Well, there is the problem! It's not a race, it's an "event".

Yes and no. The problem is that for some/many it is an event. Nothing wrong with that. However, we have the bizarre situation that i just witnessed several times yesterday in Lake Placid of the
guy(s) having to dodge not one, but several of the multi-person family finishes while they raced to the finish line. For the family-photo guys it was an event, in every sense. For the other guys it was clearly a race to the line. Perhaps the latter group where older AG folks actually racing for a podium spot in their AG or a spot for Kona. Why should they have to bob and weave around these other folks?

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I think my gate idea has some merit, though...

I agree with you, but what really surprised me as I was waiting to see Jetlink finish, great race, that a lot of the very first age group men that finished had family with them.

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http://bigisland-will.blogspot.com/

I was shocked by some of the things I saw. For example, this family had a woman smoking, a child screaming, an unleashed dog and the athlete himself was wearing an iPod!

agreed

maybe you could push it as a 'outside help on the course'

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~The B
The new poster child for triathlon...Pretty Boy Billy
(lets see if that sticks)

At my next IM I am hoping that I can get you to run across the finish line with me!

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http://bigisland-will.blogspot.com/

 that a lot of the very first age group men that finished had family with them.

That's right. So, again, it sounds like we tipped. What happened? What changed? 10 years ago this never happened with the Pros and FOP AG folks. It was rare in the whole race and when it did it was more BOP. As I said in a previous post, yesterday in Lake Placid at certain times it was odd to see a solo finisher running to the line!!!!!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I was completing my first IM (Nice 2005). I was cuising home in a blistering 15 hours and 52 minutes. My two young daughters (7 and 4) ran out and started to follow me down the chute. I was petrified that this wouldn't be allowed and I picked them up and carried them back to my wife and then ran back over the finish line on mh own.

To this day I regret not carrying them over the line when I realised that others were doing it. They had all waited until 10:30 that night (ahem I had rather complacently spoken of finishing at around 7:30 pm and taking them all out for dinner). I would have absolutely loved that finish line photo. I hope not to have many regrets in life, but that was certainly one of them.

At IM SA thre of us walked/jogged the last 21K together and we picked up one guy's two sons as we approached the finish chute and all walked across the line together. It was cool.

I think a bit of lattitude is accorded for finishes over say 12 hours. Its perhaps a little busy to be doing that earlier

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TriRaceBook.com
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Hawaii Qualification Analysis

" At my next IM I am hoping that I can get you to run across the finish line with me!"

Paulo you could wait by the new "gate" and run in with each person who doesn't have a family entourage there :)

   I'll bite, everytime this topic comes up I can't resist.. It isn't that big of a deal except for the fact that I have seen people dragging out everyone from their kids all the way to 3rd and 4th cousins out for an impromtu finish chute reunion. Sometimes they are totally fine and it is a heart warming event but quite a bit of the time they get in the way of other finishers and often when they do get past the finish line, provided they haven't already gotten in the way up to the finish, they often just stop just after the finish line only prevent people from finishing. I remember watching a one time and seeing finishers almost forming a line just before the finish line because some jackass and his couldn't get his family out of the finishing area.
I am glad to know that the joy you receive by having your family finish with you superceeds the joy other participants get from going through the finish unencumbered. I am glad that my $100 finishers photos look more like the Smith's family reunion than an IM. Want to share a moment with your kids and wife that you neglected for a year...go to Disney World. When people graduate, even though their families are usually a huge part of getting them to there, you don't see them bring up their mom, dad, kids, and aunt Ester.
FWIW, having a few kids running up with their mom or dad is not what I am talking about, I am talking about the people who bring 4 or 5 people across the line with them. I have heard that they supposedly limit the number of people that can finish with you but I haven't seen it.

There is actually a process for which your family (not sure about how many) has to register prior to being allowed to cross the line with you. They are given a different arm band nd asked to sit in a specific area closer to the finish line so you don't bother anyone else. I know it doesn't always work out this way but in my case it did.

Yes yes, I really like the gate Idea. I have one suggestion to improve it. Since undoubtedly the gate will cause a delay and the time in the finish photo will be inaccurate, I suggest that at the gate, you are given the option of entering what ever finish time you want on the clock, so that your finish photo will truly be a great memento of your family outing.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Haven't read all the posts, so sorry if this is redundant. I don't have a big problem with someone having a kid run in with them, if it doesn't get in the way of any other racer. I've done it myself, but my untimate priority was the other racers. What I will never understand is the person who brings a spouse or parents across. It's usually under the theory that "they earned it to! They helped ME get here!" Frankly, I can see how some little kid (not a baby) might get a kick out of it, but a spouse? A 60-year-old parent? Bringing an adult across with you, in my opinion, somewhat infantilises the racer. It's first grade all over again.

man, a lot of you whiners need to HTFU

=)

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

"Again, I note that in the rule books it clearly states, that it is not allowed. 300m further back on the course and this is called pacing, but in the last 50m it's OK. Call me confused. "

Technically, you are right, but when NA Sports has a system whereby families register to run across with their participant, they have wristbands to identify them, and they have a separate area to stand, all set-up by the RD, well it seems maybe it isn't against the rules in NAS races. There's the source of your (and everyone's) confusion.

