Boston and Charity Runner - My Take

As many of you now know, the Boston Marathon opened registration yesterday, and it closed 8 hours later. Many runners were upset about this. I read this all over the web. Some of that anger has spilled on to the notion that people who run for charities in the marathon are "taking" spots away from them, that are "entitled" to.

Readers of this blog are not going to be surprised when I say I have to disagree with that notion. Of course I have a vested interest in this, as I am trying to be a charity runner for the race. Aside from that, I have been a long supporter of the charity program. The program generates millions of dollars for very worthy causes. This is money and exposure that some charities might not get it if weren't for this program.

It is not a cheap proposition to be a charity runner. In some cases, you have to raise almost $5000. That is not easy, and for those who sign up, you agree to make up the difference between what you raise and the goal.

There seems to be an issue out there that people who run for a charity are not running the race. Au contraire - while we might not be the fastest runners in the race, we work hard and train hard for this run. Boston is a huge test of physical endurance, and those who take it on, don't do it lightly.

So what is the real issue? I'm sure I won't please many people, and may lose some readers when I say this, but here it goes. No one is "taking" your spot. You worked hard, and qualified, and registration closed early. Getting rid of the charity program is not going to magically give you "your spot" in the race. It won't keep the race from filling in 8 hours. So please stop blaming people like me, because you couldn't get into Boston.

Controversies like this tick me off, because it divides runners. I went off last year when I read articles about runners complaining that marathons are not for 4-6 hours finishers. This is snobbery bothers the heck out of me.

This is a sport that anyone, and I mean anyone can do. Right foot, left foot, repeat. We all work towards our own goals in running. My dream has been to run Boston. Due to my physical issues, I can't qualify. I can run a good marathon though, and I feel people like me have every right to run the race.

My incentive to really push me through is my wonderful niece Sabrina. By raising money and awareness for the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, I am helping people like her, and families with Down Syndrome. They need support and encouragement. If I am granted an entry, I will have to raise $3250. That is not small feat. I will train as hard as I can, and work as hard as I can to achieve these goals.

So to those who did not get registered - I'm sorry. People like me though are not keeping you out of the race though, so stop blaming us.

Charlie