quote:<HR>Originally posted by mark capparella:
One of the better "take-homes" I got from the show was the fact that exercise ALONE is not likely to lead to weight loss. As a 50 mpw runner, I know that if I'm not careful, my weight can creep up pretty quickly if I let my diet get away from me. I'm sick of hearing "you must be able to eat whatever you want" from people when I really can't. <HR>

quote:<HR>Originally posted by RunTWM:
Good for you, Ray, and, of course, lots and lots of people will finish ahead of you! .<HR>

quote:<HR>Originally posted by maryt:
Let's put this in perspective. If you were just looking for smaller races with good compeittion but with a less publicized charity element you could surely find several. But you want the prestige of running Boston. OK, but why should we want you? Does your presence in Boston help the local communities who support the race? Does your presence help support the many local charities that benefit from the race? Does your presence make a difference in the likelihood that more and better cancer treatments will be found sooner? Why should we want you to clog up our local streets just because you can run a little faster than some of the charity runners who do so much more for us? Maybe instead of whining about charity runners you should be thankful you have the opportunity in run Boston with just the justification that you are faster than the average runner. <HR>

quote:<HR>Originally posted by maryt:
[b]

Originally posted by rbbmoose:
The number of runners has grown and I suspect (although I could be wrong) the number of charity runners. The course (and Hopkinton) can't support it. It used to mean something when you said you ran Boston - but now everyone's weird uncle Harold "ran" it as part of an effort to cure Rabies and he did it wearing bowling shoes, wearing a top hat and smoking a cigar. Not that there's anything wrong with that - hats off to to Harold and his charity - but couldn't we have one pure "Runners" marathon to go with the thousands of charity events?

Ray<HR>

Ray
Seems to me the percentage of charity runners to qualified runners used to be higher in years past. The total number of runners has grown, but the number of charity runners has grown much less. People seem to think you just pay a charity you can get a number. That's not true.

The charity runners make up about 10% of the total runners, maybe even less - a very small percentage and they bring in millions for charity. I was at Dana Farber Cancer Research Center in Boston a couple of years ago and couldn't help but notice one wing has a huge mural of the Boston Marathon in tribute to the large amount of funding their programs get from the Dana Farber runners. Sure it is possible to hold charity drives and just go out and ask people to support a cause, but it's a whole lot easier to raise money if you are "earning" it by running Boston than it is to just go around asking for money. The charity runners help thousands, probably millions of other people through the research their contributions bring in; who do you help as a qualified runner other than yourself?

Let's put this in perspective. If you were just looking for smaller races with good compeittion but with a less publicized charity element you could surely find several. But you want the prestige of running Boston. OK, but why should we want you? Does your presence in Boston help the local communities who support the race? Does your presence help support the many local charities that benefit from the race? Does your presence make a difference in the likelihood that more and better cancer treatments will be found sooner? Why should we want you to clog up our local streets just because you can run a little faster than some of the charity runners who do so much more for us? Maybe instead of whining about charity runners you should be thankful you have the opportunity in run Boston with just the justification that you are faster than the average runner. [/B]

quote:<HR>Originally posted by mrinertia:
....I think a few events should be reserved for runners of a higher caliber.

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quote:<HR>Originally posted by rbbmoose:
And as this show demonstrates ANYONE can finish a marathon. - it may be a bit unpleasant, but its really not that difficult.

Ray<HR>

quote:<HR>Originally posted by TammyM:
interesting conversation on this topic over here. this statement here sort of struck me as something I didn't expect to see. As someone who has yet to do a marathon, i guess it sort of blows the wind out of my sails that when I do finally do it, it's really not that big of a deal because "anyone can finish a marathon and it's not all that difficult" . . . .


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