Many new runners come from a mindset where everyone gets a medal and it's good enough

hardCopy

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Running is elitist because everyone starts at the same time? I would have thought it's the other way round!

Your argument is completely wrong anyway, there are plenty of grades in running. They are called age groups!

I probably didn't phrase that very well, my point was that it's no less elitist than rugby or golf as they also accommodate all levels.

Age grading is not the same as grading by ability.

Do people really feel that a 2:50 marathon is being equated to a 5:30 because both runners got the same medal?

For new runners the medal is usually just a tangible reward for the training they've put in. Once you've run a couple of events they become meaningless.

The folks at the back of the field have so little hope of ever having an impact at elite level that the only real benefits of increased participation are Public Health benefits, if medals encourage people to get themselves "fit" and do a race then that's a good thing in my book.

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

We have handicapped 5k races in our club. Everyone has an estimated finish time based on a recent race result, and starts are staggered so that (in theory) everyone will finish at exactly the same time.

Every time we do it, the race is won by a novice, because they can easily improve by 30 seconds between races while the faster runners are happy to take off a couple of seconds from race to race.

But none of the faster runners care that they don't win, Maybe its because they aren't so uncertain of their ability or motivation that they need to be constantly told how special they are. Or maybe its because the winners don't get medals :eek:

You see we have the scratch 5k the week before, so if you cheat its obvious and you get slagged for the rest of your club life. Mr Sand bagging!!!

Our Fastest runner won it this year, we all finished very close together for a change. Slagging must be working

kit3

Can't believe this discussion is still going. Couldn't care less about medals either way - everytime I go out I'm competing against myself and that's good enough for me and I enter races to motivate myself to get out the door and train. Not sure what (if any) catgory that puts in me but I'm happy

twowheelsonly

A medal is a memento, nothing more, nothing less, whether you win the marathon or come in 651st.
The real recognition to almost everybody is the achievement/time/place in the race and most 'middle of the pack' runners will strive to improve on this each time they go out. Others, that may be running for 20, 30 or 40 years, just go out to take part and are under no illusions about winning or improving but are still happy to have a memento of the occasion.
Earlier this year there was 10 marathons in 10 days in Sixmilebridge. There was a medal every day with a different coloured ribbon. That's a great souvenir of a great achievement for anyone to have.
IMO medals, certs or plaques are the best options. T-Shirts get lost/thrown out/worn out. Mugs (which are a great idea as well) get broken etc.

Have a read of this page on Jerry Forde (250+ marathons) and in particular pay attention to the photo taken in his house with his mementos on the wall. I think that's fantastic!! Might not be for everyone but for Jerry it's basically the story of his life and travels and each plaque and medal has it's own story. AFAIK he's done marathons in 65 different places outside of Ireland, some of which he has repeated making a total of 97/98 overseas marathons in total.
http://jerryforde.wordpress.com/about/

On the subject of just doing a marathon just for the medal, those people are fairly few and far between in fairness. However, if that's their motivation and it gets them out and about then how bad. Sometimes it might inspire them to do another just to start a collection of medals, and then another and before they know it they're filling in an application for the 100 Marathon Club!!


For what it's worth, in most juvenile boxing tournaments around these parts every competitor gets a medal and the winner usually gets a plaque/trophy so it's not just in Athletics that this happens.

kevmc1180

kit3 wrote: »

Can't believe this discussion is still going. Couldn't care less about medals either way - everytime I go out I'm competing against myself and that's good enough for me and I enter races to motivate myself to get out the door and train. Not sure what (if any) catgory that puts in me but I'm happy

I couldnt agree with this person anymore.
When i run i run to beat myself.
Even when i run alone i always try to beat my self.
If im in a race again i try to beat myself, but you have the bonus of trying to beat the person infront of you. Which is great motivation.

Some people on here are unbelievable.
So what if someone walks around to get a momento of some sort, would you prefer they sat at home on his or her arse???

menoscemo

kevmc1180 wrote: »

Some people on here are unbelievable.
So what if someone walks around to get a momento of some sort, would you prefer they sat at home on his or her arse???

Nobody says there is anything wrong with that.
The only thing I have said is that it is no great achievement to walk around a Marathon. Literally anyone could do it.
Lots of people have come on here saying they could never complete a Marathon. They are wrong!!

Oops69

A listen to the interviewee on this weeks marathon talk podcast might chasten some of the childish views so far on this thread

drquirky

This thread is ****ing stupid tbh....

