Female pacers

rom

Why are there so little?

serious question.

RayCun

rom wrote: »

Why are there so little?

serious question.

Few.

Fewer women posting on this forum, where most pacing is organised

robinph

I guess you mean as elite pacers? But it's essentially the same reason, fewer women running at the elite level, despite there being just as many of either gender running overall.

RayCun

Maybe fewer women running high-mileage plans?
And fewer women who run a marathon every other weekend?

I've no interest in pacing a marathon because it would blow a hole in my training. A lot of pacers come from ultra-running or are Marathon Club of Ireland-types, because for them running a marathon is part of/close to their normal training routine.

ultraman1

RayCun wrote: »

Maybe fewer women running high-mileage plans?
And fewer women who run a marathon every other weekend?

I've no interest in pacing a marathon because it would blow a hole in my training. A lot of pacers come from ultra running or are Marathon Club of Ireland-types, because for them walking a marathon is part of/close to their normal training routine.

Fyp

RayCun

since you mentioned it, there was a woman in an MCI t-shirt who obviously started walking the marathon early. Why people can't start with everyone else is beyond me....

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

since you mentioned it, there was a woman in an MCI t-shirt who obviously started walking the marathon early. Why people can't start with everyone else is beyond me....

Because she wanted to experience the crowd around the whole course.

No harm in walkers starting early, I actually push for a walker start at 7am, providing they dont block the runners.

RayCun

average_runner wrote: »

No harm in walkers starting early, I actually push for a walker start at 7am, providing they dont block the runners.

There seems to be more and more people deciding they want to start early, and it will get to a point where they are in the way

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

There seems to be more and more people deciding they want to start early, and it will get to a point where they are in the way

Well thats up to the marathon officials to sort it out.

The previous problem was them starting the same time and blocking the roads etc, so earlier is better

Ososlo

Sorry for going off topic rom but I guess it's related but I'm always intrigued as to why there are so few female posters posting and logging here. I wonder what the ratio is but I'd imagine 80/20.

However, what I find quite astounding is the amount of female novices this year compared to other years on novices thread. I must try and do some kind of count but there were undoubtedly more than any other year. I really hope they continue to post and start logs. We have fantastic committed female ex novices of all abilities. Get logging gals!

Chivito550

average_runner wrote: »

Because she wanted to experience the crowd around the whole course.

No harm in walkers starting early, I actually push for a walker start at 7am, providing they dont block the runners.

Or she could actually train for the event and get to experience the crowds the legit way.

Oryx

Ososlo wrote: »

Sorry for going off topic rom but I guess it's related but I'm always intrigued as to why there are so few female posters posting and logging here. I wonder what the ratio is but I'd imagine 80/20.

However, what I find quite astounding is the amount of female novices this year compared to other years on novices thread. I must try and do some kind of count but there were undoubtedly more than any other year. I really hope they continue to post and start logs. We have fantastic committed female ex novices of all abilities. Get logging gals!

Its about the same ratio over in the dark side, and I notice far fewer women racing (tri anyway) than men. My impression is that more women are taking up running, but perhaps it will take more time for them to filter up to the top of the game.

TFBubendorfer

I presume you're talking about pacers like the ones used in DCM, not elite pacers.

On the faster side of things you won't get any female pacers because runners of that calibre would be looking at competing. E.g. for the 3:10 pacers you need a marathon PB of 2:55. That would be fast enough for a top-10 finish in Dublin and would win most smaller Irish marathons outright. I can't see anyone sacrificing such a result for a pacing gig.

On the mellow side of things it's up for the ladies to put their names forward. There would be plenty of ladies who qualify (but even then, the lady who paced 4:00 this year was the Irish 50k champion a couple of years ago)

RayCun

Oryx wrote: »

Its about the same ratio over in the dark side, and I notice far fewer women racing (tri anyway) than men. My impression is that more women are taking up running, but perhaps it will take more time for them to filter up to the top of the game.

at every level of Athletics Ireland membership there are more women than men. if I had to guess, I'd say women outnumber men in non-club-members too.
Maybe women don't feel the same need to talk about their training obsessively all the time?

Oryx

RayCun wrote: »

at every level of Athletics Ireland membership there are more women than men. if I had to guess, I'd say women outnumber men in non-club-members too.
Maybe women don't feel the same need to talk about their training obsessively all the time?

I cant speak for them. :P

RayCun

average_runner wrote: »

The previous problem was them starting the same time and blocking the roads etc, so earlier is better

The better thing would be for them to line up in the correct place in the waves, and start at the right time.

rom

Non elite pacers in Cork, DCM etc. To pace a race you don't need to be top of anything. For DCM there are pacing groups from 3-5 hrs. Many could run comfortable within that range.

Ososlo: one of the best race reports that I ever read was from a female poster from this forum. It really captured the emotion of what it meant.

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

The better thing would be for them to line up in the correct place in the waves, and start at the right time.

But then they be walking on empty streets, lacking the crowd atmosphere.

All efforts need to be done to encourage all forms of exercise

Chivito550

average_runner wrote: »

But then they be walking on empty streets, lacking the crowd atmosphere.

All efforts need to be done to encourage all forms of exercise

The Marathon is a race, not a day out.

If you want atmosphere then train properly and run it like everyone else. Anybody can run a marathon if they want.

