We have all read hundreds of threads here and on other sites about the debate of family, kids, dog, hamsters, etc. being brought across the finish line at IM…and Ironman has made it clear that if you do this you will be DQ’ed, and last year at IMLP there were a bunch of warning to folks that were in the last 200 yards that they would be DQ’ed if they continued with the kid and ultimately the kids were placed back behind the barricades before the line…
Question is, has that rule changed?? Saw at least 2 folks do this during a recent IM…did not hear any warnings or admonishments from officials…have things changed?
Saw one guy at IMLP this year who thought the rules didn’t apply to him cross the line carrying a child. His name does not appear in the official results.
Some dude picked up his kid in the finishers chute at Timberman, and the annoucer repeatedly told him that he would be DQed, they even stopped him before he crossed the line, but he still chose to cross. Not sure what came of it.
Some dude picked up his kid in the finishers chute at Timberman, and the annoucer repeatedly told him that he would be DQed, they even stopped him before he crossed the line, but he still chose to cross. Not sure what came of it.
So they dont want to congest the finishing circuit but they tried to stop him from crossing? LOL at that logic.
I get what they are trying to do, but at that point, the guy that finishes with his kids in tow could care less that he DNF’d. He’s got the “evidence” that he completed it. Kinda is what it is. Simply DNF him and move on.
We have all read hundreds of threads here and on other sites about the debate of family, kids, dog, hamsters, etc. being brought across the finish line at IM…and Ironman has made it clear that if you do this you will be DQ’ed, and last year at IMLP there were a bunch of warning to folks that were in the last 200 yards that they would be DQ’ed if they continued with the kid and ultimately the kids were placed back behind the barricades before the line…
Question is, has that rule changed?? Saw at least 2 folks do this during a recent IM…did not hear any warnings or admonishments from officials…have things changed?
Just curious what others have observed…
Paul
At IM South Africa this year family/friends were allowed to run down the chute, and I for one was happy with the decision. I understand and respect the opposite too. WTC’s policy against family/friends in the finish chute currently only applies to US domestic events, so I guess at international events its up to the race director to decide whether it is allowed or not.
Some dude picked up his kid in the finishers chute at Timberman, and the annoucer repeatedly told him that he would be DQed, they even stopped him before he crossed the line, but he still chose to cross. Not sure what came of it.
So they dont want to congest the finishing circuit but they tried to stop him from crossing? LOL at that logic.
I get what they are trying to do, but at that point, the guy that finishes with his kids in tow could care less that he DNF’d. He’s got the “evidence” that he completed it. Kinda is what it is. Simply DNF him and move on.
I think its the same logic behind giving people penalties for drafting when they are on a mountain bike going 12 mph. Who cares the people riding aren’t going to care if they get a 2 min penalty move on to important stuff.
Question is, has that rule changed?? Saw at least 2 folks do this during a recent IM…did not hear any warnings or admonishments from officials…have things changed?
Warnings, admonishments, suggestions, common-sense and even the rules themselves were not enough, and quite frankly in the IM races in North America the situation got completely out of hand, in a very short period of time. Perhaps in other places, they use a bit more common-sense and restraint with this - not so at the IM races in North America. It peaked a number of years ago when , at one year, at IMC I stood at the finish-line for well over an hour at about the 12 hr mark and more people were finishing with various large family entourages than not.
Some dude picked up his kid in the finishers chute at Timberman, and the annoucer repeatedly told him that he would be DQed, they even stopped him before he crossed the line, but he still chose to cross. Not sure what came of it.
So they dont want to congest the finishing circuit but they tried to stop him from crossing? LOL at that logic.
I get what they are trying to do, but at that point, the guy that finishes with his kids in tow could care less that he DNF’d. He’s got the “evidence” that he completed it. Kinda is what it is. Simply DNF him and move on.
I think its the same logic behind giving people penalties for drafting when they are on a mountain bike going 12 mph. Who cares the people riding aren’t going to care if they get a 2 min penalty move on to important stuff.
That’s just a funny scene to me. I can just see Mike Reilly and 3 WTC people running up to the guy saying “You are an Iron…wait a minute you cant do that”, and then there are 2 people “racing” trying to get to the line, caught behind the mess.
