And thats the major problem... if you let one in, everyone else is just as 'special' and wants to be let in as well.

Someone earlier said it very well... if you want to have your kid, dog, grandmother, booty-call, etc with you when you cross the line, do like Dick Hoyt and have them do the whole race with you.

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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?"

I was quite frankly shocked by:

- the number of racers who broke the rule and came through with supporters

- the number of kids/friends/family some people had come to the line with them

- the fact that several sub-10-hour people did this

- the stroller

- the sheer oblivion of so many of these yahoos to the impact they were having on other racers

- the number who crossed the line with hangers-on, then proceeded to STAND THERE, hugging or mugging or whatever, blocking other racers' finishes

- the fact that this has gotten so out of hand at the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

I understand the emotional tug of wanting to "share" this incredible moment with the people you love and who have helped you get there. What I can't understand is these people feeling that that finish line is all theirs, to be shared with their families because that's what they want, and other racers be damned. Someone pointed out what happened to #585-- poor guy was gutting it out to crack 12 hours and got caught behind some self-absorbed twit dragging all three of his kids across the line in slow-mo. And yes, 585 looked PISSED.

I applaud those folks who are very considerate about the way they involve their families in their finish, checking to be sure they don't interfere with any other racers, immediately getting out of the way and clearing the chute once they cross the line, etc. Unfortunately, you can't count on every single athlete to exhibit such considerate behavior. That's why there are rules. And the rule says nobody but racers and race personnel in the chute.

WTC and IMNA should be smacked upside the head for allowing this mass breaking of their own rule. Hell, it sounds as if they absolutely encourage it now, effectively speaking out of both sides of their mouths and totally clouding the issue. The bottom line is that this is going to continue until WTC/IMNA put a stop to it. And unfortunately (from the perspective of those of us who believe only racers should cross the line), it's too good a marketing tool. It's weird how it evolved, though; I don't recall seeing any of this in IM finishes until about 2000. Of course, that's about when the sport really started to explode. Fleck nailed it: it's symptomatic of a larger change in society as a whole.

Personally, I think the thing is a RACE. That being the case, every individual on the course should have an equal opportunity to run that race, beginning to end, unimpeded. It is immaterial whether another person believes that Athlete X is so "slow" that his finish time "does not matter"--- that is not for anyone else but Athlete X to decide. Therefore, since Athlete X has paid his bajillions of dollars to get his ass onto that course, he is entitled to have a clear, unimpeded path to the finish. In fact, it is incumbent upon the race organization to PROVIDE that clear, unimpeded path to the best of its ability--- that's what Athlete X has paid for. It doesn't matter if Athlete X is coming in at 14 hours--- for all anyone knows, the top 65-69 Women may be in an all-out sprint for the line at that hour, and they are entitled to a clear path on which to complete their RACE. Expecting them to sprint around someone else's entourage in the chute is NOT FAIR, plain and simple. Nor is it safe.

Anyone paying his bajillions of dollars to race is entitled to fair and equal treatment as an athlete. S/he is NOT entitled to a "family moment" in the finish chute. WTC/IMNA seem to want to have their cake and eat it too; they've turned Ironman into this schizophrenic thing where it isn't entirely about the race and the competition, but it's not entirely about the fuzzy warm feel-good human drama either. The murkiness is maddening.

I would challenge Triathlete and Inside Triathlon to actually make an attempt at genuine hard-hitting journalism for a change and take this topic on. They'll never do it, of course, but it would be interesting to see if they did.

TriBaby

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TriBaby
"The rule is, jam yesterday, and jam tomorrow, but NEVER jam today." ---The White Queen

"they've turned Ironman into this schizophrenic thing where it isn't entirely about the race and the competition, but it's not entirely about the fuzzy warm feel-good human drama either. The murkiness is maddening."

Tricia,

Awesome summary and on the whole a very bold and honest post. I could not agree more.

Thank you.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Agreed, that was very well articulated.

A friend of mine told me a story this weekend that is comparable to this finish line selfishness.

My friend's wife hosted a meeting on Friday night of some high school student parents when his doorbell rings and his neighbor asks if anyone at his party has a white car parked in the neighbor's driveway? The neighbor wants to leave and the car is blocking her.

My friend asks his guests and one lady says it's her car but asks "Does your neighbor have to leave right now?"

The people clogging the finish line with their family are basically saying to the people behind them "Do you have to finish right now?"

Can't remember which year it was but I think it was IMUSA in 2005 that Graham asked at the carbo dinner if the athletes "wanted" to allow non races in the finish chute and it was a resounding yes. I don't really care either way. But as I understand it the RD can petition for a rules exemption so I am not sure it is truly "against" the rules.

Tribaby?
Really?
The One, the Only, the Original Tribaby?
If so......
Huge Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's been a loooooonnnnnggggg time.

rtk

Ruth, is that you? Wow! Are you still racing?

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TriBaby
"The rule is, jam yesterday, and jam tomorrow, but NEVER jam today." ---The White Queen

Yep, this is me.
I did three sprints, Philly, Columbia, and local. I'm swimming a lot, pretending to run once per week and biking okay. I wish I could still do Ironman, though. Your post lived up to your reputation with me. Thorough and wise as always. Nice to see you in this strange new (for me) neighborhood. I wax terribly sentimental about the good ol' days at rst before Slowtwitch was even slowtwitch.

ruth alias rtk

Good of them to at least *try* to go for a democratic resolution there. A flawed attempt--- not very scientific, and a lot of hard-core racers skip the carbo-load-- but an attempt nonetheless. But this once again illustrates IMNA's uneasiness with how they're handling the subject. They're torn between keeping it a fair and honest *competition*, an end-to-end athletic endeavor, and turning Ironman racing into a transcendent "life experience to be shared with the whole family" thing.

With regard to another approach to the problem, I dislike the two finish-chutes idea. Either you race or you don't race, plain and simple. The fact of the matter is that Ironman really IS both things--- a race, and a transcendent life experience. The trick is that you've got a mix of people, some of whom feel more strongly about it one way, some who feel more strongly about it the other. That being the case, the fairer thing seems to be to go for the more objective incarnation of the thing, remove all emotion and treat it like a race. Not everyone shares the emotional "transcendence" thing, but EVERYONE shares the physical, objective requirements of completing the course. Therefore, go for the objective common denominator: It's a race. Enforce the rules. And let everyone share their "transcendence" thing AFTER they've exited the course.

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TriBaby
"The rule is, jam yesterday, and jam tomorrow, but NEVER jam today." ---The White Queen

Agreed very well written.

This *Is* however what you get when you cross an "Event" with a race.

I would be interested to find out if this is a uniquely IM thing or has it spread to other races. I was at Chicago Marathon yesterday and it looked to me that the chute was pretty well locked off from the spectators. Didn't get to watch many finishers but didn't see any "family" finishes.

I wonder if this will eventually invade the olympics?

~Matt

Yes, I agree. My decision was uninformed and (I now think) misguided, but I did not intend to negatively impact someone else's race. Someone said earlier that people who cheat by allowing family members to cross the line are more likely to cheat in other parts of the race. I think that is untrue. Most of us just thought it was a good thing to do at the time.

This may have been said before, but I can't recall ever being in 10k, marathon, or other running event where family members jumped in and crossed the finish line. I still like the family chute idea (for IM), but if there isn't going to be one, I think a "no exceptions" policy makes the most sense.

"do like Dick Hoyt and have them do the whole race with you."

Exactly.

I have been tempted on several occasions to jump in and do part of a race with someone I know but have never done it. In the future however if I ever get the urge I will sign up for the race and just hang out on the course or go slow or whatever. If it's that important to me, I should be out there anyway.

OTOH does IMNA/WTC allow for that type of thing? Would they let me do IMWI with my kid in a bike seat and a running stroller? That would be kinda awesome! How about one of those Dual kid tandems?

~Matt

"I dislike the two finish-chutes idea."

I dislike it as well but see it as a "compromise". In essence it creates 2 races and don't see how you could do it effecively without creating two races.

That being said I can see WTC/IMNA doing it exactly that way becasue ALOT of people obvioulsy want the whole family "Experiance" and not allowing it turns alot of people off and that's cash out of their pocket. In short the cat's out of the bag and they can't or won't put it back.

~Matt

All that needs to happen is slam into a mom with her kids, tackle and trample them all, they will think twice before pulling that crap again.

I think it's pretty gay that people are so moved by running through the chute with family members. It's just an athletic event, seriously it's not that big of a deal, crying is overly emotional. Just talk to them after the race.

Ryan, Ryan, Ryan...

"Would they let me do IMWI with my kid in a bike seat and a running stroller? That would be kinda awesome! How about one of those Dual kid tandems"

Matt,

Go back and read my earlier post in this thread. There is the reverse of this happening in kids triathlons - parents running along with kids on the bike and on the run the WHOLE way!! It was nuts at the Kids Of Steel race that my son did this summer What happened to standing on the sidelines, cheering ALL the kids on and letting the kids be kids and have fun on their own. It's their race and their time.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

"I think it's pretty gay that people are so moved by running through the chute with family members. It's just an athletic event, seriously it's not that big of a deal, crying is overly emotional. Just talk to them after the race."

