The debate is hot! The logic for: – I paid for my finisher tee, I paid for my medal – you are ripping me off by not giving me my finisher entitlements! I am entitled! It was not that I could not finish the marathon, your checkpoint cutoff times rendered me unable to complete the marathon. The 7 hour cut off time wasn’t up yet! You made me DNF! You stopped me from getting my hard-earned medal. Why are you making a local event one of international standard with these checkpoint cutoff times when our runners aren’t even of international standard. Organisers are demoralising runners with their CP cut-off times! Other organisers do not apply this cut-off times so strictly! How can an organiser profit from DNF-ers?
So here’s some news for people expecting finisher entitlements despite not finishing a race:-
- You need to read the rules and regulations before registering for a race. You registering for a race is acknowledging the rules and regulations including the organiser’s cut-off times! You disputing them after the race just shows the kind of sportsmanship you embody!
- Your registration fee is inclusive of finisher items on the condition you actually finish the race! You do not pay for a finisher tee! You pay for a race entry! To ask for finisher items despite not completing the race is a disgrace to yourself!
- Newsflash: Finisher medals and Finisher Tees are called FINISHER items because it is that – you only get them if you finish! If the organiser were to hand out finisher items to anybody and everybody, the term finisher loses meaning!
- Although local athletes may not be of international standard, it does not mean that events organised locally cannot meet an international standard! If you are ready to argue that, then be ready to come to a race that may be gravely over distance, or gravely short of refreshments, and gravely short of road closures! Do not argue for a lower standard! It shows the degree of backward thinking you have!
- Just because other organisers are more lenient as to cut-off times, this does not mean every organiser should embody the same degree of empathy! Same goes, just because everyone robs the poor, does not make it right and okay. Just because everyone is doing one thing, does not make it the right thing! Deviating from the norm, does not necessary make it wrong! To think so shows the kind of thought process you possess!
- If you have failed, train harder and come back stronger! Earn your finisher medal and finisher tee so you can wear them with pride. What pride is there in wearing a finisher tee you have not earned? To blame the organiser and not think of just training harder and coming back stronger shows the strength of your character – minimal!
- Run organisers are out to make money – I mean surely yes. Did you think organisers organise run for the fun of it and for charity? But one thing you need to be clear about is that they do not profit on the undistributed finisher tees and medals. I mean – did you think they would be selling the undistributed items? If you think so, you are naive.
- How PRIVILEGED do you have to be to think otherwise?
Sounds harsh, but true! Sports is supposed to shape strength of character and develop sportsmanship. So, respect the distance, respect all the other runners who truly deserve the finisher title, train hard and come back stronger! Good Luck – next time!
This looked like a scenario taken from my comment @ SCKLM2017? As a matter of fact , the comment has been misunderstood & distorted by people who replied.I would suggest that you get the real facts from me as the person who wrote the comment @ SCKLM2017 rather writing your story based on the replies from people who read my comment. As i said earlier , it was misunderstood for these reasons : (1) I did not demand for the finisher entitlement which are the finisher medal & finisher tee as i know i am not entitled to it as a DNF runner. (2) I did not accuse the organiser of making a profit from selling finisher medals & finisher tees of DNF runners who were not entitled to claim these items.I was only curious to know what happened to these items which the organiser did not give to the DNF runners. (3) The CP COT which was implemented at SCKLM2016 & SCKLM2017 are still very new to FM events in our country. I am not against the organiser for the implementation of this rule as it is legal & internationally recognized for FM events. Upon signing up for SCKLM2017 (FM) i have read & understood the rules & regulations of the event.I wrote my comment as a feedback with no intention to tarnish the reputation of the organiser of SCKLM2017. However , it was unfortunate that the people who replied to my comment have misunderstood my intention & wrote a lot of stories which were made up by themselves.I am also shocked to read this article of yours which is based on the replies from my comment @ SCKLM2017. I hope i have made my intention clear to you & stop writing untrue things without first checking with me as the person who wrote the comment @ SCKLM2017. Be a professional author with integrity.
Relax Adelin. The author did not mention who is the one. Now you are commenting and making the whole world know whose the ‘culprit’. As long as your conscious is clear, don’t bother about what others say or think about you. Just move on and continue making a history for yourself.
Was part of the commenthon on FB and was having fun there so I thought I would come to give my support. lols..Happy Friday!
I agree with in a very general sense. In January I had a DNF for my second marathon, leaving the race just past the halfway point. While browsing some of the tents and speaking with a lovely lady (who I found out later was the manager) she asked me if I had my finishers bag. I said I didn’t deserve it as I had to DNF. ‘Bull’ she says, ‘you trained and went though it, everyone deserves their medal’
I didn’t agree initially, but I now have a medal with a story to tell, an iTab with it all there. I trained bloody hard for that race and while I can accept it if they said no medal I am happy to have one.
I fully agreed that DNFers do not get to receive the finisher medal and tee simply because they did not finish on time or did not reach CP COT on time. Obviously there is a reason as to why the organiser had such term and condition. I have been in such situation and accepted the fact. Only those who trained hard enough deserved the medals and tee.