Fake Bibs at Boston Marathon

[cewait]

I need to have someone come by and pinch me. In the past I would have been all over this but for some reason I simply cannot get in line with either side. Maybe it was the overall whininess of the FB post that broke the story - sorry, the post hit me as though it was from a middle schooler whining about something that happened. I know it really was not that whiney, but that was all I got from the story.

But then, when I see the the CEO of FourSquare did the same thing I became incensed that a person of 'means' would stoop to this. Then, in a great public relations move talk about how much they needed to run together and all the money they hand to charity.

Since then I have become even madder as I realize that we will more than likely face changes sometime this fall in the way all large events are held.

I am stuck between ho-hum - It's Boston and they have a race bandit heritage that will live on for a while and Oh Crap, I may need to carry my Magic Band with me at the next large Disney race.

I am betting that we have to walk through a mat set up next January to prove we have a live bib.

 

[StarGirl11]

Add the wife of the founder of FourSquare to this list. That story was on the local Boston news. They actually said "We have donated a lot of money to charity, so..."

As for "people have always bandited Boston..." Yes, but a) this year they said it would not be allowed and b) those in the past weren't stupid enough to wear a bib that would show up in race pictures.

Oh for the love of. If you want to run Boston that badly there are charity slots. So that is one of the stupidest excuses I've ever heard in my life. Get a legit slot through a charity foundation and knock both out in one go idiots. -massages forehead-

I have a friend who qualified for this years race, which is extremely hard to do. In years past he has run with a charity. From what he has told me most charities that run will take you on their team however you need to raise thousands of dollars. I am not sure if it is a lottery to run for charity, it may depend on the charity.

Knowing how hard my friend worked to get into Boston it frustrates me that these people did this with no consideration for others. Rules are rules, I missed the 2013 Disney Half Marathon before it sold out, so I ran the 5K instead ... my fault..... I didn't create a fake bib and run.

I haven't had a chance to run Boston yet mainly because the cost to raise the money for the charities is way over my budget. And the way things are I would be paying for pretty much pay that entire amount myself. So yeah no go for me. So I'm trying to get a legit qualifying time. However I always got an impression it was a first come first serve kind of thing with most if not all of the charities if not all not a lottery? Unless Boston is weird and their charities do a lottery for some reason?

 

[RENThead09]

Actually I was looking at running Boston as a charity runner next year.

Current cost for most Charities is that you must raise $5000, but sounds like it is going up again next year.

Most charities have many more applicants than spots, so getting a spot is not actually that easy (as I had hoped LOL).

But where there is demand, the organizers will keep raising prices until the public says enough. That has not happened yet.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Since then I have become even madder as I realize that we will more than likely face changes sometime this fall in the way all large events are held.

Again, this stuff is killing my sport and in no way are we in any less (or more) danger while running. Stupid is as stupid does...