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The Great Debate - what classes as a race?
Ben RW
admin
Hello everyone.
As part of an upcoming feature in the mag, we want to know your thoughts on the following question -
Are events that don't record your finishing time or place, real races?
Post your comments, thoughts and opinions below.
Thanks!
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Comments
I am not sure I know of any events like that to be honest.
there are quite a few LDWA "Challenge" events that don't produce results
they're still a "race" though, as you can race yourself (e.g. a target time, or your course PB from a previous year) or you can race other people that you know
tbh the faster runners usually pool info on t'internet afterwards and attempt to construct the results for themselves
If you enter a 'race' and don't care about your position or time (maybe don't look at them) but just wanted to finish. Is that a race?
I think whether something is a race is perhaps a philosophical position for the runner.
Also....parkrun is a race. I know this cause Phil, Bus, Scotch Egg and the chosen one keep bleating on about their positions and times
One last thing Ben. This isn't the Great Debate and to be honest it isn't really a debate at all. It is a rubbish idea for a thread and is why you shouldn't be allowed to do that sticky thing and have it appear at the top of the threads list. Try harder or I am going to tell your boss to give you a shit report.
Wait a minute I have just seen Kerry's thread about Novelty Races. This thread is better than that one at least. Well done for being less shit than Kerry, now that is racing my friend.
Hardly a "Great Debate"... The dictionary would suggest that if the objective is to see who is the fastest then it's a race, otherwise it isn't... For most runners I think, even if an event is technically a race, for them it's a time trial.
Agree that the thread title. the great debate....is stupid......there must be many things that can classed as the great debate...........eg the ones that come up again and again.....re dogs or ipods or walking in a race etc.....
I agree, the biggest recurring debate on here has always seemed to be about the VLM entry system. That and Race for Life - although not so much now its popularity seems to be on the wane.
mp3 players - the great debate.
Time trials aren't races, park run is a time trial not a race. It isn't even that. Most people view it as a training run. Good for tempo or race pace for longer distance. Also good to measure fitness or to achieve the goal of actually being able to run.
Race for Life events aren't races.
a competition between runners, horses, vehicles, etc. to see which is the fastest in covering a set course.
personally I'll never win a race, I'll hardly ever even get in the top 50% but competing against the same clock makes you part of the same race. IMHO
Checked the dictionary..
1. a contest of speed, as in running, riding, driving, or sailing.
So if you don't record a time or finishing position it can't be a race.
PS Contest is defined as a race, conflict, or other competition between rivals.
QED
(Damn simples this journalism, Should have done that rather than Project Management)
@booktrunk - don't be too sure about that - unless you mean outright win. There are some small races which have only a handful of female runners and those, of errrr gentle pace - you never know when you might find yourself running in one of them, and ending up first lady... happened to me once and my finishing time was about the same (I cyberstalked you on po10) as the parkrun times it had for you last year. Won a teddy
Dave -- I don't agree with your interpretation of that dictionary definition... For me there is no implication that a "contest of speed" must be timed... S/he who finishes first is the fastest... Maybe PM wasn't such a bad choice eh?
No, I think Dave is right.
Time aside, recording a "finishing position" would tell you who finished fastest.
Simple definition is two kids say to each other "race you to the fence, first one wins". That's a race. the rest is garnish.
I think XX1 and Cunk are right.
Won primary school sports day race over 60 metres, not sure it was ever timed or recorded but I won and that is all that I need to know.
Yeah, I (co-) won the 3-legged race in year 6. That wasn't timed or recorded but is clearly still a major running triumph.
I think the 'debate' is supposed to be about whether we think race for life is shit or not though, without Ben mentioning any names of specific events.
Agreed, and that wasn't what I posted....
I posted time or finishing position.... Helps if people read !
Year 6 hadn't even been invented when I was at school. Year 4 Juniors I think it was back then. Anyway that is very impressive.
In Year 1 Juniors I managed to win the football dribbling and passing the ball under a chair at the end race. I am like Bolt and Messi rolled into one.
Year 6 was invented when I was in 2nd year juniors.
More like Jessie Owens and Tom Finney back then MNW
Dave -- There's nothing in the dictionary definition (perhaps you should read it
) that states the recording of any information is necessary.
cretin
LOL yeah right... A bit rich coming from someone who clearly can't comprehend a dictionary definition
Did someone just mention the elephant in the room?
In over 350 races I never did one with an Elephant involved, let alone in the room at the presentation afterwards. DId see a camel in the middle of Wanstead Flats during a 10K race once.
Seriously is this the type of article that is included in the magazine these days? - I gave up reading it in 199 something when it stopped being Running Magazine.
I'm not sure but I have a slight suspicion that this particular debate isn't going to make the final cut.