Madness of Running Events

Running Events

I have been managing a few running events and I have quite a bit of learning from here too. Having participated in many events earlier, though I have stopped participating in events now, I know what happens in each runners mind and what they need. So the entire focus of any event we organise is runner-centric to keep them supported. However, what I see in events nowadays is a mite disappointing. While it is heartening to see many "couch-potatoes" stepping out to join a Marathon event and this is very good from a health perspective overall, on the other side, the thirst for "Facebook likes" is actually creating a mockery of the word " marathon". It is a human need to seek recognition and there is no harm in getting some recognition when you achieve something. But the key word is "achievement" and "marathon" so there has to be some benchmark as we are talking about a sport and not a picnic. 

While each person is different, marathon is about running and not about jay-walking. We have people who walk to temples and do parikramas which are very long distances, but are they to be considered as marathon runners? This is a sport and needs to be given some respect. If you were to open Facebook today, we find people being praised and congratulated for timings which are "shameful" for a HM, and the good runners who actually perform well are not even spoken about, especially those from the lower strata of society. As marathon organisers, we need to respect this sport and set some bench mark and timing cut-off. Pleasing the runners to get a huge ticket size and get more entries in the next edition seems to be the mantra at least in most Indian races today, where we boast of large number of participants, where quality of a runner does not seem to be a concern. 

I still remember when I ran my first HM in ADHM at Delhi in 2008, I was shit scared that I will be a DNF if I reach beyond 3 hours and I pushed myself to complete in 2 hr 40 min. The runner was not entitled to a certificate or a medal if he/she did not complete within 3 hrs. Nowadays, there is a marathon event almost every Sunday and there is no time limit, thereby assuring each runner of a medal and certificate, though I don't know if I can call a person who completes a half marathon in more than 3 hrs 30  min as a "runner" or a "walk-runner". A runner completing in sub 2 hrs is not differentiated from a runner who does it in 4 hrs and therefore I do not approve of this model. A runner needs to train for running any event, and the training is actually more important than the event itself. If we claim that we are promoting good health by organising marathons, then we must dissuade jay-walking runners and ask them to start training properly and consistently so that they actually become "seasoned runners" and not "seasonal runners". 

Therefore, I have a suggestion: Let all marathon organizers have three categories: Elite Runners, Amateur Recreational Runners, and Novice Recreational Runners. The novice recreational runners are those who cannot complete a HM in less than 3 hrs and they will only get a participation certificate. They have to earn their medal by completing the run in less than 3 hrs. Set some benchmarks in this sport which brings some competitive spirit in all runners and they strive to achieve some personal goals.  In this way an amateur runner who completes in 2 hrs 30 min will also feel good as he is differentiated from a jay-walker/ runner who just walked his way in a HM to complete in 4 hrs. Ideally, novice runners should not be encouraged to participate in an event, rather they should train and improve themselves to finish a HM in at least 2.5 hrs before they are allowed to register.  A test of a 5 km run in at least 30 min should be a good bench mark to start with.