Running Paris Marathon unregistered

Quoted message said:

Gonna be in Paris that weekend but found out the race is already full.
Because I may not get a similar opportunity, I'm considering running it
anyway. Anyone know if that's possible? What could they possibly do?
Throw me off the street? Arrest me? Shoot me? It's not something I
would normally do, but I really want to run.

I'd be careful if I were you. Chirac is in a bad mood.

http://tinyurl.com/bo27v

Quoted message said:

Gonna be in Paris that weekend but found out the race is already full.
Because I may not get a similar opportunity, I'm considering running it
anyway. Anyone know if that's possible? What could they possibly do?
Throw me off the street? Arrest me? Shoot me? It's not something I
would normally do, but I really want to run.

http://tinyurl.com/bxpep

Quoted message said:

Gonna be in Paris that weekend but found out the race is already full.
Because I may not get a similar opportunity, I'm considering running it
anyway. Anyone know if that's possible? What could they possibly do?
Throw me off the street? Arrest me? Shoot me? It's not something I
would normally do, but I really want to run.

This is not something I'd recommand, but if you *really* need to run it
anyway, you should be able to get past km42, where you'll be taken off
the course, just before the arrival, if you don't wear the official bib.
You'll just miss about 100 yards.

....as for being shot, last year, out of 30000 entrants, only 5 were shot
dead, and president chirac is quite old now, so he gets worse at aiming
correctly, which means that even if you run with a 'i love bush' t-shirt
you might survive your paris marathon. ;-)

m

marko kirjoitti:

Quoted message said:

This is not something I'd recommend, but if you *really* need to run it
anyway, you should be able to get past km42, where you'll be taken off
the course, just before the arrival, if you don't wear the official bib.
You'll just miss about 100 yards.

I'd imagine that a bandit runner would have to miss another hundred
yards right at the start; the hard part would be getting inside the
start zone without the bib.

Quoted message said:

...as for being shot, last year, out of 30000 entrants, only 5 were shot
dead, and president chirac is quite old now, so he gets worse at aiming
correctly, which means that even if you run with a 'i love bush' t-shirt
you might survive your paris marathon. ;-)

The bandit phenomenon is completely non-existent here, but I'd guess
that one would have to worry more about the wrath of other runners than
the potshots of the president:-)

BTW in Stockholm where the marathon is always sold out and the
registrations are strictly non-transferable, there is still a certain
inofficial(1) "grey market" bib trade (on internet running forums), so
that someone who really wants to participate (and doesn't care that it
won't be his name in the result list) doesn't have to resort to
banditing, but can run "semi-legally" with a bib on and get the medal,
the T-shirt and enjoy the whole thing.

(1) The organizers warn that this sort of thing idoesn't carry their
approval, but they don't control against it; they don't even threaten
with sanctions, merely issue a warning that the "false" marathoner
won't in the case of injury or worse be covered by the insurance
provided by them.

I suppose that the French law about the medical certificate and the
(customary?) ID check at the registration desk have effectively closed
this opportunity in Paris - although it would, of course, be possible
for the bib to change hands *after* it has been picked up?

Anders

anders said:

I'd imagine that a bandit runner would have to miss another hundred
yards right at the start; the hard part would be getting inside the
start zone without the bib.

yes you're right, this might be difficult, but still feasible.
OTOH without bib, why get into the fuss of the crowded (cattle?) start.
One should rather take the option of starting from a side road and why
not add here the 200m that one will miss at the end.(although 'miss'
might not really be the appropriate word after 3 or more hours of
running...)

Quoted message said:

The bandit phenomenon is completely non-existent here, but I'd guess
that one would have to worry more about the wrath of other runners than
the potshots of the president:-)

I'm not sure the other runners in paris would care about someone without
bib, but the volunteers would certainly !

Quoted message said:

BTW in Stockholm where the marathon is always sold out and the
registrations are strictly non-transferable, there is still a certain
inofficial(1) "grey market" bib trade (on internet running forums), so
that someone who really wants to participate (and doesn't care that it
won't be his name in the result list) doesn't have to resort to
banditing, but can run "semi-legally" with a bib on and get the medal,
the T-shirt and enjoy the whole thing.

just check nntp://fr.rec.sport.courir sometimes before paris marathon,
you'll certainly find someone selling her/his bib.

Quoted message said:

I suppose that the French law about the medical certificate and the
(customary?) ID check at the registration desk have effectively closed
this opportunity in Paris - although it would, of course, be possible
for the bib to change hands *after* it has been picked up?

quite so : it's only possible after...

Quoted message said:

Anders

Just wear shirt/shorts with an American flag
as not to attract attention.

In article <[email hidden]>,
anders <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

marko kirjoitti:

Quoted message said:

This is not something I'd recommend, but if you *really* need to run it
anyway, you should be able to get past km42, where you'll be taken off
the course, just before the arrival, if you don't wear the official bib.
You'll just miss about 100 yards.

I'd imagine that a bandit runner would have to miss another hundred
yards right at the start; the hard part would be getting inside the
start zone without the bib.

Quoted message said:

...as for being shot, last year, out of 30000 entrants, only 5 were shot
dead, and president chirac is quite old now, so he gets worse at aiming
correctly, which means that even if you run with a 'i love bush' t-shirt
you might survive your paris marathon. ;-)

The bandit phenomenon is completely non-existent here, but I'd guess
that one would have to worry more about the wrath of other runners than
the potshots of the president:-)

BTW in Stockholm where the marathon is always sold out and the
registrations are strictly non-transferable, there is still a certain
inofficial(1) "grey market" bib trade (on internet running forums), so
that someone who really wants to participate (and doesn't care that it
won't be his name in the result list) doesn't have to resort to
banditing, but can run "semi-legally" with a bib on and get the medal,
the T-shirt and enjoy the whole thing.

