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Yesterday, for the first time in history, The Boston Marathon sold out less than 8 hours after registration opened. This quick sell-out was expected and has caused quite the stir amongst runners. I can only imagine the frustration of working your ass off to train to run a BQ (Boston Qualifying time) and not being able to register for Boston because the race sold out quickly. I get the frustration, I really do but let's be honest, everyone in the running world knew a quick sell-out was a very real possibility.
There will be approximately 26,000 people lining up to run this prestigious race next April. About 1,350 of them will be charity runners. These 1,350 spots are not the reason Boston filled quickly.
Boston filled quickly because marathoning is becoming increasingly popular. More runners running marathons means more runners will run a BQ time and more BQ times mean more runners will be attempting to register for Boston. I also think part of the problem is that Boston organizers have been predicting a sell-out for sometime now. Sending emails about an expected quick sell-out creates a frenzy once registration opens. This happens with a lot of races, not just Boston. The 2010 Mountain Desert Island Marathon took place just the past Sunday and the 2011 race is already a near sell-out.
What I've noticed since the sell-out of Boston is a lot of elitist attitudes coming out of the woodwork and that's what has really upset me. I've seen a lot of people bashing charity runners and I've also seen a lot of people being pretty negative to those whom they feel don't have tough enough BQ times. This really bothers me. In my opinion, elitist attitudes have no place in running. I'm a slow runner who has completed two marathons. Does that make me less worthy of running the same race as someone who happens to run a 3:20 marathon? I would argue the answer to that question is no. We are all runners - fast, slow, and somewhere in between - and I think we all deserve the respect of others.
I'm sure a lot of you have seen these Pearl Izumi ads and maybe you've poked around on Run Like An Animal. These ads embody everything I hate about elitist runners. Those that have been running for years and years are no better than that woman who is running to fit into her wedding dress. My slow marathon times do not mean that I've haven't trained hard to be able to put one foot in front of another for 26.2 miles. I have put countless hours into my training - the fact that the finish line clock starts with a different number than some when I finish shouldn't diminish my finish or my value as a runner.There is a place in the running world for all runners, and like it or not, charity runners are here to stay. I've personally raised over $7,000 in less than a year for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training and St. Jude's through my hard work and the generosity of those around me. Remember those 1,350 charity runners that will get to run Boston? In 2010 they raised over one MILLION dollars for their respective charities. So instead of saying they don't belong in Boston, let's all pony up and help them surpass their fundraising goals!
And those elusive BAA jackets you see around expos? You can bet your ass I'll be wearing one around town if I ever get the honor of running Boston via a charity entry!
Amen Sista!!
ReplyDeleteyou wrote: Does that make me less worthy of running the same race as someone who happens to run a 3:20 marathon?
ReplyDeletethe answer is not no. its yes. its unfortunate and applies to me as well, so its not like i am trying to be mean. i have to run 4:00:59 to qualify and will do everything in my power to get there ... i get 5 more min in a few years though thankfully.
and i will NEVER EVER EVER run Boston as a charity runner. for many reasons, but i will leave those unsaid.
marathons have become 'events' as opposed to races. We need to make them races again.
and i love those PI ads! i have them as my screensavers. they are not there to make you or anyone else feel bad about themselves, but to INSPIRE you do to more. ive gone from a 5:30 marathoner to a 4:20ish since january 2007. but from sheer guts and determination and training.
put down the phone and the iPod and push yourself.
I think a lot of bad attitudes vented their frustration where it didn't belong. Did Boston sell out fast? yes. Everyone knew it was going to. I feel bad for those who have qualifying times and didn't get in. I've registered for races that have sold out in less than half the time that Boston did, and no one goes around complaining that someone who just ran a 3:40 BQ marathon time is a "jogger" in their eyes. Honestly, we are better than this!The organizers were upfront and honest about the registration situation. There is no need to go and trash talk
ReplyDeleteJenn, I admire anyone who can qualify for Boston, but I agree with you that we are all in this race together...not necessarily the Boston Marathon, but the race to improve ourselves, and as in your case as a charity runner, to improve the lives of those around us. I love running because I compete against myself. I know I will never qualify for Boston, but if I ran to compete against elite runners, I would have quit after my first 42 minute 5K. So Jenn, you keep on running for yourself, and all those cancer patients! You'll win that race every time.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have said it better myself!
