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Marathon Sub-Forum?

13

Comments

  • #62
    RayCun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    misty floyd wrote: »
    - Road running (5km, 10km etc) & Mountain running
    - Marathon & Ultra's
    - Track and Field
    - Triathlon & adventure racing?
    - Training logs

    and how about an Advanced forum too? No set requirements for posting there, just common sense.


  • #63
    token56
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,659 ✭✭✭token56


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    donothoponpop wrote: »
    Hi token,

    you're not the first to put the subforum idea in this light, someone else referred to it as a demotion, I'll just give a quick comment, as I'm kind of surprized that so many people see it in this light. I would envision it as a handier way to box the many general, loose marathon threads we get, which often would be better answered in a FAQ/best practice type area. Certainly when I (as a mod) see any thread on a recurring topic, and dying quickly after, I start to think of better ways to deal with them. The huge amount of similar Garmin threads are better dealt with in a megathread, and I hoped the same for the marathon ones, but its impractical, so we figured a sub-forum might work. When first suggested, I very much saw this as an elevation, a recognition of the importance marathon threads have on this forum. I also believe it would make moderating these threads easier (and when the same question is asked on a frequent basis, it usually needs a bit of moderation).

    Having said that, we'll obviously go with whatever the majority decide (it would help if it wasn't such a 50-50% split!:D). A bit of venting about whats good/bad with the forum is good too, helps sweep the cobwebs on a yearly basis.

    Hi donothoponpop,

    I probably didn't phrase what I was trying to say very well. I guess I can see my idea of the prefix system being taken as a demotion if want to use that word, rather than a sub-thread being a demotion, but I can see how someone can argue that. (I'd like to point out I wouldn't think of a prefix as a demotion but I can see how others could)

    I think it's two fold really and depends on how you want to look at it. Some people might think of all the different marathon threads as clutter and an annoyance and getting in the way so to speak. A resulting sub-thread would be getting them out of the way. On the other hand it could be thought of as a representation of how much traffic marathon related topics are getting and a sub-forum would be a reward so to speak for this popularity.

    There are a lot of different arguments for either side and its a very hard one to call as is evident from the poll. But I would echo some of the other comments about the place becoming a bit more dull lately and I'm not sure of the exact reason for that. I suppose there is a natural turnover in posters and maybe the current topics just dont interest me. I dont know if division of the forum in the vein of the last few posts is the way to go about making it more interesting for the different sub-areas.

    The one thing I think everyone can agree is that its certainly an interesting and useful topic of debate.


  • #64
    Pisco Sour
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    tunney wrote: »
    Emmm but most triathletes run too. I'm very interested in discussions on 10kms that are run byt fast people (< 32) and fast 5kms(< 15) and fast marathons (< 2:30) and i want to be able to read discussions about that without trawling through pages of crap about "what t-shirt should I wear?"

    http://www.letsrun.com/forum/forum.php?board=1

    http://www.iaaf.org/


  • #65
    Pisco Sour
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    thirtyfoot wrote: »
    I agree with Tunney's 'spade a spade' idea. A sub-forum for the newbie, FAQ type questions. The forum is alarmingly dull these days. It used to be more vibrant and more diverse. Most of the posters who posted on competitive athletics (not just T&F) are gone. That's the nature of the messageboards but more pronounced here. I come out and click out within 10 seconds these days. If I see a thread that's half interesting I'll go to town on it and post, many times just to get my argumentative fix, either that or the wife will get it that night. The problem now that even when competive athletic posts go up nobody replies as I'd imagine most of those who would have previously don't look in or only do infrequently and threads are lost.

    In summary, ART is boring as hell, has the same threads with the same answers and has very few interesting threads and is more about telling each other how great we are. If that's the way it's to be, well that's grand but i reckon over time the forum will become more a more a celebration Of mediocrity and great posters like tergat etc will never find their way here in the first place.