Oops69

Asked the mods to close it a month ago but no ???!

drquirky

Oops69 wrote: »

Asked the mods to close it a month ago but no ???!

Not saying it should be closed just saying that its ****ing stupid. Not really the type to go tattling to the mods cause I don't like a thread.

Oops69

drquirky wrote: »

Not saying it should be closed just saying that its ****ing stupid. Not really the type to go tattling to the mods cause I don't like a thread.

And I'm not the type who rises to insults , as before .

drquirky

Oops69 wrote: »

And I'm not the type who rises to insults , as before .

Good thing - I'm on taper right now so you'd be pretty silly to try and get into it with me. :eek:

Oops69

drquirky wrote: »

Good thing - I'm on taper right now so you'd be pretty silly to try and get into it with me. :eek:

Be sure to bring your garmins for a drive when you're on taper , they might turn against you on marathon day

MrCreosote

I used to find the medal thing a bit twee, like a patronising pat on the back. But the 5 year old found my collection of medals recently and we spent a nice half hour going through them all, talking about the good and bad races and so on. If that's the only good thing they are for, then I'm happy to have kept them.

I can see myself doing the same with grandkids in 30 years time, but I expect the stories might become a bit more embellished by then!

PVincent

Just a quick deviation on this...what do people keep from their marathons...the medal is one memento...but do you download a cert if one is available, do you always buy a top/hoodie/hat etc with the marathon crest on it( to add to the top you generally get in the goodie bag or at the finish line).. Do you ever buy the photos or videos...( some people must definitely purchase)... Surely every one of us will wear that finishers top on the first couple of runs after a marathon and like to be seen in the sweatshirt..is that because we want people to know we have done the marathon or is it in case we meet someone else who did the same marathon and we want to talk about the experience. Interested to hear your thoughts because in many ways these are just a different type of memento to a medal but very much the same really

Cabaal

PVincent wrote: »

Just a quick deviation on this...what do people keep from their marathons...the medal is one memento...but do you download a cert if one is available, do you always buy a top/hoodie/hat etc with the marathon crest on it( to add to the top you generally get in the goodie bag or at the finish line).. Do you ever buy the photos or videos...( some people must definitely purchase)... Surely every one of us will wear that finishers top on the first couple of runs after a marathon and like to be seen in the sweatshirt..is that because we want people to know we have done the marathon or is it in case we meet someone else who did the same marathon and we want to talk about the experience. Interested to hear your thoughts because in many ways these are just a different type of memento to a medal but very much the same really

I've never bought a top at an event...can't justify the expensive for them.

I did buy a 2011 Dublin Marathon baseball cap at the expo 2012, but that was only cause it was dirt cheap as it was a year old

As for the tops, I only wear them cause they are handy to have or one might fit or be more comfortable then the other. Don't wear them to be seen with an event name or anything like that.

Medals, well only have around 14 of them so I hang them off the edge of a picture in the office at home...so basically nobody see's them :pac:

TFBubendorfer

I do wear the tops for day-to-day training if they're technical, cotton t-shirts I don't even take any more if offered or I give them away. There is no way I would ever purchase an extra top.

The medals go into an already overloaded shelf (now at least 3 layers deep). I still value the trophies I got for placing high, but I long stopped caring for the everyone-gets-one medals.

I purchased photos twice, both times after hitting a "significant" time goal, which gives me a 4% purchase rate. To be honest, I'd probably get them more often if the prices weren't so completely outrageous, I like photos but just cannot justify spending €25 or €30 on one.

The most significant things I keep from marathons are the memories.

rom

Medals are an integral part of why I run. I couldn't possibly enter a race where I didn't get one. Without one I couldn't come home and put it on my two year old to hear her singing this song to the medal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfRuLS-Vnjs

KeenRunner

Have to say I love my running tops and my medals because they represent personal achievements. For me that's what running is all about. I've never been given a medal for sitting at home on the couch, but I have been given one for running 42km. The distinction is clear, and for me that is more than 'good enough', whether you come 10th or 11,110th.

ThePiedPiper

I've never bought marathon gear, don't think I ever would.. I do keep the t-shirts alright, haven't had to buy running clothes in years. I remember in Berlin the finisher tshirt had to be bought, couldn't justify it,

The only thing I keep is the medal, and occasionally the kit bag as they're handy.. Medals reside in a box that gets opened usually just to add another medal.

