“If you’re wearing a marathon T-shirt, that doesn’t mean much anymore,” Given said on the eve of this month’s Baltimore Marathon, where vendors were selling products that celebrate slower runners. One sticker said: “I’m slow. I know. Get over it.”
“I always ask those people, ‘What was your time?’ If it’s six hours or more, I say, ‘Oh great, that’s fine, but you didn’t really run it,’ ” said Givens, who finished the Baltimore race in 4:05:52.
Let me tell you something Ms. Given, I work my ass off on the road. It is not pretty, and at the end of the run I am in a lot of pain. I do it because of my love of the sport, and I am testing myself against the road and the clock. That is what the marathon is about. It is not only for the 4 hour or less people. What if the the elites told you your 4 hour was too slow, and you aren't really running, and you really shouldn't be in their race. Do you know how insulting that it?
The fact is running is something we should be encouraging. There are time limits on the courses and they should be adhered to. I fully realize the clock is ticking when I start, and I want to finish before the the course closes. If I was running beyond that time, I wouldn't enter the race at all.
I deal with beginning runners everyday. These people need all the encouragement they can get. For the record, most marathons would not be as financially successful if it weren't for the 6 hour folks.
Charlie
2 comments:
What idiots.
I thought it was silly. The 3:59:59 runner still takes twice as long as the Kenyan who wins. Am I in someone's way, running eleven minute miles? Do I want to get faster? Of course. Will I get faster? I expect so. I've got another 25 pounds to lose. Am I overweight at 177? Sure I am. Even if the tables didn't verify it, a glance in the mirror at my gut does. Sometimes I think newspapers make up controversy to stir muck.
Last summer I met a gentleman in his 80s who completed the Kona Ironman at the age of 74. Probably he finished five or six hours after the winner. Should we ban his slow self?
It was a stupid article about a stupid subject by a lazy writer who needed to fill space.
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