mostly large). Tennis, i dont know enough about to say how much advantage there is for different sizes.

Being tall is an enormous advantage in Basket and Swimming. What about that? Tennis player who are tall can also serve better and hit the ball higher.