Competed in Syracuse Ironman but race was ended early

Sorry to hear!  I was at the race too and unfortunately pulled out after the first loop. 

I saw people raining in the torrential downpour.  I had no clue they closed the course!  Good for you for sticking it out and finishing.  Unfortunately you don't have an official time but you did the course, the race and got your finisher's medal.  No small feat given the 40 degree heat!!  Congrats!!

So you were DQ'd? Or rather, DQ'd yourself on purpose?

Two things:

1. I get unfinished business. It's a powerful motivator. My entire 2013 season is unfinished business from 2012. It's going well.

2. This is going to take the conversation in a whole other direction, but I have to say it, especially since you seem very concerned about the labeling and what you can call yourself or what you can wear. I can relate. But you are not an ironman. You did a half.

Notice I did not say "just a half" or anything like that. It's a heck of a feat. I wear my 70.3 shirt with pride. But I am not an ironman. (Yet) i think the WTC does the tri world a disservice by the IM70.3 branding, and we've been around that topic over and over. At Eagleman this year, I could hear the finish line announcer from my transition to run, calling out every so often "you are an ironman." I mumbled, "no you're not." And I hoped he didn't do that when I cross the line. If we're going to want that label as if it means something, it should mean what it means. (He didn't call me that BTW, he called me the doughboy, which was awesome.)

Meh, that second one doesn't bother me a bit. Just because WTC trademarked the name for their own races doesn't make Challenge Roth not-ironman. In fact, because it is WTC that is responsible for the 70.3 being called ironman, I refuse to let the dictate the term either way in the spirit of the average person's usage. They want people to say they can "only call myself am ironman at an mdot race with Mike Reilley saying my name."

Ironman is 2.4 + 112 + 26.2 , with or without a trademark. In spirit anyway.

Gotcha. And I've beeen in that spot where the race wasn't shortened, but I DNF'ed. I wouldn't wear the shirt.mi had a friend who dnfed a full IM and said he had no trouble at all wearing his gear. I didn't argue, and I think nothing ill of him for it at all. But for me, I would have felt odd. You and I are on the same page. I say, if they shortened the race amd you fulfilled the rquirements of the day, changed, you are fine to wear your gear.

Sorry, dude, but that's a BS comment to make and an insult to all the RD's who work their butts off for months ahead of time to put on a race.

Get your shorts untwisted about Muncie.  No one got "screwed over".  It was unfortunate for all the participants, volunteers, sponsors and organizers that things turned out the way they did, but it's hard to second-quess the RD's decisions, especially in the aftermath of the Chicago Marathon in 2010.  One thing a RD can't control is the weather.  If a RD tells me it's not safe to race, then I'm going to trust their judgement.  I can tell you from experience that decisions like that aren't made in a vacuum.  RD's get a lot of input, including from the local public-safety officials when it comes to race conditions.   

Mark

And it's not just slow out of shape people that may suffer in the heat.  Though it is not proven heat was the case, Fran Crippen died in a professional 10k OWS while they were racing in 87 degree water in Dubai (100+ degrees on land).  Several other pros competing in the race also had to be hospitalized due to heat related issues.  People questioned whether or not the race should have been held in such warm water.

I'm glad you threw this out there, as I have a small idea of what it is to be an RD. i've produced two 5ks, each was well supported by runners and local community. We changed the route this year, and with enough volunteers, I was able to go out on the route to the one trouble spot. Worried about from a safety perspective. We had it well covered, but I was nervous. I used a non-hypothetical standard: would I let my 6 and 9 year olds do this course without me right on top of them? Yes, and I did just that. My worries about "what if?" That day had nothing to do with being sued, and everything to do with actual injury. To be fair, that is a reflection on the kind of community I live in. Had I been in the burbs, I would have thught about litigation a lot more. But I can't imagine it being more important than actual racer safety for its own sake.