BikeFan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 12, 2003
Regarding your question about my 5K race story, I can't explain how it happened, since the 5K and 10K bibs were supposed to be separate, but both races used the same start and finish line, and were run roughly concurrently. I suspect a volunteer saw a 10K runner come in at 13 minutes and figure someone had coded that runner's race wrong, and switched the kid over to the 5K, since who runs a 10K in 13 minutes? Of course, hardly anyone who runs local 5Ks runs a 13 minute 5K either, so that should've raised some flags, but it didn't.
Your story about the DQ due to unauthorized aid is an interesting situation. I hadn't really thought about it, but you're right, lots of races have "no outside aid" rules, and those get broken all the time. I think I'm OK with enforcing it for elites and fast runners going for money, awards, and Olympic qualifying, but looking the other way at the rest of the pack getting oranges and the like from the crowd (a buddy got a beer in a fall marathon - I'd have done the same if I'd seen the stop!). Almost every decent-sized marathon I've run has had a few locals setting up 'unofficial' aid stations. At the WDW Marathon, someone was passing out cookies, and I took one. Of course, I was also well outside my BQ time and any age-group awards, so if Disney has a rule against, I'd be in violation of the letter of the rule but not the spirit, since my 'cheating' didn't effect any of those outcomes. Interesting that the rule was enforced on that occasion.
Your story about the DQ due to unauthorized aid is an interesting situation. I hadn't really thought about it, but you're right, lots of races have "no outside aid" rules, and those get broken all the time. I think I'm OK with enforcing it for elites and fast runners going for money, awards, and Olympic qualifying, but looking the other way at the rest of the pack getting oranges and the like from the crowd (a buddy got a beer in a fall marathon - I'd have done the same if I'd seen the stop!). Almost every decent-sized marathon I've run has had a few locals setting up 'unofficial' aid stations. At the WDW Marathon, someone was passing out cookies, and I took one. Of course, I was also well outside my BQ time and any age-group awards, so if Disney has a rule against, I'd be in violation of the letter of the rule but not the spirit, since my 'cheating' didn't effect any of those outcomes. Interesting that the rule was enforced on that occasion.