Just wow! Nothing will set me at odds more than my opinion of what transpired at the BMW Dallas Marathon this past weekend. Celebrated on the national news. I call B.S. What say you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opGTSO-roo8&feature=share
Some calling it “inspiring”, “heroic”, and “motivating”. I call it cheating.
I hope this runner is duly disqualified. For the integrity of The Race. The Marathon. Our Sport. How did foot racing become so utterly co-opted and corrupted by the feel good fuzzy as long as we’re all good friends just pick a charity ski pole toting (!) let’s just participate we’re all winners crowd? The good news for the Real Winner is that the race is under USATF rules and regs so expect the DQ shoe to drop any day now. Matters not if there was a prize purse or not. Its all about Pride.
The fact that I even have to pen these words is sad testament to the state of marathoning today. But there are still those of us left….still just a few…..only a few. That remember. When racing was racing and fundraising was a cake walk. Those that do remember, we gave EVERYTHING we had to the marathon. We trained our assess off for up to 6 months for the challenge of posting the fastest 26.2 of our lives. Every time. Every time….
Look, I finished 2nd at the 1986 Galveston Marathon. I closed on the leader for the last 10K, gaining as he wobbled forward on the horizon, cat was in horrible shape and I was sure he would not make the finish line. I prayed he wouldn’t make the finish line. Wished the worst of fates upon him in those final minutes. Cared not for the suffering of my fellow. If I would have attempted to lend him a hand he would have punched me in the mouth. And circumstances reversed I would have done same. If I didn’t train properly, if I neglected nutrition, if I skimped on sleep, if I was simply having the Worst Luck, that was how we accepted the marathon. It was called a DNF.
Not My Marathon!
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