Comments on: Ethical Running

By: Of(f) Course, You Are » Complete Running Network

Of(f) Course, You Are » Complete Running Network — Mon, 28 May 2007 16:00:35 +0000

[...] recently related an ethical dilemma he weighed when a frontrunner momentarily went the wrong way. I’ve never led a race, but I have been far enough behind to witness a course marshal asking [...]

By: Tim Lawhorn

Tim Lawhorn — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:21:09 +0000

“Each of us has to make our own decision and live with it.” – This statement I agree with.

But I personally would not want to have a victory won by knowingly allowing what the author descibes.

While one may not have the responsibility in a case such as this, one has to be able to face oneself in the mirror and personally, I couldn’t do it.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:15:11 +0000

For what it’s worth, Kit gave me a little more background on why he made the choice he did. A similar thing happened to him a few years ago when he was leading a race and ran off course, except no one was around to correct him. So when he saw the same thing happening in front of him, he felt compelled to correct the other runner. He’s hoping that the karma has evened out now!

By: Dori

Dori — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 05:00:58 +0000

Very thought-provoking. I admire Kit, and I agree that it’s good sports-manship to do what he did. But yeah, we don’t have to be responsible for everyone else. For me, I do what I can live with. I’m too slow to ever be in a racing situation like that, but I recently found some diamond earrings in the women’s locker room. I tried to find the owner, and then I turned them in to the Lost and Found. Although I don’t own a pair of diamond earrings, I know that if I kept them I’d feel guilty whenever I wore them. The same with a trophy that I didn’t feel I deserved without any reservation.

By: thodarumm

thodarumm — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:16:33 +0000

I run 10 minute miles. Unlike Ed, I do have a competitive spirit. I am very competitive with myself. Even though I will be never be in contention for any medals , at least not in the foreseeable future,( see..I still hold on to hope..I figured if I can maintain my current pace, I can actually qualify for Boston when I am 90 ), I always want to do better than my last race. But given this as my background, I would have done exactly what Kit did. Otherwise, I would die of guilt. Kudos to Kit for his great sportsmanship.

Yesterday, I was running intervals with my coach in my ear and even though I wanted to stop to see the crocus on the road, I did not. My coach told me I had to max out on my HR and I just had to keep sprinting

By: Jenn

Jenn — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 02:25:02 +0000

I was running a 10k where there was a 5k going on at the same time, both races started out together and it was an out and back course on a road. There was suposed to be someone at the 1.5 mile mark to tell the 5k runners to turn around. After about 2 mile mark I passed someone who had a 5k bib insted of the 10k bib. I didn’t think anything of it at the time and kept on going. When i finished the 10k there were a lot of people who were quite upset with the race director. Turns out there was no one to tell the 5k runners where to turn around. Some of them realized shortly after they passed their turn around point and some ended up running the 10k. Awards were a mess. Who gets the 2nd men’s 19-24 trophy? The guy who signed up for the 5k and beat the guy from the 10k, or the guy who orignaly signed up for the 10k?

I think they ended up makeing and sending out special awards for the people who accidently ran 4 miles insted of 3.1.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:11:37 +0000

I have no idea what I’d do, but since I wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning, or placing, it’s not something I can really relate to. but i admire your honesty with yourself. and us.

By: Tammy

Tammy — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 23:27:18 +0000

I get what you’re saying. Not because I would want to win that way, but because prior experience has programmed me to “mind my own race”. Actually, knowing me, I would question myself and end up following them the wrong way

By: ScottD

ScottD — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 21:58:15 +0000

In trail runs, I feel it’s every runners responsibility to aid others in going the right direction. A wrong turn could be devastating out in the wilderness, particularly in ultras.

By: 21stCenturyMom

21stCenturyMom — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:21:34 +0000

Have you really thought through how you would feel knowing you let a fellow runner go in the wrong direction? If you meditate on that do you feel okay about it? At the end of the day can you really assume no responsibility to inform a racer s/he is going the wrong way when it is happening right in front of you? Do you want to win so badly that you would feel satisfied with a win that came about as a result of someone else’s mistake?

I personally couldn’t do that but then I’m not very competitve. Maybe if I were I’d see things differently. For me it doesn’t matter whose responsibility it is – if I see someone going the wrong way I’m going to call out and let him or her know.