Like I said, interesting logic there with that situation.
**I can just see Mike Reilly and 3 WTC people running up to the guy saying “Wow, wow, wow, you cant do that”, and then there are 2 people “racing” caught behind the mess. **
Funny, but that was one of the issues - you may have had some younger guy, who may have been completely out of it in his age-group, but then you may have had an older person who was racing for a spot on the podium or a Kona Qualifying spot and now they are blocked by the Smith - Family of 5 in the chute. How fair is that?
**I can just see Mike Reilly and 3 WTC people running up to the guy saying “Wow, wow, wow, you cant do that”, and then there are 2 people “racing” caught behind the mess. **
Funny, but that was one of the issues - you may have had some younger guy, who may have been completely out of it in his age-group, but then you may have had an older person who was racing for a spot on the podium or a Kona Qualifying spot and now they are blocked by the Smith - Family of 5 in the chute. How fair is that?
I’m not arguing that. What I’m arguing is WTC wants this DQ’d rule for anyone that clogs up the finishing chute. But then by actually went on the course to then try and “block” someone from actually doing it, is by definition contributing to the issue at hand. So what I was laughing at, is the idea that WTC actually increased the clutter at the finishing line, when all they really had to do was simply DNF the guy. That was from the story that WTC went and tried to stop someone from finishing with their family. That’s why it’s funny to me that they actually tried to stop someone from crossing the actual finish line. They basically added to the clutter, which is what they are trying to stop in the 1st place. If someone is going to bring their family on the course, they are goign to bring their family on the course. They could care less about some DQ or not. So unless they want to get serious with this and start arresting people (for trespassing), just DQ the guy and move on. Trying to block the guy and his family at the very end is more or less attribiting to the problem they wanted to stop.
Edit: What I’m trying to say is: Simpy DQ the guy, dont try and block someone from finishing, that basically creates even more of an issue (especially if the family is already on the course).
I still say they should have two finish chutes. One for regular folk, and one for those wanting to cross with family. Chute #1 is same as it is now. But if you want to cross with family, you enter a corral about 50 yards before the finish. Meet your family there. And be let out of the corral in 30 second or 1 minute intervals, so each family has a clean finish photo and doesn’t tangle with others.
Ironman could assign bibs to family members wanting to cross (same number as racer, but maybe a yellow bib or something). Have the family or guardian sign a release. Maybe even charge a few bucks. And sell photos.
Obviously those crossing with family will be delayed a little by a staging corral, but if they are crossing with little kids, then they aren’t going for pure time anyways.
Seems like the good solution. It provides an unobstructed finish chute for solo athletes going for time, and a safe and photo opportunity chute for those with family.
My guess is there are many IM’ers that frankly don’t care about online results. They have finished and will have years of bragging rights and a nice photo to show their grand kids.
If they really cared they would design a cute that didn’t allow for easy access from the sidelines, more like cycling. Start the cute km’s back.
i had no idea that this would clog something somewhere. at challenge copenhagen it is possible and there i don’t see a problem. enough space to let four people run next to each other. so one can definitely pass at the side.
Probably more effective than all of the warnings would be to delete the finish line photos of the the chute rule DQ’s. Seems easy enough to me, racer X DQ’d…don’t post the photos online and they can’t be ordered. Of course, these people represent a disproportionate number of photo orders, so heads would probably expode trying to make that decision.
I think this is a great idea. Solves the entire problem.
Personally, I am a relative sensitive guy but I honestly don’t get it. I am curious if the family members want to go through the chute with the IM finisher? I have a big family and none of my kids or wife have a desire to go through the chute with me.
At Alcatraz this year, I was running hard into the finish and really, really enjoying it and soaking up the experience while running hard when out of the stands popped the 5 teenage children of the guy ahead of me - they completely cut me off and almost made me fall, then boxed me out from running hard to the finish.
I was about to pass him. Did not really care if I did or not because we all had different start times anyway. I was just pissed at the fact that I went from really really enjoying the experience to getting cut off by an idiot family.