    Its scary the amount of times I have put up a thread about elite athletics and within a few hours it has fallen down to page 2 and lost forever. Some times i've even had to reply to myself to get the thread bumped back up to page 1 so that other people who are interested will actually see the thread! :eek:


  • #66
    SharkTale
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 247 ✭✭SharkTale


    - Road running (5km, 10km etc) Mountain running, Cross Country
    - Marathon & Ultra's
    - Track and Field
    - Triathlon & Adventure Racing
    - Training logs
    - Elite & Advanced
    Events page gets absorbed into the individual sub forums.
    As per misty floyd,

    I believe this will give people more choice, for newbies they have to start somewhere if the are road running that is where they go, marathon, T&F etc.
    Within each section they will find all the answers from a novice to advanced questions and events page within each topic.

    As the season for sport moves to a close people would be more inclined to look in other topics, so when the Cross Country season is over- people would be more inclined to look for a 10km race to keep ticking over etc.

    It would cut down on the same questions being asked, can I run a 5km, (yes you can but look at the advice already for this).

    All athletes user will have their own section, traffic will be based on interest in that section.

    I have to agreed that there are too many posts on the same topic and all very scattered.


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  • #67
    shotgunmcos
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    Right, there are the lurkers, amongst them a bunch of new rookies to all disciplines of the Forum and a bunch of experienced folk who like to read but are not enticed in for some reason? How do we entice them to log on and chat. Most are probably Irish and so its quite odd that they are content with lurking. I'd imagine a lot of the lurkers are at work and don't have access to post.

    Then we have the quick fixes. Tunney's fav ;) The ones who pop up and start a log upon a 5 minute glance of whats cool to do here. Update it once and disappear. Or who appear for some quick advice on a C2K plan etc.. They account for a lot of quick and repetitive threads. I don't blame them, I joined boards 2 years ago as MCOS pre hacker days, and I probably asked all the basic questions too. I remember Tunney being quite helpful then albeit rather direct! I didn't know the 'etiquette' of digging for the answer to my question rather than just asking, which to be honest is easier to do.

    This brings me onto the experienced folk, the D'pop, KC, Woddle etc.. from maintaining their mega logs, modding and general contribution have a wealth of knowledge as far as this place goes, however I don't mean this in the wrong way, KC keeps a brill log, posts brill posts, Woddle and DP are excellent mods but this place has lost a bit of its soul since HM went quiet and --amadeus-- stepped off the radar for a bit. They bounced off each other as mates and --amadeus-- in particular was creative and threw up great topics for debate or just cheeky topics for a bit of banter.

    I agree with some that the forum has become a bit stale recently. It represents more of a Q&A place with a lot of the banter happening up in the logs with the posters that are familiar with each other. It has definitely become busier with traffic but with such a diversity of interests there is a lot more searching and browsing to do before you might post, if you post. I think that sub forums is a good idea because you can get to where you want to go quicker and thus post rather than just lurk.

    Its no surprise that the events and logs forums are so busy. There are so many different races on the calender and we are all training our asses off for one or more of them, only natural we would hang out anywhere that will help our efforts :D The one thing I'd suggest is that if you have an idea fire it out on the main page but follow it up at least until it gains some momentum. The 1000 mile thread is a mega thread but no spin offs? no banter? Maybe its because we are obsessed with tables and those threads take ages to open, let alone find a post in :cool:

    So thats a load of hot air there. Down with the Maarthon speak, down with it... well until I'm gunning for one and need you all ;)


  • #68
    thetonynator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭thetonynator


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    Isn't there a possibility that by splitting marathon out of it we might just kill the forum and end up with a forum and 3 sub fora each without much traffic . . .


  • #69
    Woddle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,492 ✭✭✭Woddle


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    I'm not too sure where I stand at the moment regarding extra forums and stuff but I would like to see both training logs and events stay as is. Both are neat and simple and do not need changing and if we do have an extra sub forum it would have to start with the letter F :D


    apologies for the primary school level humour


  • #70
    menoscemo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    Woddle wrote: »
    I'm not too sure where I stand at the moment regarding extra forums and stuff but I would like to see both training logs and events stay as is. Both are neat and simple and do not need changing and if we do have an extra sub forum it would have to start with the letter F :D


    apologies for the primary school level humour

    We could have a Fartlek sub forum :pac:


  • #71
    donothoponpop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,608 ✭✭✭donothoponpop


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    shotgunmcos wrote: »
    was creative and threw up great topics for debate

    Great post MCOS, and on the topic of creativity, I just want to embarrass Woddle by reminding everyone that way back in the day he used to be interesting, he came up with the 1000 mile challenge, the training logs, and Boards AC, and I think those three things are the most creative I've seen in my days here.

