At Women's Marathon, fastest time didn't win

SFGate ^ | 10/21/08 | C.W. Nevius

[LibWhacker]

There were over 20,000 competitors in Sunday's Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. And 24-year-old Arien O'Connell, a fifth-grade teacher from New York City, ran the fastest time of any of the women.

But she didn't win.

It doesn't get much simpler than a footrace. All it takes is a starting line, a finish line and a clock. You fire the gun and the first person to the end of the course is the winner.

However, as the marathon officials said to O'Connell - not so fast.

While O'Connell had the greatest run of her life and covered the course faster than any woman, she was told she couldn't be declared the winner because she didn't run with the "elite" group who were given a 20-minute head start.

[grey_whiskers]

There's an analogy to the MSM Presidential polls in there somewhere.

Cheers!

[Revolting cat!]

The lesson once again: we, the organization/the institution/the status quo are more important than the little insignificant you!

[Revolting cat!]

It’s not ‘unbelievable’. It happens in small and big ways every day. Everywhere. Subvert the dominant paradigm, I say!

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

The did not want to be the spoiler of some bare-footed Kenyan getting a Wheaties Box promo to help out his poor brother that lives on $12 a year?

[CE2949BB]

20-minute head start.

Don't sound so damn "elite" to me.

[TexasNative2000]

I see the race was organized and judged by ACORN.

[stocksthatgoup]

The Elites Win Again!

[Billthedrill]

"If you're feeling like you're going to be a leader," race producer Dan Hirsch said Monday, "you should be in the elite pack."

Of course. There are people who are simply better than other people and they deserve the only chance to win. And if the criteria involved include urban origins, an Ivy League education, and the support of a political machine, well, the little people are going to lose every time. Now who is this "Sarah Palin" and what Ivy Leage school did she go to, anyway?

As for O'Connell, she's not bitter. After all, she got her best time ever, had a nice weekend in San Francisco and comes home with a story.

But she didn't win. Maybe the best way to explain that is to say it is just another case of the elites in San Francisco giving the city a bad name.

Yes, she did win. She wasn't awarded the prize. Those are two very different things. And yes, the elite are stinking up The City and the entire country just as they always do. You don't like it? Vote against it.

[Issaquahking]

Welcome to Obama think! Only a socialistic hell hole could justify cheating the winner out of the real win!

[pfflier]

Trophy redistribution. From the winner “to those behind”.

[gracesdad]

First, I absolutely agree that she should have won.

BUT there’s no question whatsoever that runners in longer events play strategy and mind games with their opponents. Top runners often win races in relatively slow times because of this. It’s not inconceivable that runners in the “elite” race would have run faster and beaten her had they actually been running against her.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> Don’t sound so damn “elite” to me.

Ya beat me to it!

[DieHard the Hunter]

What a joke. The winner didn’t win...

[LasVegasMac]

The lesson once again: we, the organization/the institution/the status quo are more important than the little insignificant you!

Answer: Click-click.

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Question: How will the peons react to continued treatment like this?

[Don Corleone]

What a joke. The winner didn’t win..

Save this thought for November 5th.

[calcowgirl]

just another case of the elites in San Francisco giving the city a bad name

Like they need another case.

[latina4dubya]

What a joke. The winner didn’t win...

because "it comes down to what a race is..." oh, brother...

[Saltmeat]

We in America have sacrificed excellence on the altar of equality. The administrators of this marathon are another example of the application of this insanity.

[gatechie]

Don't sound so damn "elite" to me.

Runners usually carry a personal timer that records when the cross the starting line and when they cross the finish line. Elapsed time is your official race time.
Elite runners have to provide "proof" that they are fast enough (usually from previous race times) to go in the first group. This allows the serious runners to actually run. Then after they have all cleared the start line, the rest of the throngs "start" the race. They may be only jogging or walking. Some families make an outing out of it and push strollers etc. Check out KP corporate run sites.

Some races have class winners, by age, gender, etc. However, I've never heard of the fastest elapsed time not being the over all male/female winner.