RacoonQueen

RayCun wrote: »

at every level of Athletics Ireland membership there are more women than men. if I had to guess, I'd say women outnumber men in non-club-members too.
Maybe women don't feel the same need to talk about their training obsessively all the time?

I think that for women, running can be more a social thing too. Many join clubs / groups to meet people etc
I think men are more inclined to join clubs for coaching, good group runs etc

Just my take on it.

This Fat Girl Runs

I haven't joined a club yet; I just run on my own and really enjoy it. Personally I find it very hard to meet and be around people, I'm very much an introvert so joining a club sound very nerve-wreaking to me! If I do join a club it will be for the sake of my running, because I have read/heard that running in a club is the best way to improve. And I very much want to improve!

The Muppet

Chivito550 wrote: »

The Marathon is a race, not a day out.

If you want atmosphere then train properly and run it like everyone else. Anybody can run a marathon if they want.

I'm not so sure about that, Many people who run have no interest in racing.

Chivito550

The Muppet wrote: »

I'm not so sure about that, Many people who run have no interest in racing.

But they still run, and start on time. If you want to walk, then you should start on time also.

The event is a race. Whether some choose to not treat it as such is their own choice. But with it being a race, the rules are everyone starts together. Not this nonsense of sending the lazy/unfit out early so they don't miss out on the atmosphere. If you want atmosphere, then train for the event properly. You'll appreciate the atmosphere a lot more then, rather than deep down feel like a complete spoon walking on the course while elite after elite glides past, and pretending that all those screaming supporters are shouting for you.

Off topic, but I didn't bring it up.

RayCun

average_runner wrote: »

But then they be walking on empty streets, lacking the crowd atmosphere.

They'd be walking with other walkers.

And they'd get the crowd atmosphere in the first few miles, which they're missing at the moment because they started before the race started and the crowds arrived.

average_runner

Chivito550 wrote: »

The Marathon is a race, not a day out.

If you want atmosphere then train properly and run it like everyone else. Anybody can run a marathon if they want.

No rules saying you can't walk it, if there was, it be fair enough.
Its a day out for alot of recreational runners

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

They'd be walking with other walkers.

And they'd get the crowd atmosphere in the first few miles, which they're missing at the moment because they started before the race started and the crowds arrived.

No atmosphere in DCM till you get out Phoenix Park, thanks to the new route

RayCun

average_runner wrote: »

No atmosphere in DCM till you get out Phoenix Park, thanks to the new route

there were crowds at Christchurch too, at the entrance to the park, and at a couple of roundabouts inside the park.

There is no rule about walking, but there is about starting early

Competitors must start the event at an officially sanctioned start time only

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

there were crowds at Christchurch too, at the entrance to the park, and at a couple of roundabouts inside the park.

There is no rule about walking, but there is about starting early

Well then DCM aren't doing their job!!!

TFBubendorfer

Guys, if you wish to discuss walkers then please open your own thread instead of dragging this one off-topic

Hard Worker

RayCun wrote: »

There seems to be more and more people deciding they want to start early, and it will get to a point where they are in the way

The race is run under IAAF ( AAI ) rules. There is only one start at 9am, with 2 waves following that at 9:10 and 9:20.
I know of one person who has been taken from the results ( disqualified )because he claims to have started early. Early starters mess up masters results.

dna_leri

RayCun wrote: »

at every level of Athletics Ireland membership there are more women than men. if I had to guess, I'd say women outnumber men in non-club-members too.
Maybe women don't feel the same need to talk about their training obsessively all the time?

I'm not so sure about the "at every level" bit - maybe you can share your data?
My perception is that at the critical junior & U23 levels there are fewer women than men taking part in events and therefore assume that there are fewer female AI members at that age.

At that age there is a high drop-out of athletes in both genders. Those that stay go on to become "good club athletes" or better. Pacers would usually be from that pool of "good club athletes" (as well as a few later starters) and if the pool is smaller for women then you will get fewer volunteers.

RayCun

dna_leri wrote: »

I'm not so sure about the "at every level" bit - maybe you can share your data?
My perception is that at the critical junior & U23 levels there are fewer women than men taking part in events and therefore assume that there are fewer female AI members at that age.

At that age there is a high drop-out of athletes in both genders. Those that stay go on to become "good club athletes" or better. Pacers would usually be from that pool of "good club athletes" (as well as a few later starters) and if the pool is smaller for women then you will get fewer volunteers.

Actually you're right - I looked again at the figures I have from last year (these are rough figures, and will include non-competing coaches etc)

..............Female........Male
Juvenile....15540.......13951
Junior.......243.............290
Senior......3098..........2395
Masters....7494..........6531

The junior group is the only one where male athletes outnumber females.

I don't know if that explains the pacer gap, particularly in the slower bands, but it is important to note.

Kurt Godel

rom wrote: »

Why are there so little?

serious question.

I struggle to see how it a serious question? Gender has nothing to do with pacing (at >3hr level).

ger664

Kurt Godel wrote: »

I struggle to see how it a serious question? Gender has nothing to do with pacing (at >3hr level).

Agree but any female capable of pacing 3:20 and under for DCM would be forgoing Time Bonus and Prize Money in the Race. In smaller Races like Limerick/Derry possibly the overall win.