Fantastic. Your nuanced take in cheating, especially how we all “curate” our running realities at times and how this to is cheating - was inspired.
I never understood the motivation for the “big cheats” - like riding a bike in a race, but now can see how that is the same as the “small cheats”, just farther along the scale.
I got lost on an ultra last year.
I can remember two feelings, one a desire to just quit in frustration and another I could see a way back that would have been a “shortcut” instead of getting back to where i left the course. I caught myself rationalising because the total distance would have been the same.
I ended up running an extra 6 miles in total to get back in course, but I seriously considered the other option and had almost fully justified it to myself.
Thanks for this. Oh yes, shortcuts in ultras would be a nice topic to look into, as well. I also occasionally get lost during ultras and most of the times end up running much longer distances than planned. I regard it as part of the challenge and would never dare to complain. There's a different view on downhill switchbacks though. In Europe it is mandatory to stay on the path (This is also the official Alpine Club rule for hikers) but in America it is often "How fast can you get down that mountain, no matter how"-style. Not sure about the official race regulations, but if you do that all the time during a longer race, it will add up to noticeable saved time.
Great Post,Always enjoy reading your letters:) about cheating in running, the Mexico city marathon really stuck with me. Over years crazy numbers of disqualifications
This includes the trend of people claiming to be “in shape” to run a given performance they’ve never even approached but not actually even attempting to achieve it, let alone trying and falling far short…and paying no price for running their mouths with all of the reliability and charm of an 8-year-old telling his classmates that his daddy is a superhero who can beat up Superman.
David Roche is a great example. He has recently claimed to be in 4:10 mile shape and a few years back was saying he was in 1:06 half-marathon shape, yet he never made a move toward proving this by racing. People like these have always plagued distance running, but somehow they went from being rapidly exiled laughingstocks to being respected gurus and coaches. I have my theories about the dizzying influx into distance running of fabulists. whiners. and emotionally stunted posers, but they’re here to stay whether anyone can explain their presence or not.
That's a really interesting aspect and I agree to pretend having a certain level of fitness is also cheating, if it isn't true. Good thing: Running will always level us. I once wrote somewhere "humble yourself or running will do it for you", not even sure if it was a quote or not, but it's of the things I love about running. My first answer when someone tells me what time he/she can achieve in a race is: "That's great! Show the world, and race."
Of course it was a quote. Teddy Roosevelt said it, although some sources say he stole it from Martin Luther. I didn’t know this myself until I read it on someone’s Strava profile, so don’t feel bad.!
Wow. This is one of your best articles here. I read it after listening to the Jan Fitschen podcast while running, in which he had a course measurer as a guest.
I had just learned that, on the one hand, cutting across the pavement on a bend can lead to runners being disqualified or their time not being recognised as a personal best. On the other hand, you have to cut corners if you want to run the officially measured fastest route.
And then came your striking examples. I will never really understand such behaviour, but you have nicely highlighted the aspects that can lead to it. Thank you for that. While reading, I realised that I am more intrinsically motivated and task-oriented.
Hey Jessica, thank you so much for the feedback. Yes, the blue line would be worth a story of its own. I also learned that every marathon is significantly longer than actually 42.2km to ensure no one runs a shorter distance. Humans are an interesting species... ;-)
First, I’m still going back and re-reading your”old” posts. I hate the word archive. I tag my posts and then I can get them to appear in a subsection of my newsletter. All your posts on your knee journey I find fascinating.
About race cheating: the Erie Marathon in Pennsylvania is known to be a good race to achieve a Boston qualifying time. I ran it three times. The race management is very picky and strict about certain things: if a runner is found to have cheated, the race may lose their ability to certify to BAA all the race times for everyone. One thing they are picky about: you cannot accept aid from anybody outside the aid stations. The course is run on a 13.1 mile loop which you run twice. It is easy for a runner to cut across the loop without being seen as it is mostly wooded. Therefore, they are numerous timing mats for you to cross. It is sad.
Thanks for the hint, working a proper tagging of old posts as we speak. I believe the whole BQ challenge is making people go nuts. Yes, it's a prestigious marathon, and also yes, the vibe in Boston is one of a kind, but you will surely not have lived a miserable life if you don't qualify for and run Boston.
Thanks for this. Oh yes, shortcuts in ultras would be a nice topic to look into, as well. I also occasionally get lost during ultras and most of the times end up running much longer distances than planned. I regard it as part of the challenge and would never dare to complain. There's a different view on downhill switchbacks though. In Europe it is mandatory to stay on the path (This is also the official Alpine Club rule for hikers) but in America it is often "How fast can you get down that mountain, no matter how"-style. Not sure about the official race regulations, but if you do that all the time during a longer race, it will add up to noticeable saved time.
Fantastic. Your nuanced take in cheating, especially how we all “curate” our running realities at times and how this to is cheating - was inspired.