    Hunnymonster needs to get back posting again ASAP, no doubt about it, if this place has a soul, she embodies it.

    Ecoli is the perfect mod to help make T&F more prominent on the forum, and I'd really like to see the sheer number of marathon threads take a back seat from the main forum, to allow T&F (XC over winter) a bit more of an incubation period.

    To round out the mods (from your theme), you can dress it up any way you like, but I'm a cranky dilettante who is bitter with the marathon after his latest failure- so I promise to hit the bottle a bit more coming up to Xmas, and be a bit more cheerful;)


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  • #72
    Oisin11178
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,496 ✭✭✭Oisin11178


    I think the reason there is so much marathons topics is the sheer commitment it takes to run 1 or for some over 100.
    Clothing, nutrition, watches and many other things become ro much more important the more the distance increases. I think its just natural there are more topics for the events that take more training and effort. I dont understand why something that seems to be the most popular is to be banished to a sub forum. Also maybe some people will be see a "spealised"sub forum is a bit eliteist and be frightened to post there . Im not saying this is the case but may appear so.


  • #73
    thirtyfoot
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    Oisin11178 wrote: »
    I think the reason there is so much marathons topics is the sheer commitment it takes to run 1 or for some over 100.
    Clothing, nutrition, watches and many other things become ro much more important the more the distance increases.

    But they are the threads that are so dull. How many variations or enlightened debates can you have on tights or nipple cream or socks. "I apply my nipple cream in a clockwise manner with my pinkie, helps it last longer".

    As an aside I don't think there is any extra committment to running a marathon so not really a reason for the extra discussion. The number of marathoners and their demographic is probably the reason for the popularity of it here. It's very straightforward and not too time consuming. Here is a plan, follow it. Most here follow plans from the net, there is little innovation, Its running by numbers which is why much of the discussions are of no interest to those who don't have a deep interest in marathons. Not saying there shouldn't be discussion on it but when it's every second thread it's yawn.


  • #74
    robinph
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,146 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    thirtyfoot wrote: »
    But they are the threads that are so dull. How many variations or enlightened debates can you have on tights or nipple cream or socks. "I apply my nipple cream in a clockwise manner with my pinkie, helps it last longer".

    As an aside I don't think there is any extra committment to running a marathon so not really a reason for the extra discussion. The number of marathoners and their demographic is probably the reason for the popularity of it here. It's very straightforward and not too time consuming. Here is a plan, follow it. Most here follow plans from the net, there is little innovation, Its running by numbers which is why much of the discussions are of no interest to those who don't have a deep interest in marathons. Not saying there shouldn't be discussion on it but when it's every second thread it's yawn.

    How much is there to discuss about any aspect of athletics once you have already done it though?

    100m. Wait for the bang, run like ... - What else is there to discuss.
    Long jump. Run like ..., jump. - That is all there is to it.
    Hammer. Spin around, let go. etc, etc

    There are not many people here doing any of the other athletics activities though, so there will not be as much discussion on it. If you've been around a while and know how to apply your nipple cream though then yep, there probably isn't much to discus... other than share your knowledge of such things with those that don't.

    Also, there isn't loads of marathon threads. There are more threads about marathons than there are about javelin admittedly, but it is nowhere near every other thread. This mornings count of front page threads containing the word "marathon" is again at 6/20, and again half of those are not actually about marathons.


  • #75
    --amadeus--
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,095 ✭✭✭--amadeus--


    robinph wrote: »
    Also, there isn't loads of marathon threads. There are more threads about marathons than there are about javelin admittedly, but it is nowhere near every other thread. This mornings count of front page threads containing the word "marathon" is again at 6/20, and again half of those are not actually about marathons.

