Can Men Compete In The Flora Women's Mini Marathon

McConnon · 24-03-2009 05:59AM #1

Just wondering if men can compete in the Flora women's mini marathon? I'm nearly sure I've seen men in drag and such running it for their chosen charities. It's just a mate has asked me would I be interested as his galfriend is running it this year!!

seanybiker · 24-03-2009 07:04AM

yeah normally the lads just dress up in drag and go off having a laugh.

robinph · 24-03-2009 07:25AM

Officially no.

Unofficially, just turn up in drag and you'll be fine until the last 100m where someone will try and bundle you off the side of the road and probably fail.

jlang · 24-03-2009 08:57AM

I always assumed the reason why they discourage it so strongly is because any men running endanger their claim to be the largest women-only event in the world.

gmurran · 24-03-2009 09:32AM

If you are a serious runner and run sub 35-40 10K then you would be making a bit of a scene with a man in the top 10.

RacoonQueen · 24-03-2009 09:44AM

You can run it but you can't 'compete'

Genghis · 24-03-2009 10:15AM

They are quite serious about the no men rule, too serious imho. Capitalised NO MEN on the app form, trying to stop men cross the finish line, withholding medals and goodie bags, etc.

In fairness, I don't think there are any men who want to run the 10k competitively, I think it would be much better PR for them if they made the rule 'No Men, unless you run in drag'. Certainly from watching the race a few years back the 'Men in Drag' provided great atmosphere, and as many of these enter the race purely and simply for charity the 'I'm a BGRH doing the wimmens mini-marathon' must be a great way to raise a few quid.

tunney · 24-03-2009 10:40AM

Try and stop a woman from doing the mens mini-marathon and you'd end up in court though.

cfitz · 24-03-2009 11:04AM

tunney wrote: »

Try and stop a woman from doing the mens mini-marathon and you'd end up in court though.

Really? Did they convict you after?

Rineanna · 24-03-2009 11:28AM

Oh come on, it's not as if there aren't a plethora of other road races available for men. This is just one race that endeavours to get more females active, and the way they're doing it is by making it a Female-only event which might make it a more comfortable environment for some to compete in. Add in Males and it's just another race.

But there's always one (or two)...

tunney · 24-03-2009 11:54AM

Rineanna wrote: »

Oh come on, it's not as if there aren't a plethora of other road races available for men. This is just one race that endeavours to get more females active, and the way they're doing it is by making it a Female-only event which might make it a more comfortable environment for some to compete in. Add in Males and it's just another race.

But there's always one (or two)...

Fraid I have to disagree completely. If its okay to have women only events, it should be okay to have men only events. Can't have it both ways.

Woddle · 24-03-2009 11:59AM

tunney wrote: »

Fraid I have to disagree completely. If its okay to have women only events, it should be okay to have men only events. Can't have it both ways.

I can see your point here but anything that helps get people or women out running. I've never had a problem with gender specific sports or clubs, its a shame some women golfers can't say the same

rovers_runner · 24-03-2009 12:29PM

Don't know what all the fuss is over lads, sure I've done a few 10k in the last week myself.
We can all do 10k anytime we like without having to run with these superhuman women.

I propose that the title of the thread should be changed to "Can Men Compete In The Flora Women only 10k fun run"

Seres · 24-03-2009 12:42PM

i dont see the problem with a few men dressing up in drag to run the womens mini marathon , it is a fun run after all , and the atmosphere an the day reflects this , however i dont see how it is much of a 'fun run' for guys running it in high-heels that are two small and skin tight minis, its not easy been a women you know !

HardyEustace · 24-03-2009 12:56PM

I think you'd be better off lashing down to the park and doing the men's only race in the Park.

The race is really congested and if you're any kind of a runner at all you really won't enjoy it.

I've no problem at all with men dressing in drag and doing the race. It's very funny.

The only thing that I do feel is worth thinking about is that unless you're willing to raise money for charity you could be denying someone a place who could have raised a few hundred euro for charity.

