Running

here is the video of me coming 7th at Valetines parkrun on saturday with my lumpy twins in their double pushchair. we gave everyone a 50 second headstart and still overtook 223 people.

i reckon everyone was resting up for the marathon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPv-27popoo&t=1232s

First set of intervals for a long time (6x800m @ 5.15/km with 90s walking recovery). Wanted to give up after 3 but glad I stuck it out.

Can't wait for them to get easier be faster as, hopefully, the weight goes down.

@ewanmac Rich who is in the army?

@doubleodavey that's Tim A. he deserved the cheer, missed out on Championship qualifying by seconds.

Congrats to all getting out for the 5ks. I'll be joining you in the 5k push once my legs are moving again. Summer to re-find some speed, an early autumn half and then the marathon campaign recommences - despite what I said at 12:50 on Sunday.

Yup, going by surnames I'm guessing he's your brother. I studied and rowed with Rich at uni and I'm pretty sure he had a brother called Tim... if you are brothers then I think we met once a long time ago up in Edinburgh.

Yes, we must have met in the distant past. Hi!

The news has rightly bigged up the Swansea runner story, stopping to help a Chorlton runner losing time & places.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-39686765

Was curious if he was close to a pb and missed out through his actions, so checked powerof10... turns out he's a 2.30ish runner.

http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=522615

Was aiming for 2h24 this year:

https://thewelshrunner.com/2017/01/10/marathon-madness-begins/

Splits on Sunday show he'd slowed up after 25km:

http://results-2017.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/2017/?content=detail&fpid=search&pid=search&idp=9999990F5ECC85000024C61C&lang=EN_CAP&event=MAS&search%5Bname%5D=Rees&search%5Bfirstname%5D=M&search%5Bsex%5D=%25&search%5Bnation%5D=%25&search_sort=name&search_event=MAS

His action in helping at the finish certainly made a potentially disappointing day at vlm into a very good one for him...

Anyway, if it was you and a milestone pb (sub 3, sub 4, whatever relative to you at present) was almost in the bag for you with 300m to go, would you have stopped to help?

No

Sorry for the constant updates but this is all new and exciting!
6.8km tonight, with my girlfriend. We just squeezed under 6min/km, which was cool, but the best thing was that I set a 5k pb. I know it's early days for me so not really a big deal, but what was exciting was that my girlfriend was with me the whole way, I set the previous pb alone, and this shows the amazing leaps and bounds she's taking with her fitness. Chuffed!

Not a chance. With a pb gone and no chance of beating a club mate then yes, I probably would.

'fraid not.

If I was just getting myself to the finish then maybe.

No, wouldn't stop if I was on for a good result and they were knackered rather than hurt.

It's a tricky one. It depends on whether you're aiming to finish, or racing for a PB/position.

The injured runner was initially ahead of the Welsh chap so (Unless I'm missing something WRT start waves) it looks like he is a capable runner, but went off too hard and/or didn't hydrate and consume enough energy.

But then again, it's VLM!

the first non elite was also a swansea runner who finished ahead of some of the elites running a 2:14. madness.

The partner of one of the long-standing Run Dem members represented the crew in the marathon this year.

he ran a 2:22:19 and was 13th in the mass race (excl. elites.)

was pretty incredible to see his vest in the front line of runners behind the elites at the start.

The injured runner was initially ahead of the Welsh chap

By 30km Chorlton runner was ahead, but had been 5 mins down at half way. Swansea runner had slowed lots from target 2h25 pace. Chorlton kept 2h50ish pace for longer so had got ahead by appx 7 mins at 40km, then the wheels came off.

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks they probably wouldn't have stopped. If it was out in the fells there's pretty much an obligation to stop and help. Where it's a big city race it'd be best left to marshalls & first aid.

I read a comment earlier that under the rules he technically should have been dq'd for being carried by other participant & marshall. Need to check this to be sure though.

Doing it for us gingers too! Chapeau!

Nice one, keep it going steady & you'll see more gains for you both. Enjoy.

I read a comment earlier that under the rules he technically should have been dq'd for being carried by other participant & marshall. Need to check this to be sure though.

Watching it on TV I thought they said he'd only be DQ'd if he'd had medical assistance.

I'd be similar to everyone else, I'd only help if my PB chance had gone.

The UKA rules does have a section on assistance, hard to be sure what'd apply here though:

RULE 144 ASSISTANCE TO ATHLETES Medical Examination and Assistance (1) (a) Medical examination / treatment and/or physiotherapy may be provided either on the competition area itself by the official medical staff appointed by the Organising Committee and identified by armbands, vests or similar distinctive apparel or in designated medical treatment areas outside the competition area by accredited team medical personnel specifically approved by the Medical or Technical Delegate for the purpose. In neither case shall the intervention delay the conduct of the competition or an athlete’s trial in the designated order. Such attendance or assistance by any other person, whether immediately before competition, once athletes have left the Call Room or during competition, is assistance. (b) An athlete shall retire at once from an event if ordered to do so by the Medical Delegate, or a medical doctor who is a member of the official medical staff, identified by armbands, vests or similar distinctive apparel. Note: The competition area, which normally also has a physical barrier, is defined for this purpose as the area where the competition is being staged and which has an access restricted to the competing athletes and personnel authorised in accordance with the relevant Rules and Regulations. (2) Any athlete giving or receiving assistance from within the competition area during an event shall be warned by the Referee and advised that, if there is any repetition, he will be disqualified from that event. If an athlete is subsequently disqualified from the event, any performance accomplished up to that time in the same round of that event shall not be considered valid. However, performances accomplished in a previous round of that event shall be considered valid. Note: In cases under Rule 144.3(a), disqualification may be made without warning. (3) For the purpose of this Rule, the following examples shall be considered assistance, and are therefore not allowed: (a) Pacing in races by persons not participating in the same race, by athletes lapped or about to be lapped or by any kind of technical device (other than those permitted under Rule 144.4(d)). (b) Possession or use of video recorders, radios, CD, radio transmitters, mobile phone or similar devices in the competition area. (c) Except for shoes complying with Rule 143, the use of any technology or appliance that provides the user with an advantage which he would not have obtained using the equipment specified in, or permitted by, the Rules. (d) The use of any mechanical aid, unless the athlete can establish on the balance of probabilities that the use of an aid would not provide him with an overall competitive advantage over an athlete not using such aid. (e) Provision of advice or other support by any official of the competition not related to or required by his specific role in the competition at the time (e.g., coaching advice, indication of the take- off point in a jumping event except to indicate a failure in horizontal jumps, time or distance gaps in a race etc.). (4) For the purpose of this Rule, the following shall not be considered assistance, and are therefore allowed: (a) Communication between the athletes and their coaches not placed in the competition area. In order to facilitate this communication and not to disturb the staging of the competition, a place in the stands, close to the immediate site of each Field Event, should be reserved to the athletes’ coaches. (b) Medical examination / treatment and/or physiotherapy necessary to enable an athlete to participate or continue participation once on the competition area under Rule 144.1. (c) Any kind of personal safeguard (e.g. bandage, tape, belt, support, etc.) for protection and/or medical purposes. The Referee, in conjunction with the Medical Delegate, shall have the authority to verify any case should he judge that to be desirable. (See also Rules 187.4 and 187.5.) (d) Heart rate or speed distance monitors or stride sensors or similar devices carried or worn personally by athletes during an event, provided that such device cannot be used to communicate with any other person. (e) Viewing by athletes competing in Field Events, of images of previous trial(s), recorded on their behalf by persons not placed in the competition area (see 144.1 Note). The viewing device or images taken from it must not be taken into the competition area.

Like Brian Morrison at Western States, who was DQ'd after winning because he couldn't physically get over the line himself.

I guess the strictness of the application of rules is probably a bit different for the podium places than for ~1000th place.

Caveat triathalope but that Brownlee wasn't DQ'd when his brother helped him in the last hundred yards of that race.

There's other things to consider, e.g. he gets a gfa qualifying time for 2018 after being carried to the finish. Where do you draw the line?

The odd person who gets to sneak inside the gfa time doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, there's no quota for gfa places so he wouldn't be denying someone else a gfa place. Sure there might be one place fewer for ballot entrants but that's a drop in the ocean.

He was only a few hundred yards from the finish, he probably ran further than that to get over the start line (albeit before his clock started).

I wouldn't overthink it. What if he was carried for 200m or so way back at mile 4? Is that any different to being helped for 200m at the end?

He was only a few hundred yards from the finish

Future appeal from a.n.other club runner to vlm gfa panel:

I was only a few hundred yards from the finish when the cutoff passed...

It's no biggy, as it reads like he'd only have been 'warned' if the rules were applied.

Like IronManMegaCorpTM I think they're quite strict about the cut-off though either you were there or you weren't, c.f. the bloke who missed gfa by 7 seconds because he did a 1 minute drum solo en route.