I never understood the motivation for the “big cheats” - like riding a bike in a race, but now can see how that is the same as the “small cheats”, just farther along the scale.
I got lost on an ultra last year.
I can remember two feelings, one a desire to just quit in frustration and another I could see a way back that would have been a “shortcut” instead of getting back to where i left the course. I caught myself rationalising because the total distance would have been the same.
I ended up running an extra 6 miles in total to get back in course, but I seriously considered the other option and had almost fully justified it to myself.
Thanks for this. Oh yes, shortcuts in ultras would be a nice topic to look into, as well. I also occasionally get lost during ultras and most of the times end up running much longer distances than planned. I regard it as part of the challenge and would never dare to complain. There's a different view on downhill switchbacks though. In Europe it is mandatory to stay on the path (This is also the official Alpine Club rule for hikers) but in America it is often "How fast can you get down that mountain, no matter how"-style. Not sure about the official race regulations, but if you do that all the time during a longer race, it will add up to noticeable saved time.
Great Post,Always enjoy reading your letters:) about cheating in running, the Mexico city marathon really stuck with me. Over years crazy numbers of disqualifications
https://www.marathons.com/en/running-gag/cheating-record-at-the-2023-mexico-city-marathon-11000-participants-involved/
Thank you! Oh yes, that was a crazy even. Could have added it to my list of examples.
Spot on analysis!
Thanks, Rachel!
This includes the trend of people claiming to be “in shape” to run a given performance they’ve never even approached but not actually even attempting to achieve it, let alone trying and falling far short…and paying no price for running their mouths with all of the reliability and charm of an 8-year-old telling his classmates that his daddy is a superhero who can beat up Superman.
David Roche is a great example. He has recently claimed to be in 4:10 mile shape and a few years back was saying he was in 1:06 half-marathon shape, yet he never made a move toward proving this by racing. People like these have always plagued distance running, but somehow they went from being rapidly exiled laughingstocks to being respected gurus and coaches. I have my theories about the dizzying influx into distance running of fabulists. whiners. and emotionally stunted posers, but they’re here to stay whether anyone can explain their presence or not.
That's a really interesting aspect and I agree to pretend having a certain level of fitness is also cheating, if it isn't true. Good thing: Running will always level us. I once wrote somewhere "humble yourself or running will do it for you", not even sure if it was a quote or not, but it's of the things I love about running. My first answer when someone tells me what time he/she can achieve in a race is: "That's great! Show the world, and race."
“not even sure if it was a quote or not”
Of course it was a quote. Teddy Roosevelt said it, although some sources say he stole it from Martin Luther. I didn’t know this myself until I read it on someone’s Strava profile, so don’t feel bad.!
Wow. This is one of your best articles here. I read it after listening to the Jan Fitschen podcast while running, in which he had a course measurer as a guest.
I had just learned that, on the one hand, cutting across the pavement on a bend can lead to runners being disqualified or their time not being recognised as a personal best. On the other hand, you have to cut corners if you want to run the officially measured fastest route.
And then came your striking examples. I will never really understand such behaviour, but you have nicely highlighted the aspects that can lead to it. Thank you for that. While reading, I realised that I am more intrinsically motivated and task-oriented.
Hey Jessica, thank you so much for the feedback. Yes, the blue line would be worth a story of its own. I also learned that every marathon is significantly longer than actually 42.2km to ensure no one runs a shorter distance. Humans are an interesting species... ;-)
First, I’m still going back and re-reading your”old” posts. I hate the word archive. I tag my posts and then I can get them to appear in a subsection of my newsletter. All your posts on your knee journey I find fascinating.
About race cheating: the Erie Marathon in Pennsylvania is known to be a good race to achieve a Boston qualifying time. I ran it three times. The race management is very picky and strict about certain things: if a runner is found to have cheated, the race may lose their ability to certify to BAA all the race times for everyone. One thing they are picky about: you cannot accept aid from anybody outside the aid stations. The course is run on a 13.1 mile loop which you run twice. It is easy for a runner to cut across the loop without being seen as it is mostly wooded. Therefore, they are numerous timing mats for you to cross. It is sad.
Thanks for the hint, working a proper tagging of old posts as we speak. I believe the whole BQ challenge is making people go nuts. Yes, it's a prestigious marathon, and also yes, the vibe in Boston is one of a kind, but you will surely not have lived a miserable life if you don't qualify for and run Boston.
Thanks for this. Oh yes, shortcuts in ultras would be a nice topic to look into, as well. I also occasionally get lost during ultras and most of the times end up running much longer distances than planned. I regard it as part of the challenge and would never dare to complain. There's a different view on downhill switchbacks though. In Europe it is mandatory to stay on the path (This is also the official Alpine Club rule for hikers) but in America it is often "How fast can you get down that mountain, no matter how"-style. Not sure about the official race regulations, but if you do that all the time during a longer race, it will add up to noticeable saved time.