Plus why would you want to bother with all the hassle of getting pulling off the course? Just not worth it.

colly10 · 24-03-2009 01:08PM

I don't see why you'd bother tbh, but pulling men in drag off the course is way over the top imo

Rineanna · 24-03-2009 03:30PM

tunney wrote: »

Fraid I have to disagree completely. If its okay to have women only events, it should be okay to have men only events. Can't have it both ways.

I believe they actually can have it both ways.

The Ladies Mini-Marathon actually has a reason to be Women only; to encourage increased female participation in sports. It's not rocket science to figure out that female participation in sport, while definitely improving, has traditionally been significantly lower than their male counterparts. Thus, this event, as already stated, is aimed at attracting inexperienced female runners to run, jog, walk in a comfortable environment. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

A lot of road races have a predominantly male field, so any inexperienced male runners have plenty of choice for a first-time run. So it's hard to find a reason for holding a male-only race, unless you're from the Portmarnock GC school of thinking.

But I guess if we were all to get on the politically correct band-wagon, then we'd lobby for the scrapping of the mini-marathon's female-only policy and watch the numbers of female fun runners drop. It's a trade off between poltical correctness and common sense really.

Aron-The Hitman · 24-04-2009 11:26PM

<snip>...I contacted the office and dont deal with cancellations...<snip>

Mod says:

If you have been in touch with the race office then you know that you're asking us to break at least two of the race rules for you. Do us a favour and read the Charter.

shopaholic · 25-04-2009 01:42PM

I dont see why they make such a big deal out of it not allowing men in. Am also of the opinion that the mini should be held in the Phoenix Park rather than bringing the south of a city to a stand still for the day!!! Having said that one of the most soul destroying things thats ever happened me in a race was doing the mini a few years ago and believing that I was flying only to see this fella in a short skirt, wig and inflatable boobs going past me!

RacoonQueen · 25-04-2009 01:58PM

shopaholic wrote: »

I dont see why they make such a big deal out of it not allowing men in. Am also of the opinion that the mini should be held in the Phoenix Park rather than bringing the south of a city to a stand still for the day!!! Having said that one of the most soul destroying things thats ever happened me in a race was doing the mini a few years ago and believing that I was flying only to see this fella in a short skirt, wig and inflatable boobs going past me!

The race is way too big for the phoenix park.

robinph · 25-04-2009 02:06PM

RacoonQueen wrote: »

The race is way too big for the phoenix park.

How? The roads in the park are surely wider than in town, biggest problem would be that there are no buildings in the way to prevent people cutting the corners off in large numbers.

colblimp · 25-04-2009 04:23PM

This is a case of positive discrimination, and it sucks! As one poster already said, if wimmin were banned from an all male race there would be uproar. It's blatant sexism.:mad:

rainbow kirby · 25-04-2009 04:29PM

robinph wrote: »

How? The roads in the park are surely wider than in town, biggest problem would be that there are no buildings in the way to prevent people cutting the corners off in large numbers.

The route of the Great Ireland Run felt very crowded with ~11,000 runners on it. I honestly can't imagine putting 4 times as many people there, particularly given how many walkers do the Women's Mini-Marathon.

dna_leri · 27-04-2009 02:16PM

tunney wrote: »

Fraid I have to disagree completely. If its okay to have women only events, it should be okay to have men only events. Can't have it both ways.

I used to have this view point also, influenced by the misleading name but I have changed my mind recently, here's why:
1. Track events (almost) always segregate men and women, why should road races be any different. The men's mini marathon takes place sometime later if you are so inclined to compete/partake in this.
2. If you are a competitive woman at 10K, in most races you will end up competing with men and rarely will you have a proper road race, as men usually do at the front of the pack where tactics and woman to woman racing are a factor. Often the leading women will not know where they are placed in a race until they have finished.
3. Finally there are a lot of women, self-consious about their running/jogging/walking ability and are a little more confident in a like-minded group. Most of these would never take part in a race if it was not for the "mini marathon", encouraging that participation has to be a good thing.

There may be things we don't like about the mini-marathon, but it also seems like an easy target to knock. Live and let live.

