I know that I’m taking some liberty with another’s words (and I hope that I do not offend him) but because it was posted on a public internet bulletin board I’ll repost it here. The following are the comments by a very prominent, able, and respected race director in the Mid-Atlantic after a combined DU/TRI that he recently directed. I’m sure that those in the east will know of him. It reflects a very sad situation of the conduct of some in our sport and of some people in general. It is really a sad commentary on how the actions of a few can mess it up for all. What can we do??
Athletes wonder why more people do not want to become race directors. Here are some reasons why:
Vandals - the tacks were laid after the race started and the first wave of bikers came through. A passing motorist phoned in a tag number to the police.
People think I should be responsible for this.
Athletes telling volunteers, give me 3 G.D. piece of pizza now, I paid for this st, don’t tell me I can only have 1 piece of f*in pizza.
Athletes telling my wife to pick up their garbage herself because that is what they paid their money for.
Five phone calls to my house at 9PM with people YELLING why weren’t the results up yet.
The restaurant owner demanding a payment for use of his dock AFTER the race was over, despite the athletes filling up his restaurant the night before.
The 10 people asking for a refund this morning because they had something else to do yesterday.
I appreciate all the many athletes that said thank you, helped to clean up afterwards and really understood that the tack situation was something beyond our control. But the people who could not take responsibility for reading race information beforehand, think that every race is an Ironman, or do not know any other word besides ME, ME, ME, ruins it for me, my staff and everyone.
I’m old, I’m tired and have become very, very disillusioned with the direction this sport is taking over the past two or three years. Maybe it is time for me to take my wifes advice - fulfill your remaining contracts and let someone else take the abuse.
I started racing 14 years ago. The cost of the races were not much more then they are today. Back in the late 80’s we were paying $40 for a race. Seems as though the cost has not gone up that much. Races were much smaller. About 1/4 to 1/3 the size they are now. The athletes were all polite and pretty much knew each other. Everyone always thanked the volunteers. There were no TV or media exposure. No “high profile” people around. Everyone raced for fun. The RD’s never made money and could hardly pay the bills after the race (I know cuz I was on the board for the local races).
I’ve seen lots of change since then and the above post explains it well.
I decided not to do the TriAmerica race in Louisville this weekend, and instead agreed to volunteer. Let me just say that although most were very nice, there is a minority in our sport that I wish would find something else to do with their spare time. One in particular cussed at another volunteer and I because we couldn’t let his 3 yr old daughter come in the t-area with him, while the race was still going on, to get his stuff. I thought it was a nice gesture that the TriAmerica people were letting some get their gear while at least 40 bikers were still on the course (they ran a sprint and Oly at the same time). So I pointed out Chuck Peltz and told this gentleman that he could talk to him and that he should leave our sport. Along with a couple colorful adjectives. I shouldn’t have reacted that way, but after standing for 7 hours bodymarking, directing athletes from the swim to the t-area, and then guarding their gear, I couldn’t believe the rudeness of some of the participants.
I saw that and just shook my head. This stuff is a sign of the times.
I even had someone literally blow up at me when I had the Seahorse because we provided cotton tanks instead of “T” shirts. What’s worse, the race day blow up was followed by about 2 week’s worth of threatening emails. This was absolutely crazy stuff. I was not afraid, just felt sad for the guy. It got to the point where I suggested he find another race to do the following year since I would not accept his application from that point on.
RD’s have a right to say enough is enough from anyone who goes over the edge. As participants, we also have the right, if not the responsibility, to step in when we see or hear something out of the range of the acceptable. Problem is, you never know when you are dealing with someone who has the capacity to truly go over the edge. Every reaction or response needs to be measured against that potential. Again, sign of the times.
It saddens me when I hear stuff like this. Over the years I have always gone out of my way to thank RD’s, volunteers and all others involved in event managment. I have known many RD’s in my time and I know that the Thank you’s for a job well done are often in short supply.
I don’t want to turn this into a socio-political thread, but unfortunatly, our society has become very selfish in the past 10 - 20 years. It does seem to be all about “ME” and screw everyone else! I keep increasingly hearing from police officers that they can’t lay charges against someone making poor choices and lacking in common sense - but complaints on this front are dramatically on the rise. Ask any police officer. Typically, the complaint is not about someone breaking any law, it’s about a person or persons having absolutly no regard for the negative impact of what they are doing on those around them, their neighbours, their fellow workers, the environment and so on.
This past weekend, on our small lake where my family cottage was, someone was roaring around in a boat with a 500 horsepower engine, that was so loud it rattled the windows of our cottage. How was it that the owner of this boat, that is supposed to be raced in the open ocean, made such a poor choice, to run his boat around on a small quiet lake. It’s all about Me!!!
