Depends on the race, but in some yes you can get a ticket and fine (Fort Bend 30k for example)

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the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning

You mean banditing?

Never acceptable

Third Circle of Hell Violation

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

banditing

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Many articles have been written against it, even by such shitty mags such as Runners World & Outside - although RW did once post an article about how to it and not be an asshole ... which was an asshole move by them [probably Bart Yasso's idea, or at least he green-lit it]

https://www.runnersworld.com/...ut-being-an-asshole/

https://www.outsideonline.com/...owards-runners-world

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Aww man... I was thinking there was going to be a Hobbit reference in here.

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

I stand corrected.

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Last year at a race on open roads we had a young lad about 14-15 who was banditing, he was so dangerous swerving into traffic ect, how he didn't clip one of the competitors I don't know. When I was on the run he was stood with his family, came so close to stopping so I could give him and his parents a piece of my mind. Wish I had done because I had a terrible run anyway.

What if someone holds a race on open roads that just happens to be part of the route you're out riding unaware that a race is on?
You could hardly make that illegal. It's not even morally wrong, just awkward.
Happened to me once. I was out for a cycle and found myself sharing the road with cyclists wearing numbers. After a few kilometers a marshall tried directing me to the turn into transition and I saw that it was a local duathlon event. I joined the club that runs it a year or two later. I presume this isn't considered banditing since I was simply sharing the road with them, just like many cars, and some trucks and motorbikes.... I did make an effort not to get in anyone's way though.

I think there needs to be intent for it to be considered banditing

Purposefully sneaking into the start, taking water from the tables, running through the finish & taking a medal, then enjoying post-race goodies

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Banditing a race is along the same lines as sneaking into a movie, concert, etc. Why this is even a topic here is kind of ridiculous.



Nothing at all wrong with this as long as you aren't taking things from aid stations or entering the start/finish or other areas that are designated for race entrants.

That guy that picked a london marathon bib from the gutter and ran with it got arrested right

Generally a shitty thing to do, like illegally downloading music from your favorite small band... Its just stealing from people who develop something you like and in the end from yourself. Plus crowding a course uninsured and annoying the honest people who paid

That said, I was almost impressed by banditing one time when ricardo ricco was banned from cycling a second time, so he hid behind a church 1km in so he could still race. Thats pretty extreme competitive drive

That was my assumption, but like you I was a bit confused by the thread topic and wondered if I misunderstood the scope of the activity. If it's just people intentionally gatecrashing events, it seems exceptionally niche and whether it's actually illegal seems pretty irrelevant. Most events will have race numbers, wrist bands, timing chips or some other visible means to identify racers at transitions, stations and start/finish, so I doubt it's terribly prevalent, but is anyone actually going to prosecute an individual for this outside of them causing an accident for example?

I'd add Bob Costas to the Ninth Circle but he actually should be in the second or third.

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The only exception I have ever allowed to the bandit rule was at the New Orleans Marathon when it crossed the Lake Pontchartain Bridge. Two mid- teenaged boys jumped in the race somewhere on the North Shore and ran across the bridge in basketball shoes and long pants bouncing a basketball the whole way. I was standing right off the bridge exit and saw them come off. Only one way those kids got there, the hard way. Don't know if they went across the finish line or not but a tip of the hat to them. Not sure how the heck they ever got home. "Um mom, can you come drive across the bridge and pick us up?"

The Miami running 'community' is notorious for bandits, and Miami Marathon/HM RD Frankie Ruiz has sometimes positioned himself or his team just before the finish or within the finish area to pull people off the course or confiscate their medals if they had no bib

https://runningmagazine.ca/...-race-medal-thieves/

https://www.marathoninvestigation.com/...course-of-miami.html

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Seems bizzare. Maybe I just live very sheltered existence!

I agree with you.

Two stories, what is your ETHICAL take?

1) Local guy lives on the Houston Marathon course. He always goes out and runs with his friends, never crosses finish line. His intent is to cheer on and encourage his friends and be a part of the action. I would say he doesn't use any of the resources the race provides registered runners other than the convenience on running on cleared roads.

2) Guy runs with impaired athlete who needs a guide. Race will register guides for free, but for whatever reason guide doesn't register. He does cross line etc and runs race like he is registered as a guide.

I am narrowly fine with #1 and #2 seems more of a brain fart than an ethics violation. I say narrowly on #1 because I acknowledge that if a lot of people did that, it would be a problem.

Are there double letters involved?

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin