A Race Debate

On Monday night, one of my neighbor friends transferred her bib to me for the Annapolis 10 mile race. She had signed up a while ago, but since then her husband received PCS orders to move in a tight time frame. This meant that she'd no longer be here when the race is held (end of this month), so she ever so nicely gave me her bib. I like when races give you an option to transfer your bib, especially if they don't do deferments!

The Annapolis 10 mile race is actually a fairly large event: about 5,500 run the race and they close down traffic for the race. I had wanted to run the race, but it's somewhat expensive (in my book) and with all of my other races, it seemed like it was too much to pay for just 10 miles. I do a "cost per mile" assessment before signing up for any race. :)

This should be an interesting race for me. Annapolis in late August? Those hills? Running across that bridge twice with no shade?

Look! Jet thingys!

This is not marketed as a flat run:

At least the last mile is downhill-ish?

I was reading about the rules for the race and I came across something...troublesome. Now, I'm used to races having time cut-offs. Every race I've ever done has a time cut-off. This race has a pretty strict cut-off of maintaining 12:00 minute miles, or else you either get swept at mile 8 or you can finish, but you won't get your medal or your jacket. 

I can see both sides of this issue:

Pro cut-off:

• They can only close down the roads for so long.
• The race is run by volunteers and their time is valuable.

Anti cut-off:

• Someone can train and work their butt off and still have a hard time running faster than 12:00 minute miles. That doesn't make them less of a runner and they should get a fricking medal and their damn jacket if they finish. 
• It makes the event more intimidating than it should be. 

I'm not anti cut-offs for races in general, but I think maintaining 12:00 minute miles is too strict.  I mean, what would adding 20 minutes to the overall time the roads are closed really matter? Also, even if the roads are reopened, the runners that choose to continue should still get their jacket and medal. They paid for the race and they finished the race. Heck, I have shirts for races I didn't even run, how can they deny swag to someone for running ten miles in 2:05 instead of 1:59? 

There is a strong likelihood that I will finish the race and get my medal and swag and then go out and wait and give it to someone who finished too late. Why? Because I think getting out there and running a race and being in the back of the pack takes WAY more guts than being a boring middle of the pack runner like me. 

I got a taste of what that must be like at my last 50K. Everyone had already gone home and soon after we crossed the finish line, they started packing everything up. Yes, I know our finish time was good and it was more because most of the people ran a shorter event, but it still kinda sucked to have such an anti-climatic ending to a race and see most people driving away as we were running toward the finish. 

I don't know if this race is trying to make that jacket a status symbol or something with calling it the "Finisher's Premium" and only awarding it to people who finish under a certain pace. I hope not, because that's pretty elitist. It's like when people say things like "Well, you're not a REAL marathoner if it took you 6 hours to finish". I always want to smack those people. 

*Note: I would feel the same about giving my swag away even if I had paid the full price for this race.

Where do you stand on this issue? Do you think races should establish cut-off times that are more inclusive for all runners? Or is it ok for larger events that require road closures to cater more toward the middle of the pack runners?


Would your race swag be more meaningful if you had to "earn" it versus everyone getting it?

I will announce the winners of the Fisher House Raffle at 1:30pm today! You still have time!!