NervousNude · 28-04-2009 01:15PM

dna_leri wrote: »

3. Finally there are a lot of women, self-consious about their running/jogging/walking ability and are a little more confident in a like-minded group. Most of these would never take part in a race if it was not for the "mini marathon", encouraging that participation has to be a good thing.

There may be things we don't like about the mini-marathon, but it also seems like an easy target to knock. Live and let live.

I was one of said women and it was a great push to get me off my bum and out onto the pavements. The fact that the women's mini marathon is so much more popular than the men's mini marathon is in itself justification for it's existence.

Having said all that, I haven't entered this year having found the organisation of the event kind of annoying last year. I put in the training and planned to jog the whole 10k. Having gone to all the effort of separating the joggers and walkers and cordoning us off in different streets, they then released everyone at the same time so when we actually passed through the start the 'joggers' and walkers were completely mixed. This meant that the first 2k involved leaping round trees, off kerbs, over buggies and through multiple sets of linked arms.

To answer the original question, I don't think any women have a problem with guys in drag doing it for fun with their female friends, once they raise a bit of money. What irked me a bit last year was the handful of guys I saw in normal clothes, loitering sheepishly by their girlfriends.

--amadeus-- · 28-04-2009 01:30PM

NervousNude wrote: »

What irked me a bit last year was the handful of guys I saw in normal clothes, loitering sheepishly by their girlfriends.

MrsA does teh Limerick version along with Jnr Ms A (all of 5 years old and doing her 3rd this year!). I always walk teh course with them as Jnr is too small to walk all teh way so I carry her up teh hills and when she gets tired. I also carry a bag with a bottle of water and what have you for herself. I dress in normal clothes doing it because I want to make it clear I'm not entered in teh race, not taking the water at the aid stations, etc. And I keep well to the side and off teh route so I don't get in anyones way. Not sure why that would irk someone?

NervousNude · 28-04-2009 01:37PM

--amadeus-- wrote: »

MrsA does teh Limerick version along with Jnr Ms A (all of 5 years old and doing her 3rd this year!). I always walk teh course with them as Jnr is too small to walk all teh way so I carry her up teh hills and when she gets tired. I also carry a bag with a bottle of water and what have you for herself. I dress in normal clothes doing it because I want to make it clear I'm not entered in teh race, not taking the water at the aid stations, etc. And I keep well to the side and off teh route so I don't get in anyones way. Not sure why that would irk someone?

To be fair, this is entirely different. For starters, you're not taking someone else's place if you're not entered in the race. Also, carrying a child through the tough bits so the whole family can take part isn't the same thing as not wanting to leave your girlfriend's side for an hour. The latter sort of flies in the spirit of the event a bit and there are plenty of events that can be entered as a couple.

plodder · 28-04-2009 01:39PM

shopaholic wrote: »

... and believing that I was flying only to see this fella in a short skirt, wig and inflatable boobs going past me!

The first time I did the DCM, I was beaten by a woman in a Scooby Doo costume. It put me in my place ....

--amadeus-- · 28-04-2009 01:47PM

plodder wrote: »

...I was beaten by a woman in a Scooby Doo costume...

I have a friend who pays good money for that kind of thing...

plodder · 28-04-2009 01:54PM

--amadeus-- wrote: »

I have a friend who pays good money for that kind of thing...

.. it's worth every penny

nerraw1111 · 28-04-2009 03:14PM

It's just one race that men can't compete in out of the whole year.

Seriously, why would you want to do it? Is there not enough 10k races this year?

My biggest problem is that there are men who think 'sure wouldn't it only be hilarious if I dressed up in drag and ran. I'm karazzzzzy' and then use the excuse of 'it's for charity' excuse.

Attention seekers IMO.

What Amadeus does is fine and there isn't any bother in that.

But it's a women's race for a reason, and it's the reason why so many women are walking around in the evening getting fit.

But men running the mini marathon is a pet hate of mine, purely for the David Brent 'I'm hilarious me' mentality. lol

Can Men Compete In The Flora Women's Mini Marathon

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