ReplyDeletePart of the frustration people have felt with Boston this year is both the quick sellout (it's never sold that fast) and issues with getting through the registration website (tons of issues).
ReplyDeleteAs for those who hate their precious races have become events packed with unworthy participants, here's a hearty "fuck you" in return. Bitch at the race organizers for letting less-than-ideal specimens into the event, not that those who are meeting the rules of the race and gaining entry.
Wow, big foul on Pearl Izumi for those ads! I've never seen those before.
ReplyDeleteAm I as "good" as the elite runners? Physically, no. My current best time for a mile is 8:26, and I'm okay with that. But it's not about the speed, it's about the spirit!
Hey Anonymous, why don't you grow a pair and leave your name?
ReplyDeleteAnyways, back to the blog.
Jen, you've blossomed as a runner over this past year. I can't wait to see you improve over this upcoming year (and I have no doubt that you will). If you BQ I will be so freakin' proud of you. I'll send flowers. No joke. You're one of my favorite runners, after all. But if you decide to run Boston as a charity runner I will do my best to promote your charity and donate as much as I can because not only do I believe in you as a runner and as a person but I believe in giving back to the community.
Good post, Jen.
Yes, the frustration is misplaced. Charity runners did not displace 7 weeks of prospective entrants.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I see BQ as a personal goal worthy of failing at. If I fail, I will not register. I know many people who hit the pavement 5am for an hour, and then again at lunch or in the evening, and then a long run on the weekends--80-100 miles per week. They push themselves to the edge of 6-8 weeks worth of injury. I will never run Boston as a charity runner out of a personal respect for those who have laid it on the line and succeeded. I have no problem with elitism in this respect.
At the same time, those whose only motivation for bashing charity runners at Boston is to be member of a club that excludes others need to wake up. The age grade for the 3:40:59 women's standard is a 61% percent and for the 3:10:49 men's standard is 65%. That's the fastest person in a town, not an elite athlete.
Of course, if you *really* want to belong to an "exclusive running club", you need to run 2:19 as a male. That's the new qualifying standard for the 2012 Olympic Trials. Tough cookies--this "excluding people from a club" thing works both ways. Oh, and guess what? That doesn't get you into the Olympics, and that definitely won't get you to even see any of the medalists anywhere near the finish line.
As for charity, there are plenty of other opportunities for charity running elsewhere. I'll pick my battles with the people who don't want to see charity runners there, out of respect for those hard working people to whom charity is not a plague upon running.
Ultimately, it's the people who just want to feel better about themselves by putting others down who start these arguments in the first place.
This comment is from @stringsn88keys (http://twitter.com/#!/stringsn88keys), not sure why it's not showing up:
ReplyDeleteYes, the frustration is misplaced. Charity runners did not displace 7 weeks of prospective entrants.
However, I see BQ as a personal goal worthy of failing at. If I fail, I will not register. I know many people who hit the pavement 5am for an hour, and then again at lunch or in the evening, and then a long run on the weekends--80-100 miles per week. They push themselves to the edge of 6-8 weeks worth of injury. I will never run Boston as a charity runner out of a personal respect for those who have laid it on the line and succeeded. I have no problem with elitism in this respect.
At the same time, those whose only motivation for bashing charity runners at Boston is to be member of a club that excludes others need to wake up. The age grade for the 3:40:59 women's standard is a 61% percent and for the 3:10:49 men's standard is 65%. That's the fastest person in a town, not an elite athlete.
Of course, if you *really* want to belong to an "exclusive running club", you need to run 2:19 as a male. That's the new qualifying standard for the 2012 Olympic Trials. Tough cookies--this "excluding people from a club" thing works both ways. Oh, and guess what? That doesn't get you into the Olympics, and that definitely won't get you to even see any of the medalists anywhere near the finish line.
As for charity, there are plenty of other opportunities for charity running elsewhere. I'll pick my battles with the people who don't want to see charity runners there, out of respect for those hard working people to whom charity is not a plague upon running.
Ultimately, it's the people who just want to feel better about themselves by putting others down who start these arguments in the first place.
