Runners who accidentally did an extra loop get some relief.
Update: Okanagan marathon times will be adjusted after course mishap
Update: Okanagan marathon times will be adjusted after course mishap
| Started 2 years ago by Holly Miyasaki | (36 posts) (3 voices) |
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Posted 2 years ago #
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Posted by unregistered user: Kelly Koome
I ran the Half-Marathon course and loved it. I feel very bad for those marathoners who missed their Boston Qualifying time or Personal Best. As a participant and organizer of many athletic events I feel it is the responsibility of the Race Director to ensure the course is correct and properly signed. When you are near the end of a race, your mind and body are tired, and I cannot conceive of anyone breaking with the pack and not doing that extra distance. It is just not reasonable. Let’s hope race organizers can adjust the time.
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Posted by unregistered user: anon
The Running Room is behind all this. The Race Director is employed by the Running Room….Just another one of Stantons cash grab events!
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Posted by unregistered user: James
The runners responsibility? Maybe so. And I don’t think that the times should be adjusted. However, the times for this event are pretty much a farce now.
Marathon runners added time on to their course by going the wrong way but that’s not the only problem. I and at least ten other half marathoners in front of me, plus another group in front of and with my wife, and who knows how many more, failed to negotiate the Christleton loop and had no marshalling to tell me otherwise. We were well in front of the first marathon people too. A vast majority of the initial half marathon times are going to be out by around 3 minutes (the times appearing quicker than they should be) due to this.
I wonder if the announced ‘world record’ 70+ runner didn’t count because of the error?
We paid to have a well marshaled 1/2 marathon course with accurate timings and positioning. We didn’t get it. All placings are pretty much void as people ran different routes. Ridicuous.
I feel really sorry for the guys that missed out on Boston. The sheer volume of training that people put in to a qualifying race when they are near the cut off makes the event a bitter pill to swallow I am sure.
This should not have happened and I think racers are due an apology.
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Posted by unregistered user: Danny Beaman
You are correct about the herd mentality and the mentality of those that train at the running room in that the runners will goto one of their races but unfortunately they will not get a chance to participate in a classy race such as the Victoria Marathon. I have ran Red Deer, Boston, Kelona, Chicago & Chicago, in that order. Kelona was the only dud, a pathetic awards ceremony, well lets just say it wasn’t a ceremony! I liked the womens over all winner trophy had the spelling of Okanagan incorrect. I would have loved that for my mantel piece as I would have been a great conversation piece for years on running room organization.
Mind you Edmonton’s Marathon, quote, “Festival” was a joke a number of years ago, but the course was well marked and the entrance into the coliseum was nice. I’ve heard that’s it’s improved since 2002 with a new committee.
A number of us liked the beer at the finish line in Chicago last year! I need the beer to drown my sorrow for missing the under 3 hours by a minute and change! (A little off topic but my sense of humor!)
I do feel John Stanton is has become a successful business man but has done next nothing for the running community out side those who come into his store and buy expensive running gear. Once I counted his face 31 times in his 8 or 10 page magazine a few years back. What a joke. It also shows what he thinks of his under paid staff.
I lived in Edmonton during that faithful year he open his first store in Edmonton. Who would have known! Things looked promising between his store and running community back then.
I like the fact that certain stores in Calgary will not accept Calgary Road Runners sponsored events pamphlets. We are a volunteer organization that support all runners in the community through membership fee and a few sponsored races. We support races from Junior High athletes to elite runners through out the Calgary community and surrounding area.
Maybe they should send a pair of eyes our way and read CRR missions statement:
“It is our Mission Statement to facilitate, foster and promote distance running for pleasure, fitness, competition and sportsmanship. It is our intention to serve as a network for socializing and as a forum for discussing matters affecting the interests of runners, and to advocate on matters of interest and concern to runners in their pursuit and enjoyment of running.”
Cheers,
DannyPosted 2 years ago # -
Posted by unregistered user: Mark Martens
I have run this marathon twice. It is a poorly organized event and the fact that so many people went of course is virtually unheard of at “International” marathons. There are other choices for marathons out there over Thanksgiving and runners would be wise to go to them. The major race sponsor is well known for profits over runners!
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Posted by unregistered user: Heather Johnson (3rd place female)
How does changing results express integrity?!?!? This is an utter disaster. The entire set of resuts should be scrapped, and participants should be refunded.
What a joke.
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Posted by unregistered user: Kevin
A “herd mentality” is to blame for Marathon runners missing a turn? We runners are supposed to know the entire route? Are you kidding me? Talk about insulting! I ran the marathon on Sunday. There was no one in front of me when I arrived at the corner of Abbott and Christleton and yet I too ran the extra 575 metre loop. Come on Tom Keogh call it what it was. There were no marshals and no signs present to tell marathoners to go one way and half marathoners to go the other way.
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Posted by unregistered user: Don
For the race director to say it was “herd mentality” and the fault of the runners is simply astounding – it borders on disrespect. Anyone who has run a marathon knows full well that near the end of the race (the Half Marathon extra loop was at the 40k mark) all the runners are near exhaustion and mentally drained. To have to make a decision on which way to go at that point of the race is extremely poor course management. There could have been flashing neon signs and dozens of marshalls screaming at people telling them which way to go – and I guarantee,at the 40k point in a marathon, people would still go off course.
I’m looking forward to the public apology Tom Keogh makes to all the runners who spent months training for this event who paid close to $100 only to be insulted because they didn’t pay attention to the course. Rubbish!
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Posted by unregistered user: Abebe Bikila
@Mark Martens – all good points but I’m not sure alluding to a corporate conspiracy helps. I suppose running out of water in Chicago was a sponsor’s fault too? The buck stops with the Race Director, not his/her paymaster.
The times should not be adjusted. This is compounding the problem. If the Kelowna organizers want to send letters to the Boston people begging for mercy then so be it but the times should stand. It is the runner’s responsibility to know the route beforehand, no matter how cold-hearted that may seem.
That’s not to let the race off the hook – this should never have happened. Kelowna should find a better organizer, and Boston should remove any association with it until it can show it is a worthy marathon.
This does nothing to hurt Victoria’s reputation as the best marathon in the west. Next year Kelowna should be renamed the “Sorry” marathon and anyone who asks from this year’s race should be given a free entry for next year’s.
Finally a word to the wise – Boston is all well and good, but there are better marathons and also more exclusive ones (see qualifying times for Fukuoka…). So it really would be wrong to expect prospective BQers to act like anything else but sheep…
Posted 2 years ago #