I haven’t been racing that long, maybe three or four years, but here’s what is sad to me. I never have any problems with beginners. All the problems I’ve ever had on the course, in transition, or around the race in general were people who were relatively experienced and competitive athletes. Namely, people who should have known better. Unfortunately they seem to be the same people doing the most complaining about the growth of the sport. The vast majority of people out there are cool and I’ve been helped out much more than I’ve been crapped on, but the few bad eggs who take themselves too seriously, and don’t like new people moving in on their “turf” are starting to cast a shadow on the rest of us.
Amen, slowguy and Fleck. These are the same people that you would see throwing clubs on a golf course after a bad shot, or cutting a line in a store to ask for help when everyone else is standing there waiting patiently. Again, don’t want to go to far OT, but people are becoming more and more self-absorbed.
I wonder sometimes when this self absorbtion started or what factors led to this. What in our soceity has influenced people to increasingly behave in this manner?
I encounter people all the time now who seem to have put no thought at all about what the impact of their actions are on those around them. When you question them on their actions they are either completely dumbfounded or they tell you to screw off!
The other day on the off ramp coming off the highway I saw a guy toss his McDonalds bag and cup out the window of his truck while we waited at the light. I was right behind him and I honked my horn and pointed at his garbage which was now lying on the road. He turned around and gave me the finger! Nice!!
I decided not to do the TriAmerica race in Louisville this weekend, and instead agreed to volunteer. Let me just say that although most were very nice, there is a minority in our sport that I wish would find something else to do with their spare time.<<
I would have to agree. I volunteer at Alcatraz every year and there are always some who think the rules don’t apply to them.
I can’t tell you how many people tried to sneak under the fence that was the border for the corridor coming off the bike and into T2, while the race was going on. They couldn’t understand what was wrong with just walking down this corridor to go into t-area even though the race was still going on and people were still coming in off the bike. But believe me, if they had been on the bike and run into someone doing the same thing, they would have cussed the volunteers and complained to the race director. And all because they were too lazy to walk another 50 yards to the other end of the t-area where there was a place for them to come in that wasn’t part of the race route.
The other thing, and in hindsight this is pretty funny, had one guy who couldn’t understand why he had to wear a timing chip. He just didn’t want to. Saw his picture in the paper yesterday as winner of the sprint distance.
I wonder sometimes when this self absorbtion started or what factors led to this. What in our soceity has influenced people to increasingly behave in this manner?
I encounter people all the time now who seem to have put no thought at all about what the impact of their actions are on those around them. When you question them on their actions they are either completely dumbfounded or they tell you to screw off!
The other day on the off ramp coming off the highway I saw a guy toss his McDonalds bag and cup out the window of his truck while we waited at the light. I was right behind him and I honked my horn and pointed at his garbage which was now lying on the road. He turned around and gave me the finger! Nice!!
OK-this is the type of thing that in my early 20’s, i would have gotten out of my car, picked up his bag of crap and shoved it either back into his car window, or rubbed it all over his car. Now that I’m almost 30, I realize that people are “ate up” and 1 in 8 people have psychopathic tendencies. So, now I"m more afraid of people that do such things because they are displaying such disregard for not only themselves, but also for everyone else. These are the type of people that don’t care if they hurt you.
The older I get, the more I just want to run away and live in the mountains without anyone else around me. Sometimes it’s just too much to handle–the selfishness, the crime, the evil, the horrid display of abuse of life in general by people.
When I did my first triathlon a few weeks ago, mostly I thought that the people were ego maniacs. During the swim I had a man punch me so hard on the head that it hurt for 10 minutes. Also, another man yanked very hard on my trishorts to get me out of the way during the swim. It sure turned me off and made me feel badly. I never witnessed or was a “victim” of such horrid behavior in our city’s running events. I’m second guessing the whole triathlete thing…I don’t know if it’s something I want to be a part of.
Also I can’t help wonder if the nature of the sport itself attracts such ego maniacs…moreso than other single event sports. (?)
this past weekend I rode with some people that bitched about the entry fees. I couldn’t believe it because I totally get what the entry fee is for. it seems like so much coordination, etc that I’m surprised it doesn’t cost even more. again, some people are just never happy–and the more they get the more they want. I really hate that. If my goodie bag was full of paper I would read every piece and think it’s awesome. It’s totally new to me taht people expect stuff to be given to them and are mad when it doesn’t meet their expectations.
But, what do I know. I grew up in the country and my family lived a simple life…not eveyone has that philosophy.
I worked at the Vineman Ironman two years ago while my husband competed - While I was in the bike to run transition I got to stand there and listen to a bicyclist for a relay team yell and cuss at me about having to go all the way down to his trans area for his runner - The good thing - this was a USAT race and an official was standing right there - she went to the guy and told him he would apoligize now to me or his team was DQ’d - He did apoligize but I do not think he was really sincere - just saving his team from being knocked out.
