I'm not sure why this is even an issue. It says in every IM athlete guide that I've gotten that no one but althletes and staff are allowed in the finishers chute.

Plain and simple, it's against the rules DON'T DO IT.

~Matt

I'll take your DQ. My daughter wants to accompany me across the line. That's good enough for me.

I'm pretty sure that if either of my kids ran out onto a closed course, they be grounded till Christmas as well.

OTOH I have gone to the side at various portions of the race to say hi and give them a hug. So in essence I left the course so I should be DQ'd I guess.

Of course this does not inconvience other runners adn the only person I put in jeporday is myself.

~Matt

Dave,

Great post.

There is something strange going on in our soceity and I am not sure what it is. I can't seem to put my finger on it, but it revolves around this same phenomenon.

1. I went to a kinds triathlon this summer with my son - the biggest one in our area with over 300 kids. Great to see so many out for this. He's 9 and this was his first triathlon. I can't recall what the disance were but it was something like 100m swim/3K bike/1K run, or something close to that. There were MANY parents who ran along side their kids for the whole bike ride and then the whole run!! Me I just picked a good stationary spot to cheer everyone on as they went by.

2. House League soccer some nice evening last summer: Again my son playing. By chance, I am seated next to a parent( a woman). She like many of the other parents are literrally yelling their heads off at the kids - but typically just their kid. In some cases often telling the kid to do something different than what the coach as just advised them to do!!! I jump in and cheer a few times and always clap and cheer after a goal or a great play. The women turns to me and says, "You are awefully quiet". I say, "I just like to watch the kids run around and have fun". She gives me this weird look like she really did not get what I said!!

3. Christmas assembly: Each grade is doing performance. Before the concert the Principal of the school asks that parents( note who's being asked what to do and behave) to please be seated for the whole performance. When a respective kids class comes up, there is a mass swarming at the foot of the stage with cameras and video-cams with parents jostling for postion like the paparazzi on the red carpet at Oscar's. Then after their kids performance is done they all leave!!! So for the last few classes, there's few people there and the performances are continuly disrupted by people getting up and leaving. Oh yes , and cell phones and Blackberry's constantly going off to!! Guess there were a lot of brain surgeons in the audience that night consulting on life and death surgical issues!! As per usual I sat at the back and watched this whole three ring circus unfold!

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

[reply]I'll take your DQ. My daughter [i]wants [/i]to accompany me across the line. That's good enough for me.[/reply]

So in other words, whatever your duaghter wants she gets and everyone else be damned?

"My daughter wants to accompany me across the line"

Your daughter will probably *WANT* to drink, stay up all night, maybe do drugs and other various other things that are "Against the rules"...gonna et her do all those as well because, "Hey she wants to"

~Matt

Why would you want to demonize such a thing?

How about remaining an adult about this? She has hew own reasons and I think they are good ones. If it cost me a DQ I'm good with that. Why would THAT bother you? BTW she's crossed a few finish lines in her time. She knows the drill so its not about holding anyone up.

My daughter wants to accompany me across the line. That's good enough for me.

You are the father and can't say no?

The world won't end if you have to say no to your daughter. She'll get over it.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

Why don't you answer the question? The way you stated it, I concluded that is what you meant. And if that is what you meant, that really is a sad state of affairs. As others have alluded, we all pay big bucks and make sacrifices to race the race. The rules clearly state that nobody is suppose to be in the finishers chute but the finisher. So what are all you folks teaching your children? That rules apply to everyone but you? Personally, I am amazed at the attitudes of some parents when it comes to their children. While I would want the best for my children, I would never teach them that it is ok to break the rules to get it.
As for demonizing...I didn't demonize anything. I simply pointed out there are more people out there than just you and your daughter.

I'm confused about the "rules" of IMNA. I'm sure you are right about what is printed. And, like I said earlier, I understand all the arguments for and against and have mixed feelings. But what's strange to me is this: Why would IMNA make an announcement at CDA and require bracelets of family members who want to come down the chute. I mean, my kids went and REGISTERED to to this. Very odd. Can anyone explain the conflicting message there?

 
“I think it all comes down to selfishness. “

“'ll take your DQ. My daughter wants to accompany me across the line. That's good enough for me.”

Thank you for proving my point Chappy.

Dave

You suggested that my attitude was everyone else be damned. That's not my attitiude, nor hers. I'll take the consequences, whatever they may be. We have not nor will we intend to get in anyone's way. AT 14 hrs +/- things are a little more laid back I suppose. The saddest part about this is what I use to believe about the tri community, it no longer seems the case.