I bought photos for first few marathons but gave up on that years ago, the price is off the walls, and there's only so many photos of yourself running you need have in fairness

PDCAT

The only medals that interest me are for completing a marathon. I do keep all medals i've recieved in a drawer for other distance's but don't really place much value on them really. I wouldn't buy a top for any race. i have enough as it is. I do like to recieve a top for completing a marathon though, but if it's not in the goody bag, i don't think i'd buy one.

I bought a photo after the florence marathon, got it framed along with medals from DCM 2011 & Florence 2012 with it. It's on the wall in the sitting room. Can't see myself adding many more photo's tbh.

displaced dub

For me just being able to run out the door is great.

In May last year I was 17st now I'm 13st. Started the couch to 5k and i finished that and said sure I'll give that 10k one a go so finished that and said sure I'll give the half a go so finished that. But I was in a major car accident weeks before my first half race, was lucky to get out alive mainly thanks to my own reactions to the stupidity coming towards me.

But I said to myself I'm after doing all that training for a sub 1.45 and now all I want to do is actually start the thing. So with a savage amount of tylex, diazepam and nureofen in the system I took off. Massive back spasm from mile 10 to finish in just 2 hours.

But that silly medal hanging off the lamp in my office means so much to me ,my kids wore it that day and I look at it and remember a time
of both immense pain and also immense pride.

Now I've had to pull out of DCM after paying fee etc due to the stupid accident but I feel so blessed just to be able to run at all, so just enjoy it people and remember while a medal may mean nothing to you to others in times after the race it brings back so many memories and on days you're down it can push you back out the door to do another few miles!

Hannibal Smith

Im just worried about where this all will end....I've finally got to where a 5k run is a doddle...the 9k one is still tough though. But there was a time when 5k was my long run!!! Soon will my 9k run become a doddle and what then? Will 15k be my next target?

Im starting to think outside the box of the mini marathon and thinking about doing other races. The trinkets you're all getting for finishing races is spurring me on....which is sooooo not the point of the thread lol

This is all grand...but I haven't a clue what im doing. ...I just keep running! !! Lol

snailsong

Cabaal wrote: »

Medals, well only have around 14 of them so I hang them off the edge of a picture in the office at home...so basically nobody see's them :pac:

When I had amassed a total of 2 finishers medals I hung them on the bed post. I told my wife that when she heard them rattling it was to remind her she was making love with an elite athlete. ;-)

The next day she hung them on her dressing table.

lostinashford

Any race is a personal achievement for a runner, one persons 3hr is the same achievement another's 4 or 5hr marathon. To complete any race is an achievement for every runner, the time you do is a more personal thing - the medal is a recognition for completion not speed

Chivito550

http://instagram.com/p/fhnY4mn365/

robinph

Chivito550 wrote: »

http://instagram.com/p/fhnY4mn365/

Isn't the hat just given out for participating as well? OK so there may only be a handful of people taking part, but still more common than a World Championship medal.

rom

lostinashford wrote: »

Any race is a personal achievement for a runner, one persons 3hr is the same achievement another's 4 or 5hr marathon. To complete any race is an achievement for every runner, the time you do is a more personal thing - the medal is a recognition for completion not speed

Anything worth achieving is hard work. For any normal person turning up to an event getting through like the 98%+ other people and collecting their medal at the end is simply a receipt of payment even if delude yourself in to thinking that your great.

Why is participation considered an achievement by some in athletics? You don't get GAA players who play against there local parish on a Sunday talking themselves up that their achievement of playing through 70 minutes is comparable with playing through an all-ireland final.

The difference is that recognition is given to day,week,years of training that it takes those players to get to that level. They are put on a pedestal as they should. However in athletics some believe that participation is just as important ignoring the fact that you have a moral obligation to yourself to keep fit and healthy and is not something that should be applauded even if it is on Operation Transformation or the Biggest Loser.

KillianByrne

Grrrr.

MrCreosote

rom wrote: »

Why is participation considered an achievement by some in athletics? You don't get GAA players who play against there local parish on a Sunday talking themselves up that their achievement of playing through 70 minutes is comparable with playing through an all-ireland final.

For a lot of people it is an achievement. And I've never once heard someone who did a run comparing themselves to elite athletes a la parish footballers pretending they're intercounty players. It's talked about a lot here, but not once have I met someone who didn't appreciate the distinction between finishing an event and being at the front end.

Let's face it- there are two kinds of runners. Professionals and fun-runners. If you're not one, then you're the other.