I think this statement is just wrong. It is what you make it. Some people pour their heart and soul into these events so it may mean far more to them than to you. If we look thru history we have a plethora of "Moving" "just athletic event" moments, most not including family.

This however does not change the idea that families should not be in the finishing chute.

~Matt

Here's the video of poor number 585 getting blocked by someone's kids while trying hard to break 12 hrs:

http://boss.streamos.com/...;endtime=01:00:00.00

and here's the bloke with the stroller and his significant other:

http://boss.streamos.com/...;endtime=01:00:00.00

At least strollerguy was polite enough to ensure that he wasn't in anybody's way, nor anybody's finish picture.

Both guys did things that were, if not allowed, certainly tolerated by the organisation, so I blame not them, but the WTC.

If this has to be tolerated (I'd rather it wasn't, despite having a child of my own whom I'm sure it would be nice to cross the line with), then how about a rule something like the following:

All athletes who wish to be escorted by their child/children for the last 100m of the race MUST wait until they are able to cross the finish line with a gap of at least 15 meters to both the preceding and succeeding athletes. The athlete and children must continue at least 10 meters past the finish line so as to remove themselves from the finish area. An accompanying child must be the athlete's child, and be under the age of 12 (argue this number among yourselves). An athlete may not be accompanied by more than 3 of his/her children. Children may be on foot or be carried, but Baby-joggers or strollers will not be allowed. Failure to adhere to this rule may result in a time penalty.

Actually, it's interesting you say that. When I finished Lake Placid I had fulfilled a life long dream of mine to do an Ironman, however, I wasn't nearly as emotional as my girlfriend. She was in tears because she knew it was a life long dream for me and was extremely happy to see me reach my goal. With that said, she and I wouldn't have wanted her in the chute either regardless of how she felt for me. She was just as happy watching me cross the line than being there with me.

I did read it.

I was just thinking it would be kinda fun to be in an actual race with a 3 year old in a bike seat behind you. Be more fun for me than him probably.

The reverse is rather odd with other than very young children. I've done a couple of "fun runs" with my kid. 1/8 to 1/4 mile. He's only 2 1/2 though.

~Matt

My wife has been to every race I have done for the last 10 years. Never once have has she crossed the line with me. Now, in some of the races that she has done, I will go back and run with her. (She generally finishes about dead last.) But as we approach the finish gates, I always stop and let her cross by herself for her moment. Never would I consider crossing with her to take away her moment.

Now, with that being said, for my one IM distance race, I wanted to get my kids and or wife to cross with me. Do not know why this race felt different than my other races. Guess its because I have seen so many others do it, and somehow I think if I did this, it would somehow give back all the hours I was training w/o them. But, they ended up working the finish line, so it was not even an option.

Yes, I know INMA is big about rule enforcement. I have heard this first hand. So, I would love to hear how they can continue to allow breaking of the rules, or worst, having folks sign up to break the rules. Now, if I do IMCDA next year, and they allow family members, I guess if its allowed, and my family wanted to cross with me, then why would I not?

Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

and turning Ironman racing into a transcendent "life experience to be shared with the whole family" thing.

Wouldn't the IM still be a "life experience to be shared with the whole family" even if the family had to wait on the other side of the finish line (or 100 feet past the finish line)? Surely those last 50 feet running with the family isn't the make/break point of the race being worth it or not.

As has been pointed out, this is likely a "monkey-see, monkey-do" situation. Family members see others do it and get the impression, "If you really care for the triathlete, you cross the line with them" (both figuratively and literally). I think triathletes might see it the same way, "If you really love your family members, you have them cross with you".

I think everyone can admit that the finish is still sweet and the celebration rewarding if done after the finish line, not before.

Had no family member ever came onto the course in the first place, the race would still be run, the finish would still be memorable, and the celebration with family would still be cherished.

Lunch over, back to work.

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

If you are stupid enough to stand on the finish line with the whole damn clan, be forewarned I will go through like a linebacker and show no mercy.

I will "out" myself on this one.

My last race was the P.G. triathlon (oly distance). I grabbed my two year old son (who had patiently watched me do the three laps on the run course) and threw him up on my shoulders for the finish chute. As I stopped after leaving the finish area he requested "run again!".

That is last time he gets on my shoulders when my legs are fried.

Also, a pox on the guy in my age group who passed me two steps from the finish line that I had dropped about .25 miles back.

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Everbody looks good at the starting line.