Across the Bridge (formerly Houlihans) 12K, Sausalito to SF across the GoldenGate Bridge. Heavy
sponsorship, prize money, it will even be on Fox Net TV live. This race is a qualifier for a
sub-seeded spot in the BayTo Breakers Race. Here I am thinking of flying across the country to my
home (Bay Area) and race in this event only to qualify for a sub-seeded slot in the BayToBreakers in
May. I'd have to do a 45:00 or under and I am right at the cusp.
Serious runners that frequently race know it's uncanny how we can pretty much predict our time with
some seconds of error (factoring distance, conditions, & course, how we're feeling, etc.). This
particular race above...I'm either going to be 10-15 seconds over or under 45:00. I assumed the race
with 5-6 thousand runners was accurately timed but have since learned it's not. No ChampionChip, No
WinningTime. Huh? And I've not ran the BayToBreakers in over a dozen years. I've just learned that
it's also not accurately timed either.
When you look at the heavy sponsorship of these races, the prize money, the array of categories of
those who place (age based groupings, etc.)...I can't believe these heavily sponsored events are not
accurately timed. I have not ran in a race that was not ChampionChip'ed or WinningTime'd since 2000.
Is an unseeded runner supposed to show up at the Bay To Breakers 3 hours before the start to get a
decent position? That's what I did in 1990 for crissakes and even then there were a couple of
hundred runners ahead of me. And as I recall finishing down the shoot and being at the mercy of a
volunteer to rip a tag from my bib and have it stamped? Is that still how it works? What's this cost
you?....5-10 seconds?
In 2003 this is pathetic....and it boils down to CHEAP race events coordinators/promoters. In 2003,
runners should be able to line up and know their time does not start until they pass the starting
line. Is that too much to ask for? We should also know our time ends when we cross the finish
sprinting through the finish....not holding up/back so someone can rip a tag, walk over to some
table and have it stamped....etc. The error in these times can easily mean the difference for
non-seeded runners from "placing" in their age groupings.
If these heavily sponsored (on TV) prize money races don't accurately time us....they don't deserve
our money or participation. They're not being fair to the non-seeded runner and giving a big
advantage to the seeded and subseeded runners. And why? They're CHEAP. Runners...we need to let
companies in the business of putting on these races know that we will not enter if they intend to be
cheapskates unfairly advantage the seeded runners and treat us like cattle. If small local races can
use accurately timed systems.....greater scale (larger races) means the cost would be cheaper per
runner. Don't give me this [censored] about reg.fees going up...small races manage to keep the reg.fee at
$25 w/accurate timing...why can't these heavily sponsored races do it?....heck they're already
ripping us off for the lousy T-Shirt anyway.
OK, I feel better....I've vented. But I am serious here folks.....I'm willing to work to earn a
seeded spot.....but be fair to me and accurately time me! I'm not going to be treated like cattle in
2003 because a race company is cheap! I'll sticking w/races that respect the goals and ambitions of
all runners, not just the seeded!
Andrew.....