post-Boston security

Will the Navy sponsor a beer-barge?

If Harpoon didn't have beer tents at practically all our local events, I think there would not be any runners in the Northeast!

Well considering that it's utterly impossible to provide foolproof security on 10 miles of public streets through a major city with hundreds of thousands of spectators, I'd say your right. As we saw in Boston, I don't think the runners are where to look for threats.

I'll be at Devilman and glad I will be missing this mayhem. I only heard about it because I was meeting up with a couple from my tri team last night and she's doing BSR. He's doing Devilman.

So other than clear gear check bags not much here... Info, thats about it.

1. Goal of every race.

2. Clear bag.

3. Info no impact on your race.

4. We have been in this situation for a very long time. Nothing new here.

5. Info, just in case again NO impact on your race.

6. Gear check in clear bag should have all you need. This impacts the spectator not runner.

I feel this is like TSA make you feel safe but... You are safer? Yes; but you are also as safe as you ever were.

I just realized that if you take points 2 and 3 together, they are implying that you should carry your phone during the race.

An interesting point, since the biggest stress we had the day of Boston was that my buddy who got pulled off the course obviously didn't get his race-day bag at the finish, and we had no way of getting in touch with him until he was allowed back to his hotel. Not knowing any of this, we had no idea if he was safe or hurt.

Just wanted to chime in - my local half marathon on Sunday has implemented just a few things. Clear check bags and broadcasting that all/any bags left on the ground will be removed.

I'm okay with the new measures. If races did NOTHING, I think it would send a different message. I'm glad they are taking a few sensible steps.

IMO, the various measures are just so RD's can have a defense against claims that they didn't take reasonable measures to protect participants and spectators.  It has absolutly no correlation with actual risk prevention.

I understand the thought behind it, but now I'm left scrambling for something to do with my phone & inhaler during the race.  We're not allowed to put a bag within the clear bag and I don't want to advertise to the world the contents.  I'm probably just overthinking this...

These aren't sensible steps, IMO, because it's not actually doing anything to improve safety. It's like the patdown I get every single time I go through the airport (because I fly too often to feel comfortable using the x-ray machine).  Totally unnecessary - I posed no threat initially AND they don't actually discover anything during that (except perhaps the few extra lbs I carry during the winter).

Exactly! Should some security measure be taken? Sure, but there is a point of diminishing returns. I think in many cases we have gone far past that point. 

I guess I see it as a "new world" and we'll all have to make some decisions when we participate. Leave the phone at home or in the car? Carry it with you? Risk it being stolen in the clear bag? Leave it with a spectator? All options you'll have to weigh and decide for yourself.

Would we feel "better" if race organizations ignored what happened at Boston and didn't address it at all? 

This all strikes me as darn silly. 

Airline security -- yes, there are good reasons why airplanes in flight might be a target for repeated attacks. 

Distance running events -- no evidence that random road races are a natural target for attacks, and no evidence that runners' gear bags are a special risk. There was one attack by non-participants in a very high profile event. It had nothing to do with running, and no good evidence of the perpetrators being part of a coordinated network.

The Boston Marathon bombing justifies special measures at regional running events about as much as it justifies confiscating all bags from people who enter Times Square.

oh yes it would!

We don't live in a new world.  The appropriate response to the risk in this instance is to do nothing.

You have nothing to fear except fear itself.

A lot of the world outside of the US is used to living with the threat of terrorism within its borders.  We certainly are here in London after the threat of the Irish terrorists (ironically often funded by collections in Boston) and we take great pride in doing very little as citizens in showing that we've been scared, feel threatened or even take their pathetic rhetoric seriously.

Most of these idiots are too stupid to be able to pull it off properly anyway.  The UK just put six Muslim terrorists in jail for life after they failed to blow up a right wing political rally because they turned up too late and there was no-one left to blow up.  They were stopped by the police on the way home because they weren't insured on their vehicle and the police found a bomb and a suicide note inside.  Most people's reaction has been to laugh at them, lock them up for life and carry on as normal.

I was involved in St. Anthony's last weekend and there was an increased police presence.  However, the clear bag rule was only slightly enforced.  There were many non clear bags both in and out of the transition area.   I also don't think that in the wake of Boston there was a different feel to the event.   Now if the weather had cooperated it would have been even better.

Scott Hazelton

Last weekend our marathon/half/10k race in Illinois they had beefed up security and were not allowing any spectators into the stadium with bags that were over a certain "clearance" level.  At bag check they were checking people's bags when turning them in.  At my bag check line they just asked if we had anything electronic in them.  My brother in laws line they were visibly looking into everyone of them so their line was going super slow.

I can understand taking extra precausions but at the same time when we start taking all these extra measures and restricting people from doing things I think we partly let the terrorists win.  Look at what we have to go through to board a plane now because of guys with box cutters...

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."  --Ben Franklin.  

I got that email as well.  Too much hassle, so I won't even both.  I'll toss my phone, ID/Credit card and $20 in my spibelt and call it a day.  Leave all our stuff back at the car.

At least people still have a sense of humor, first post on the announcement on Facebook for the Broad Street Run "How many beers will fit in the clear bag?"

That sounds about right.

It isn't about doing anything effective, it is about having the appearance of not doing nothing.

Fears of liability suits trump all.

WOW...

Same world new circumstances...

Do nothing; expect more of the same which is unacceptable.

Fear? This is not a game it is real life. Not fear but unaccepting of the new normal.

Expect more of this Normal? Get used to it why?

In London you have how many cameras? Maybe not the common citizen but your Government has taken extensive measures to ensure your safety.

You call them idiots and say they are not smart but think about it a few minutes earlier and you would have been on the news I guess that would be ok because it is normal to you... they have you fooled they will keep doing this as long as there are people that think they are not capable...

I guess it is strange that you live with the what you considered Normal; WE will not live with that Normal we will do something about it and we will need to learn how...