Last year when I did Lake Placid I didn't have any friends or family there so I had to hire some spectators to run across the finishline with me. Next year at Lake Placid I plan to have the local high school marching band escort me across the finish. Lets see anyone top that.

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18x Ironman, 3x Hawaii
US Army (Ret.), Vietnam Vet ('71-'72)

Fleck, after 15 Ironmans, I finally ran across the line with my son.

But wait...it was no procession. I told my son that he better have his A Game on and that we were going to RACE to the finish in a full out track sprint.

So I came around the final bend and checked around to make sure I was wrecking no one else's finisher picture and I shout out, "OK Brandon, you better start sprinting". So my son puts a bit of a surge on and it is getting tough for me. He looks back and sees me closing the gap doing my best Michael Johnson 200m imitation. Then he puts another surge on and looks back like, "Old man, is this all you have....you can't even catch me". So I put on another final surge digging deep but the 10 year old smokes me to the line.

I have to say, that was a blast and I certainly made sure that in our little sprint game that we got in no one's way! I've only bought three finisher pictures in 15 Ironmans...my first at IMC in 1991, my Kona picture last year, and this one. My son is putting it up in his room as evidence that I got smoked :-)

Dev

PLEASE leave your dog at home. that's insanely dangerous and most dogs are FREAKED OUT by the flurry of the day.

maybe you were being sarcastic??? hope so.

what about my fish, Nemo or my cat Sylvester??? They are part of my ironman journee! Would i be allowed to cross the line with my bike also??? OGOPOGO as been there with me on every single rides!!!!

ok....enought laughing about this, i do respect that everyone as a different view of what there ironman journee is, and that finishing is the goal of many when others compete and race for prize money or kona slot. It just important to be considerate and aware that there is other people around and when you cross the line with your 5 girlfirends, 2 ex wifes and 6 kids and your pet Nemo and Simba and Sylverter.....GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE AND CLEAN UP THE SPACE..... only ATHLETE have the priviliege to stand there for ever and enjoy that moment..... others needs to go back behind the fence after passing the line.....

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Jonathan Caron / Professional Coach / ironman champions / age group world champions
Jonnyo Coaching
Instargram

Why are you being such an A-hole. Believe it or not, there are new people here who were not here in October. Nobody is forcing you to look things up or respond. The search feature while useful, is not flawless. If you aren't interested in a thread, ignore it. Don't get on and basically call the guy out for not knowing there was a thread about this subject 9 months ago.

I love this forum, but some people really aren't that accepting of new people. Make it tough to become a poster instead of a lurker because seems like there is always somebody screaming that a new poster should have searched prior to posting.

Ok, I am new, so flame away.

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"It takes courage to do it, to be a runner. We all found that out a long time ago. Because it's about more than fatigue. It's about pain, and dealing with it for a long time. And its about resolve." - Quentin Cassidy

Technically, you are right, but when NA Sports has a system whereby families register to run across with their participant, they have wristbands to identify them, and they have a separate area to stand, all set-up by the RD, well it seems maybe it isn't against the rules in NAS races. There's the source of your (and everyone's) confusion.

I have heard this also. I also heard there was an age qualification, something like 3-10yrs. This is probably reasonable for most and would stop the huge family, stroller problem. Now they just need to enforce it! Have security at the entrance to the finish chute. Only allow the preregistered people to meet their kids at a gated point in the chute.

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Support Crew
This information contained herein has been assembled for your assistance and convenience. It is believed to be reliable, however, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All opinions shown are subject to change without notice.

"2 ex wifes "

Now there's an idea. I'd like to get my ex-wife near the finisher's chute so maybe she would get trampled.

Hi Support Crew. I was actually surprised when my son crossed the line with me that he had a wrist band, my race number marked onto his hand and my wife had to return some piece of paper to some NAS police booth after my son was retrieved past the finish line out of the 'tears and cheers' zone :-). So yes, it is an "official system", but the athletes who use it need to be aware of their fellow competitors. If you can't sprint across the line and get out of the way of the next guy who is racing, then just wait till he gets by and do your trot to the finish.

Bingo.

Isn't this one of the reasons that USAT and NA sports went separate ways a couple years ago? USAT sports did not allow kid carrying & family toting. However, NA sports thought that it added to the whole atmosphere of the spectacle and since they did not want to do anything to upset their cash cow have allowed it to continue and have even grown the trend.

I stood at the IMLP finish for only 30 minutes, in the 10:30 - 11:00hr finish range and saw at least 20 athletes stop for family members, of these only 1 stopped and turned around to make sure he was not interferring with others before proceeding to cross the line. I saw at least 3 entourages interfere with racers behind them. I personally don't have a problem with athletes finishing with their children however if NA sports wants to continue this trend they may want to run the kiddy corral like the cross walks near the finish line i.e. only let the athletes continue with family after they verify that the coast is clear. Basically the "gate" idea, but only for those with family, friends, pets, etc.

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"Never daunted, I will cope with adversity in my traditional manner....sulking and nausea" - Tom K. Ryan

Go Cyclonauts!