should there be a universal time limit for marathons? (Page 4)

People seem to be taking this stuff too seriously and forgetting that this is Beginnertriathlete.com.  Most people are here for health reasons and for the personal challenge.   When you get down to it, Triathlon is a silly made-up sport that most people don't understand or give a rat's behind about.  Just a selfish, self-indulgent recreational pursuit that does squat for the betterment of society or mankind in general.  

If you really want to do something significant, then go volunteer at a homeless center, help build a Habitat for Humanity house, or go raise money to cure cancer. 

Mark

That made me laugh out loud. You better listen Chi, he is right.

And yes, sub 3:00 is the measurement of a man's marathoness I guess you could say.

I don't agree with this. Have you read any of the stories on this site or others about how triathlon has changed people's lives? You can't be that harsh man. Sports in general are great for people on all levels. No, we aren't finding the cure for cancer, but how many heart attacks are we preventing? Triathlon and endurance sports in general is a good thing.

I agree fully that there have to be some logistical limitations when using public roads for races.   

But let's put away all this talk about cutoff times and minimum performance levels and work to be more inclusive of all who want to participate, regardless of experience or ability.   Suggesting that someone isn't commited or trying hard just because they can't run a sub six-hour marathon is just BS, and in no way reflective of their character IMO.

Mark

Hey, if that's what you feel, then that's great.  Really.

I just think that doing a plus six hour marathon is still infinitely better than being on the couch munching on chips & dip. 

And if a race director wants to include walkers and the proceeds go to a worthwhile charity, then that's really great too, IMHO. 

I just think that categorizing someone based on their finishing time/ability is not in the spirit of BT and does little to encourage participation of the first-timers that we want to draw into the sport.

Mark

If you really want to respect the traditions of THE marathon, then what about dropping dead like Phidippides after you finish? 

If you must make a time limit, make it 10 minutes slower than I'll run on Sunday.  That should cover a pretty wide spectrum.

Actually I agree with Spokes...I'd rather see someone out there doing a 6-7 hour marathon than sitting home on the sofa because they felt they didn't belong to some elitist organization that requires them to meet a certain standard.  If it's not hurting anyone and the organizers are willing to control traffic or make other arrangements to guarantee the safety of runners, I'd say the more, the merrier!

See my previous post and stay tuned on Sunday! 

Dropping dead only counts if you do it in less than five hours...otherwise you get DQ'd.

Mark

Oh yeah, heaven forbid one should disrespect the 100% abitrary distance of 26.2 miles. 

A marathon should have a cut off time as logistics and the RD dictate.  Nothing more, nothing less.

How many people run their first marathon in 6-7 hours, get hooked, train harder, and then finally get to a sub 5 hour pace? How many of us would have done our first sprint if it had a sub 1:30 cut off?  Or a 30 minute cut off at the local 5k? We all started somewhere.

It's all about doing what a person can do, and then setting and achieving future  goals.    I have respect for everyone I see at all the races. At least they are getting off the couch and doing some physical activity, unlike 90% of the population.

Just my thoughts..

Amen.

Mark

I agree...mostly

I think the big concern is that while needing the extended time, to give greater exposure to the sport, and allow first timers to get hooked...it also allows for 'shirt collectors', to spend a whole 'career' shuffling through 8 hr marathons, sticking a medal on their mantle, and not even making an effort towards improvement.   That clearly robs them, but I get the impression it may rob some other, who put an earnest effort into this endeavour, of some 'cache'. 

Unfortunately, it is what it is.  To continue to drive the fitness habit, we have to make these events more accessible, and doing so allows for people to take advantage by not utilizing the distance, any distance for its intended goal. To make us challenge ourselves.

In any crowd you will have someone taking advantage of a loophole intended to serve good.  Welfare fraud, Kenneth Lay and Sen. Foley are all  excellent examples.  We can't stop helping the disenfranchised, eliminate the energy industry or dissolve congress, so we are stuck with people who can't see the forest for the trees. 

Ultimately those who refuse to even attempt to improve at the marathon distance, or the IM distance, only rob themselve...if you want to make them pay...eat their food at the finish line, that'll teach them

d