Lakefront Reports?

[Ryan]

Actually, the headphone rule and the outside aid rule are both international rules. Headphones can be used for a runner to receive coaching throughout every step of the race, which is an unfair advantage, as is outside aid. These rules are in place to ensure that everyone competes on a level playing field. Individual races may not have or enforce these rules but they are not uniquely American rules and they are in place for the good of ensuring that nobody has an unfair advantage over the rest of the field.

[Andrew A.]

In national championship races, even on the track?  What about in baseball games?  Futbol matches?  Championship tennis matches?  Golf tournaments?

what has to do running a race with head phones? you run with the legs no head phones,
none head phone will make you run faster.

no offense, but the are being pretty arbitrary. In my country you can listen to music if you want to, you can take water from a friend or other person besides the water stations, you can even run with the belt where you carry water. nothing happens.

as i read these rules i get pretty surprised, didn't imagine that in the usa you have those rules.

[cesar]

yes, they have rules in those sports. but i think that running is different because why not have a friend that push you out during a race, the other day, i paced my father for the first 10k of a 30k race and no body says nothing, my father runs with his legs not mine, even if in the headphones there is coaching involved, what the heck, the coaches dont reset your fitness and  remove the tiredness, the fitness is in the inside as the effort level. if you are tired no matter what your coach tell you, you are tired. In other sports it is different because it is not like running, basketball is about strategy, golf, baseball, but running depends upon ones fitness and training put.

i have been thinking about the outside aids, yes it could be an advantage, but people that think that its an advantage, then find a friend who offer water or gatorade for you along the course and then you have the same conditions as the people that get outside aids, as simple as that.Just my opinion.

[Ryan]

Cesar, apparently you and I see running differently. It is very much about strategy, as well as knowledge of the course and competition. If you have constant information about your competition, even when they are out of sight, that gives you a competitive advantage. If you have your own personal pacer who was not publicly made available to anyone who would like to use that person as a pacer, that gives you a competitive advantage. As for outside aid, having a friend give you water or Gatorade along the course (outside of the vicinity of an aid station) is precisely what is prohibited because that is a distinct competitive advantage over those who do not have a friend to give them water or Gatorade.

It's the same as any other sport. Rules are in place to ensure a level playing field. All of these rules are in place because, without them, one competitor could gain an unfair advantage over the competition.

[Andrew A.]

Rules are in place to ensure a level playing field.

QFE

It is simplistic to believe that legs (and lungs) are the only important factors dictating performance in running.

"The nine inches right here; set it straight and you can beat anybody in the world."
--Sebastian Coe

[sueruns]

Rules are in place to ensure a level playing field.

QFE

It is simplistic to believe that legs (and lungs) are the only important factors dictating performance in running.

"The nine inches right here; set it straight and you can beat anybody in the world."
--Sebastian Coe

 ???never heard that quote...looks a little funny out of context.  I'm assuming he's referring to his mind??   

[Andrew A.]

Yes, the head.    Would have been better this way:

        "The nine inches right here; set it straight and you can beat anybody in the world."
          --Sebastian Coe (said while pointing to his head)

[Ed]

I believe that a sanctioned event with prizes, awards and ability to use as a qualification event for other events should strictly enforce its rules - and those rules should apply to everyone. 

What the heck is an "elite" runner doing violating a rule that most events have in place -neither rule that was broken was a complicated rule.

Both of them should have known that they had a legitimate shot to be in some level of contention and should have focused on running to their best and follow all rules.

Had this been a small, non sanctioned event, with little or no prize involved, and a course that is not certified - then the hell with odd little rules - it is more of a fun run than a sanctioned competition.

But this was not the case.

[Andrew A.]

A beaut: http://marquettetribune.org/2009/10/15/viewpoints/viewpoint-runners-need-to-read-the-rules-rl1-jm2-mn3

[Ryan]

I would fully agree with that article if not for what Weiland posted yesterday on the Badgerland Striders message board (direct links can't be given to the posts but you can find it at www.badgerlandstriders.org if you would like). His main beef seems to be that this was a USATF championship (though a state championship) and that there should have been a technical meeting the day before the race for those who would be in the running for USATF awards to review these rules. I can't disagree with that to be honest. That said, I'm not sure how often these technical meetings are held for state championships. I've competed in USATF state track and field championships in the past and never had to go to a technical meeting. He also stated that the rules should be clearly and unambiguously communicated to the runners. There was some gray area in the rules as communicated to the runners but, honestly, Lakefront does a much better job than most marathons of communicating the rules to the runners. I'm sure they will strive to improve upon that but how many marathons are there where you can even find the rules online or where the rules are e-mailed to participants and shared through Facebook and (last time I ran) mailed to the homes of participants, much less all of the above?

I agree with Nate that improvements can be made. I still don't agree with him, though, that Lakefront by any means did a bad job of communicating the rules or that it should take any blame for the disqualifications.

[Ed]

Good article -

But since Nate did not cross the finish line did he finish the race?  I say not.

[Ryan]

My understanding is that he did cross the official finish line - he just went around the ceremonial tape.

Of course, I only have what I heard from others to go on. I wasn't there to see it, I was still somewhere out on the course.