    I think that the focus is in the wrong place, tbh. I don't think the issue is with too many marathon threads, I think the issue is with too many "boring" threads, or a perception by some of us that have been around for a long time that the Forum has become boring, something that has been mentioned a few times so far. Shunting marathon chat into a sub forum won't solve that. But what will?


  • #76
    robinph
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,146 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    --amadeus-- wrote: »
    But what will?
    The oldies have to start talking about stuff that interests them, rather than complaining that the newbies are talking about stuff that they already know. You cannot/ must not stop the newbies doing what they are doing though, or they will never become oldies.


  • #77
    tunney
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,584 ✭✭✭✭tunney


    Oisin11178 wrote: »
    I think the reason there is so much marathons topics is the sheer commitment it takes to run 1 or for some over 100.

    Those that actually are committed to running marathons are amazingly interesting.
    Most of the posts are related to finishing marathins however.
    Oisin11178 wrote: »
    Clothing, nutrition, watches and many other things become ro much more important the more the distance increases.

    Wait until you try an IM.
    Oisin11178 wrote: »
    I think its just natural there are more topics for the events that take more training and effort. I dont understand why something that seems to be the most popular is to be banished to a sub forum. Also maybe some people will be see a "spealised"sub forum is a bit eliteist and be frightened to post there . Im not saying this is the case but may appear so.

    I'm not promoting a new elite board, the opposite in fact. A "New to the sport" subform where "the sport" is marathon/triathlon/whatever.


  • #78
    RayCun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    tunney wrote: »
    I'm not promoting a new elite board, the opposite in fact. A "New to the sport" subform where "the sport" is marathon/triathlon/whatever.

    but if someone is new to the sport, they're probably new to A/R/T as well and they're not going to realise that they should be posting in a subforum.


  • #79
    robinph
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,146 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    tunney wrote: »
    I'm not promoting a new elite board, the opposite in fact. A "New to the sport" subform where "the sport" is marathon/triathlon/whatever.

    I think the ART main forum must always remain for the masses and include everyone. It should never be that the first place people hit on searching for athletics/ running or triathlon on Boards.ie is for the sub 10 second 100m and sub 2:20 marathon runners.

    At the same time I'd not want those people to go elsewhere though, as although I may not pay much attention to any thing they do, I do have some curiosity for their methods.


  • #80
    tunney
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,584 ✭✭✭✭tunney


    robinph wrote: »
    I think the ART main forum must always remain for the masses and include everyone. It should never be that the first place people hit on searching for athletics/ running or triathlon on Boards.ie is for the sub 10 second 100m and sub 2:20 marathon runners.

    At the same time I'd not want those people to go elsewhere though, as although I may not pay much attention to any thing they do, I do have some curiosity for their methods.

    Something like a Fisher Price "My First Season" is what I mean. After that the retarded questions should be over and done with. Like a playschool sub forum.


  • #81
    hunnymonster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,365 ✭✭✭hunnymonster


    With my user hat on, I would be in favour of leaving things as they are but with my mod hat, and trying to please the most number of people, would a tag system be of any use. Something like they use in sys>forum requests where they have new/ongoing/expired etc? We could have [beginner Q], [expert advice q] type thing? Just an idea to throw about.


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  • #82
    bart simpson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 469 ✭✭bart simpson


    i have an idea....not really to do with a marathon sub forum but

    i think it would be a really good to have a "highlight thread" a sticky on the main page....it would be a race report thread....that takes the best race report posts from all the different training logs and puts them on a sticky thread on the main page


  • #83
    Tipp man running
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 207 ✭✭Tipp man running


    I'm going to have to vote to leave things the way they are on the theory of if its not broken, don't fixed it but i can see other peoples points and concerns. I usually log on to see the running posts but also seeing the triathlons posts makes me read a few and become more intrigued about doing one..so a mix of sports on the main page works for me.:)


  • #84
    Pisco Sour
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    Oisin11178 wrote: »
    I think the reason there is so much marathons topics is the sheer commitment it takes to run 1 or for some over 100.