Fair enough, I see what you are saying. ( I think my taper is getting the better of me as I have been a mood lately ;) ) It's just that to me the rules are the rules. If the RD says it's allowed, I will live with it, until they take it out of the rulebook though, nobody should be running down the finish line but the finishers.

Thanks for working on understanding. It is a rule and WTC et al should either inforce it, eliminate it, and/or make some structural changes so that group finishes go one way and indivduals another. They have multiple shoots in running races, why not at a tri?

[reply]Thanks for working on understanding. It is a rule and WTC et al should either inforce it, eliminate it, and/or make some structural changes so that group finishes go one way and indivduals another. They have multiple shoots in running races, why not at a tri?[/reply]

I agree 100% with that. 2 chutes would work out for everyone I would think.

OK I've updated my profile.

Now, Kate, have you got something pertinent to add to the thread ?

"Why would THAT bother you?"

1. It's dangerous
2. It's unnessesary
3. It's shows a bad example and encourages others to do the same making the conditions worse.
4. It's against the rules.

...for starters.

~Matt

Maybe CDA is different. I've done IMFL and IMWI and in both it was stated no family in the finishing chute.

~Matt

It is a very mixed message they are sending by having the rule and facillitating the violation of the same rule. At LP in 03 they had the kids/families lining up at the entrance of the oval to accompany the athletes to the finish.

Matt:

Do you really need any more reasons?

IMO they should not let family into the chute... but I would allow an exception for something that is the classic tear-jerker. Like the mom racing for her kid with MS. If that kid were to cross with the Mom, I would say "OK." But to have the whole family cross just for the sake of crossing... not so much. Of course, once you allow one person in the chute, others will want in as well.

So, we should just put up an electric fence and barbed wire along the chute with snipers atop the clock. That should take care of it.

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- Nick
Now that I know some of you guys look through the special needs bags for kicks, I'm gonna put some really weird stuff in mine. I can see it now. "What the heck was he going to do with a family pack of KFC chicken, a football helmet full of peanut butter, a 12 inch rubber dildo, and naked pictures of Bea Arthur?"

Sorry to be a cold hearted bastard, but NO exceptions. One cause or story is as good as another and ssoner or later you have what we have today.

I have absolutely NO problem with family meeting athletes in the finishing area ON THE OTHER SIDE of the finishing line after some "safety buffer zone". But until you cross the line you're still in the race.

Cross the line, get YOUR finishers photo, meet the family and get a FAMILY finishers photo, otherwise keep non athletes off the course...it's crowded enough out there.

Yesterday at Chicago marathon a lady was taken out right next to my brother at around mile 18. Spectator decides they can just cross the street. Could have very well been my brother had he been a couple of steps slower. Sure odds are pretty low, but why in the hell have them at all?

~Matt

Okay, thanks for the info. You know, after having a coach say that it was one of the special things to do, and after seeing that my family could register and be given an official bracelet, it never crossed my mind that the rules were different (my fault for not reading the rules, I admit). I had never considered the fact that it might be a problem for other people (again, my bad). It seems that people are getting interfered with, and I saw it on Sunday several times. I wouldn't do it again (unless there were a designated chute). It was fun for me and the family, and I'm glad to have the pictures. But it wasn't worth the risk of blowing someone's Kona slot or shot at a PB. Thanks for educating me about this. Anyway, I'm solo at IMF, but sure will miss having them there.

Matt, Last word for me. I tried to contextualize my experience with my daughter, it has historically been, between the two of us. She's been doing this long long before it became such an issue. I'll grant you, however, that maybe in the big show(s) with the volume of athletes and as the popularity of group finishes have grown perhaps it has risen to the level of a problem. That's not our experience but the river may be changing or has changed. I would appeal to everyone's sensibilites and not attribute selfish and antisocial motives to everyone that crosses a finsh line with a loved one.

Again no idea about other races.

I think it's a potentially good idea if n additional chute was supplied an seperated from other finishers.

I have no idea how they'd do this without almost having a different finish line, again no idea.

I've watched 3-4 races of teh available finishing video and have seen more than a dozen situations where people jumped right in front of other athletes or forced others to go around them. In more than a couple cases the group just short of blocked the entire chute.

As stated in onther thread having a "family photo" is possible right in the finishers chute right after the finish adn this is done without interfereing with anyone elses race.

~Matt