The challenge is that we have a full range of races now - everything from full-on professionally run extravaganzas such as the Ironman events to small localy organized and focussed races that are set up around the kitchen table. The problem is, that these days, many people have their first exposure to the sport at one of the big events. Their next race is possibly a local one and the expectations going in are likly very high.
This is not meant to be critical of either the big or the small events, both play a very important role in the sport, but participants, need to be understanding and flexiable - and clearly some/many are not!
Kittycat, don’t give up tri just because of a few idiots at your first race. I know we are all complaining here, but it truly is a very vocal minority that cause these problems. They know who they are.
As for the goodie bags, I guess when I spend $450 for an IMCDA entry I was a little disappointed to find just a license plate, but damn if I am not displaying that thing proudly now! Worth every penny.
I worked at the Vineman Ironman two years ago while my husband competed - While I was in the bike to run transition I got to stand there and listen to a bicyclist for a relay team yell and cuss at me about having to go all the way down to his trans area for his runner - The good thing - this was a USAT race and an official was standing right there - she went to the guy and told him he would apoligize now to me or his team was DQ’d - He did apoligize but I do not think he was really sincere - just saving his team from being knocked out.
ahh that official would have been Ruth, we had a good post race dicussion of that persons behavior.
99% of the time if someone abuses a race volunteer or official and we as a USAT officials witness it, it’s a DQ for unsportsmanlike conduct, as it should be.
It is sad to read this post and I feel for the race director, lots of effort little thanks. I was injured last year (2 knee surgeries) so i decided to volunteer at a couple of events since I couldn’t compete. I was amazed at the poor behavior displayed by numerous participants; some of the situations were so irrational I was downright embarrassed for the person committing the act. A majority of the racers were fantastic and fun to be around but there were enough “special situations” that I walked away with mixed feelings on several occasions. The situations ranged from funny/annoying people that were really psyched to be themselves and thought every volunteer was there to answer their beck and call, to downright threats.
One of the races involved an age group sprint and the u23 national champs (draft legal). The roads were open for sprint but closed for the u23 champs. The race director had tons of meetings and publicized ad nauseum that transition would be closed after the sprint race until the u23’s were finished. The reason for closing the transition was fear that sprint participants would take bikes out of transition, put in car then drive off on “closed roads”. The race director did not want a situation where a pack of unsuspecting athletes hammering down the road met up with a stray car on a supposedly closed course. On race day I managed on of the entrances/exits of the transition. I had several people try to remove their bikes after the sprint was over and I explained to them this was not possible. In several instances I was berated with all sort of nice words, which was not too fun considering we were going on 2-3 hrs sleep from set up the day before but no that big a deal. The incident that took the prize was when a competitors husband came over and wanted to know why his wife couldn’t remove her bike from transition. I explained to him the reason for the rule and he got in my face and started yellilg that i was making him late for something and threatened me with physical violence. Not a big deal, as there were tons of people around so I knew nothing too bad could happen but when you’re only 5’8" 145lbs and this guy was a big 6’3"+ its unnerving none the less. This incident totally bummed me out and I just couldn’t believe some one would sacrifice the safety of a bunch of athletes going all out for a free trip to worlds for their own personal agenda. I know people with this mind set are everywhere but until i volunteered i had no idea how many of them actually participate in triathlon. I hope the race director above sticks it out as i’m sure there are thousands that appreciate his efforts but for some reason never thanked him. I always thanked volunteers before but now I make sure to let them know how much their help is appreciated. I figure it is the least we can do to offset the people out there attempting to make the volunteers think their hard work is for nothing and not appreciated.
This is a thoroughly depressing thread. To counteract the negative emotions it seems to be generating in me I sent off a thank you note to the RD who ran the last tri I raced in.
It also reminded me of an incident during the swim in that tri. I was in the last wave and swam up on a swimmer from the previous wave. I ran into her - my fault. I stopped to check on her and she looked over at me and apologized. She had no reason to apologize and I told her so and then I apologized to her. We both swam on. Life’s too short to act like a jerk and cause others to suffer.
During the swim I had a man punch me so hard on the head that it hurt for 10 minutes. Also, another man yanked very hard on my trishorts to get me out of the way during the swim.
This is fast turning into my pet peeve.
What the hell? Physically attacking someone else on the swim? Are these people out of their freaking minds?
If I ever witness something like this, my race for the day is going to be over. My sole objective will be to make sure that the offender is identified and punished. Preferably charged by local law enforcement with battery.
Assaulting other racers in the water is absolutely unacceptable. I’m sorry it happened to you, Kittycat.