The last two races I have participated in featured some post-race comments I came across either on-line or up close and personal from race participants. I have long advocated that until one has worked a race, designed a course, been a volunteer at an aid station etc., that for the most part you should keep your yapper shut when it comes to criticizing a race. Sure, you spent X amount of dollars so you have a voice, so to speak. Just be smart when you plan on using it.
The first race and instance which comes to attention, dealing with a sprint-distance triathlon that cost all of $35, was where some people were advocating that the race should have had chip timing. This race, which turned out to have been run beautifully for a first time event, was one where the race directors were expecting, at most, 100 participants. When they got closer to 200, they had to close down registration and make changes to the course to allow participants a fair event. (e.g., They moved the swim to the last, in part I am assuming, to keep everyone from killing themselves in the mass start in a pool.) This was an event that in no way shape or form needed a chip timing system, even with the 200 people. It was a small event and chip timing is not cheap. While it varies from event to event, you are looking at around $2 per person per chip and an initial fee of ~$1000 for the system. This is completely too expensive and unnecessary for a first time race expecting very few competitors. Unless, of course, you want that miniscule $35 fee to jump up to $50 or so (possibly more.) Would it be great if EVERY race had electronic chip timing and satellite hook-up to automatically beam results to everyone’s MyspaTwitbook account? Sure! But to insist that a race needs it from the get-go, when it is small neighborhood even, is just a little ridiculous.
In the half-marathon I participated in over the 4th of July, there was a mix up with some of the packets not getting to the packet pickup on time. First and foremost, let me make a quick aside here. Runners: if the time for an expo/packet pickup is from X to Y, why show up an hour before X? Unless it is the Marine Corps Marathon and they honor the first guy in line with a special award for having all the time in the world to show up and wait like he is getting tickets for a Beatles reunion or the new iPhone, there is no need to do this. All you do is make yourself impatient even if the packet pickup starts n the exact minute it was supposed to. I have long told race directors that if you want runners to show up at X, tell them to show up at X plus 45 minutes. Everything will be right on time then. But I digress.