    I'm not sure I'd agree with this. To finish a marathon obviously takes more commitment than to finish any other event but I dont see how running a sub 3 hour marathon involves much more commitment than what is needed to run a sub 5 minute mile, a sub 60 second 400 or whatever. The miles may be longer but does that really mean the commitment is any higher? Its different, not better. Each event has its merits and involves just as much commitment to succeed (whatever success is to the individual person). Derval O'Rourke puts in just as much commitment as Paula Radcliffe. Just because she isn't going for 20 mile runs doesn't change that fact.

    These posts sums up the bias towards distance running on this forum

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67711561#post67711561

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67712256#post67712256

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67717060#post67717060


  • #85
    --amadeus--
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,095 ✭✭✭--amadeus--


    04072511 wrote: »
    These posts sums up the bias towards distance running on this forum

    But that takes the whole thing full circle. Looking at the front page and the whole forum rather than individual threads I agree with Robin that there is nowhere near as much marathon clutter as there is a perception of marathon clutter.

    And someone above made a great point - is A/R/T here to allow discussion or to promote certain kinds of discussion? There is no "bias", there are just popular and unpopular topics.


  • #86
    Pisco Sour
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    --amadeus-- wrote: »
    But that takes the whole thing full circle. Looking at the front page and the whole forum rather than individual threads I agree with Robin that there is nowhere near as much marathon clutter as there is a perception of marathon clutter.

    Maybe not specific marathon clutter but more Road Racing clutter. Marathon chat, Half Marathon chat, Ultra Running chat, 10k, 10 mile, 5k, 5 mile, Can I run xx in xx time, chat about long distance specific training techniques and so on and on. All this combined does seriously dominate the forum to be honest.


  • #87
    --amadeus--
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,095 ✭✭✭--amadeus--


    04072511 wrote: »
    Maybe not specific marathon clutter but in more Road Racing clutter. Marathon chat, Half Marathon chat, Ultra Running chat, 10k, 10 mile, 5k, 5 mile, Can I run xx in xx time, chat about long distance specific training techniques and so on and on. All this combined does seriously dominate the forum to be honest.

    Oh yeah I totally agree about that, I suggested a while back that there should be a forum revamp to separate out the different strands of content.

    But like I said if that's what's on the Board it's for a reason, tyranny of the majority of you like


  • #88
    shotgunmcos
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,208 ✭✭✭shotgunmcos


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    Just to clear up one point about Tri that popped up further back 'can't find it but it resonated with me', it is a different sport to Running. It is not an extension of running. It did not evolve from running etc..

    I love running so I'm not bashing it, just pointing out that Tri is a different sport. A lot of trialetes don't have running backgrounds


  • #89
    tunney
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,584 ✭✭✭✭tunney


    shotgunmcos wrote: »
    Just to clear up one point about Tri that popped up further back 'can't find it but it resonated with me', it is a different sport to Running. It is not an extension of running. It did not evolve from running etc..

    I love running so I'm not bashing it, just pointing out that Tri is a different sport. A lot of trialetes don't have running backgrounds

    HAHAHAHA you agree with me :)

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=68917950&postcount=46


  • #90
    RayCun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    Excluding this thread and the stickies, the first three pages of content on the main forum are