(1) The organizers warn that this sort of thing idoesn't carry their
approval, but they don't control against it; they don't even threaten
with sanctions, merely issue a warning that the "false" marathoner
won't in the case of injury or worse be covered by the insurance
provided by them.

I'm afraid I don't understand that. I would have guessed that any
insurance is to cover the organisers against claims made by runners
against the organisers. First aid organisations would presumably have
their own insurance.

The issue, at least under the jurisdiction where I live, would be
whether the organisers (or first aid organisation as the case may be)
had a duty of care towards bib bandits.

Quoted message said:

I suppose that the French law about the medical certificate and the
(customary?) ID check at the registration desk have effectively closed
this opportunity in Paris - although it would, of course, be possible
for the bib to change hands *after* it has been picked up?

Anders

--
Ken

Quoted message said:

Gonna be in Paris that weekend but found out the race is already full.
Because I may not get a similar opportunity, I'm considering running it
anyway. Anyone know if that's possible? What could they possibly do?
Throw me off the street? Arrest me? Shoot me? It's not something I
would normally do, but I really want to run.

Any reason why you cannot run the route the day before or the day
after.

Why do you think this is OKAY?

Would you think it is okay to participate in any other sporting event
without paying?
How about running on to the field just to kick the ball once in the
World Cup?
How about slipping onto the golf course during a Masters tournement?

Please just don't do it.

Ed

"Ed Prochak" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Gonna be in Paris that weekend but found out the race is already full.
Because I may not get a similar opportunity, I'm considering running it
anyway. Anyone know if that's possible? What could they possibly do?
Throw me off the street? Arrest me? Shoot me? It's not something I
would normally do, but I really want to run.

Any reason why you cannot run the route the day before or the day
after.

Probably because the roads won't be closed and there won't
be thousands of other people to compete against, but that's
just a guess.

Quoted message said:

How about running on to the field just to kick the ball once in the
World Cup?
How about slipping onto the golf course during a Masters tournement?

Both these examples involve a closed field of professional
athletes. The first one even has the game being disturbed. I
don't see the connection.

cheers,
--
David Hirsh, director
www.urbanburn.com - half marathon, full throttle!
www.absolutelyaccurate.com - Hamilton's summer series!

Ed Prochak said:

Any reason why you cannot run the route the day before or the day
after.

He's welcome to try but a decent portion of it is on riverside
expressways, including a couple of "no footpath" tunnels, which are closed
specially for the race and the Champs Elysées and rue de Rivoli aren't
exactly devoid of traffic and pedestrians either.

It's probably doable at 5am on a bank holiday.

Quoted message said:

Gonna be in Paris that weekend but found out the race is already full.
Because I may not get a similar opportunity, I'm considering running it
anyway. Anyone know if that's possible?

See marko's advice; I've no idea what the reaction is to runners with no
race number. If you really do have to do it, just don't hinder other
runners and don't use the refueling stations. Take a metro ticket with you
in case you want to bail out.

At the start, either go right at the back of the crowd, at the Arc de
Triomphe end of the start corrals, or pick up the flow wall further down
the route. A good place would be at the place de la Concorde, rue de
Rivoli side. That will "lose" you 2km but will avoid the scrambling into
the dense crowd down the Champs Elysées. It will also let you pick up the
race "where you should be" more easily by spotting the pace groups
(colour-coded balloons from 3h to 4h30 in 15' intervals).

At the end of the race, you'll probably get pulled (and if you don't, you
should leave) before the final few hundred yards on the avenue Foch. Check
out the zone on a map and decide on your own "finish line", well clear of
the real one, before starting. That way you have a proper end to your
personal "race". The exit from the Bois de Boulogne, before getting onto
the roundabout, would be OK I think and is as near to he finish as you can
get.

Ken kirjoitti:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(1) The organizers warn that this sort of thing idoesn't carry their
approval, but they don't control against it; they don't even threaten
with sanctions, merely issue a warning that the "false" marathoner
won't in the case of injury or worse be covered by the insurance
provided by them.

Quoted message said:

I'm afraid I don't understand that. I would have guessed that any
insurance is to cover the organisers against claims made by runners
against the organisers. First aid organisations would presumably have
their own insurance.

In this part of the world the organisers and the medical staff don't
have to worry as much about potential negligence or malpractise
lawsuits, but in some big marathons - Stockholm and Helsinki I'm
certain of, but I believe there are others - the registration fee
includes an insurance which covers the (I assume medical only) costs of
any injury incurred during the marathon (or, in Stockhom, during the
travel to or from). I suppose this has some attraction or use for those
participants whose personal insurance policies or health plans don't
cover freetime or sports injuries or accidents; even in Scandinavia
money often buys better or quicker medical treatment than what the
national system provides.)

Quoted message said:

The issue, at least under the jurisdiction where I live, would be
whether the organisers (or first aid organisation as the case may be)
had a duty of care towards bib bandits.

If it is an obviously life-threatening situation, there's naturally the
normal duty of care towards everyone, but in the case of a broken ankle
the bibless bandit would, I imagine, be politely told to hop off and
find his own way to the nearest Accidents and Emergencies department.
For the unauthorised runner with someone else's bib the lack of
insurance could become a problem of some stature when his false
identity would be revealed, i.e. no sooner or later than when a
hospital clerk would ask for his social security number.

Anders