I hate those Perl Izumi ads. They make my stomach turn.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Jenn!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Jenn! So many things to comment on but I'll just touch on a few. 1) I hate the PI ads and think they're very condescending. 2) I hadn't heard peeps complaining about charity runners regarding the Boston sellout - I hear more that the times should be tightened for the ladies. More power to the charity runners if you ask me! 3) Having said that, I personally would not run Boston for a charity. I'm a past TnT participant as well and appreciate the value they bring but I would choose another race like Nike over that one. Let me digress for a sec... one of my good friends told me he ran Boston and I was super impressed. I asked what his qualifying race was and later found out that he ran Boston as a bandit. I immediately went into judge-y mode :) B/c to me, being able to say "I ran Boston" is an honor, a prestigious athletic achievement. If I were him, I would always clarify that I ran as a bandit, but to be honest, i would never run any race as a bandit. By the same token, if I ever was to run Boston, I would want it to be because I qualified (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) and honored the spirit of the event. But that is just for ME and I totally respect what others choose to do.
ReplyDeleteOn a final note, "Anonymous" had a lot to say but yet couldn't own up to it. I say keep your trap shut if you can't even sign your name to it.
Oh wait one more thing, I wanted to tell you that I think you are such a superstar for battling out the Chicago marathon... runners like you and me are practically like ultra marathoners compared to the 3-4hr crowd... we're still out there working and pushing ourselves while they can just sit and relax. if you ask me, we're the hardcore ones. :)
First of all, get your facts straight. There are 5,000 spots reserved for charity, see The Wall Street Journal article dated Oct. 13. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703673604575550133914934718.html
ReplyDeleteBoston Marathon specifically advertises that it is an elite marathon. They don't hide this fact. There are lots of other marathons where the mission is to fund raise. This one is not. Yes, there is a place for charity runners and runners of all speeds. However, you don't get into the Olympics by raising money.
Thanks for all the comments.
ReplyDeleteI almost locked anonymous comments, but I chose to leave them open. I'm assuming these 2 comments were left by two different people.
To Anon #1 - Thank you for stating your opinion in a respectful manner.
And to Anon #2 - I did check my facts. Every single article I was able to find indicates that the 5,000 spots talked about in the WSJ article includes those entries that are given to local businesses - and in my opinion, runners who are invited to run are just that, invitational runners not charity runners.
Yes, Boston is a race that is designed for faster runners (I'm sorry, but find me anyone who thinks a 3:50:59 time is an elite time), but the organizers obviously allow for charity runners - and as you say "They don't hide this fact."
Jenn,
ReplyDeleteI love your posts and tweets and everything else but I think this one is not one of your best rants.
1) Just for full disclosure I am a BQ qualifier with a 3:07 and I did manage to register for Boston yesterday morning.
2) I have no problem with charity runners, I don't think they're taking anyone's spots. Everyone knows that out of the 25,000 spots only 20,000 go to entrants who met the qualification standard. I think raising money for charity is great and I appreciate all the effort that goes into it. It's just not something I would personally try to do, I'd hate selling Girl Scout Cookies just as much as I would hate hitting up my friends and family for money just so I can enter a race regardless of the cause. I'd also hate to run Boston and afterward having to explain that "I didn't qualify but I did raise $3,000 for charity XY and I finished it in 5+ hrs".
3) "I'm a slow runner who has completed two marathons. Does that make me less worthy of running the same race as someone who happens to run a 3:20 marathon?" The answer is yes. There are hundreds of marathons that you can "complete" anywhere in the US or the rest of the world. Boston is not one of them. No one is entitled to run Boston, not even the ones who qualified. It is a privilege with requirements that have to be met: a) run a marathon within the qualifying time within 18 months of the Boston Marathon and b) register in time for the race. If you don't meet the requirements you're not eligible to run it.
It would be equally wrong for me to say "I have ran two marathons under 3:10. Does that make me less worthy of running in the Olympic Trials in Houston?" And the answer is yes. I did not meet the requirements to run in the Olympic Trials so I have no business running it, simple as that.
4) I love those PI ads, they really should inspire people to fall in the runner category instead of the also ran category. I have nothing against slower runners. I am actually grateful for them as without slower runners the whole industry would be much much smaller which would mean fewer and more expensive races/gear/equipment for me. Call me selfish, I just don't see what the big deal is.
Bottom line is that no one is entitled to running Boston regardless of pace, charity fund-raising ability or computer literacy on registration day.