    Swim/Cycle/Run challenge (multisport)
    1000 mile challenge
    Road race PBs (road sub-marathon)
    IMRA (mountain running)
    Ultra running article (Ultra)
    HIM Rollcall (multisport)
    Bazman Q&A (marathon)
    Tri rookies (multisport)
    Meniscus
    Kona (multisport)
    Off-topic
    Marathon megathread (marathon)
    Half-marathon support (road sub-marathon)
    Haile (marathon)
    Distance (Fr. Collins park)
    GPS questions
    Marathons and middle-distance (marathon)
    Rowing for bikes (multisport)
    DCM (marathon)
    Medical meta-advice
    Marathon expo (marathon)
    athletics idols (athletics)
    road racing (road sub-marathon)
    winter training
    watches
    NY marathon (marathon)
    Tri beginner (multisport)
    IM rollcall (multisport)
    NY marathon (marathon)
    (closed) medical advice
    group training sessions (road sub-marathon)?
    (marathon push on line) (marathon)
    spring marathons (marathon)
    tv
    dublin marathon (marathon)
    triathlon newbie(multisport)
    triathlon swimming(multisport)
    athletics clubs poaching (athletics)
    fantasy athletics club? (athletics)
    meet and train (road sub-marathon)?
    Swim/Cycle/Run standings (multisport)
    entry fees
    triathlon in 2011 (multisport)
    DCM on tv (marathon)
    10k before xmas (road sub-marathon)
    wiggle voucher
    ronnie delany info request (athletics)
    heart rate question
    jjb sports question
    duathlons (multisport)
    turbo trainer question (multisport)
    5k times (marathon)
    miami 70.30 (multisport)
    mary cullen injury (athletics)
    triathlon coach (multisport)

    55 threads.
    15 multisport
    13 marathon
    6 road sub-marathon
    5 athletics
    1 each for Ultra and mountain running
    And the rest (16?) don't fit neatly into any category.

    So there isn't really a dominance of marathon threads. All road-racing threads put together are still only about a third of the content.
    Athletics is getting buried, not by 'joggers' in particular, but by road-runners, triathletes, and the general random thread - medical advice, equipment questions, complaints about the weather, that is inevitable in any forum.
    And any thread that doesn't get frequent new comments - anything that appeals to a smaller group of posters, be they triple jump fans, sub-3 marathon runners, IM veterans - is going to disappear into the churn pretty quickly.

    Just for an example, that triple jump thread donothoponpop started looks interesting and useful, good 'athletics' content. And also the kind of athletics focussed content that might provoke similar threads, if people see it. But there are only three or four people who are going to have anything to contribute to that thread and there are enough new threads, and recently commented-on threads, that the triple-jump thread will disappear from sight in a couple of days.

    I think any re-organisation of the forums that is premised on training posters - you WILL appreciate athletics more, and stop asking beginner questions! - is doomed to fail. You have to work around the eternal September (or should that be eternal January?).


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  • #91
    donothoponpop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,608 ✭✭✭donothoponpop


    I'm happy with the way things are.
    ^Very good analysis Ray, helps clarify things a lot.
    RayCun wrote: »

    I think any re-organisation of the forums that is premised on training posters - you WILL appreciate athletics more, and stop asking beginner questions! - is doomed to fail. You have to work around the eternal September (or should that be eternal January?).

    The bolded text above is a direction this discussion seems to have taken, it was (is) not the intention of the original proposal. Of primary concern is the amount of newbie marathon question threads which don't have a "home": when the main page was inundated with race threads, we created the Events forum, so there was somewhere to direct those threads. The amount of similar Garmin threads were likewise "housed" in a megathread, and the marathon subforum idea was somewhat similar, albeit a megathread would be too little, a subforum might be too much. Basically, what is being suggested is a place where new (and old) marathon threads that crop up on a recurring basis, could be housed.

    The thinking that this would free up more space on the main page for other disciplines was a secondary by-product, albeit one which would help serve better one of the functions of this forum, the discussion of tri, running, and t&F. Currently many club athletes are put off by the marathon dominance of the forum- I'd like to think they had as much reason to represent our make-up as those currently here. But of course, no-one is going to be strong-armed into having discussions they don't want, and newbie posters are more than welcome to continue asking marathon questions, all that is being proposed is a possible better way to do this. The fact that the poll is evenly split means we have a bit of a dilemma, but I would take from it that the subforum is not the way to go- too many posters see it as a demotion of marathoning- but some change or compromise is needed.

    Its always good to periodically get a sense of how posters feel a forum is working (or not), so the discussion so far has been very useful. On other issues that have come up, we're working on a few ideas, but keep the suggestions coming.

    *Edit*
    Additionally, to answer the number of posters who have suggested the common-sense idea of a sticky, FAQ, or Biki, for newbie marathoners: unfortunetly, in practice these have proved to be a graveyard for threads, they get very little traffic.


This discussion has been closed.
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