The ugly side of the London Marathon 2019 #NotInclusive

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Wombling Plodder (Welsh Womble) Apr 2019 1:41pm, 30 Apr 2019 2,638 posts	0 Wombling Plodder (Welsh Womble) Not everyone is a speedy one, some of us are slow and proud, and I was encouraged when I saw that London Marathon had official pacers at 7:00 and 7:30 #Inclusive . I realise that every event needs a cut off point but how marathoners were treated at London on Sunday was awful - the official pacer was on track for 7:30 and beat that time. Where was the contingency plan for taking longer to get over the start line. Why put in pacers for +7 when you are going to treat everyone this way. As for some of the clean up teams and their behaviour / actions - I am speechless, well I am not but I can't find the right words to form a sentence without putting lots of expletives in. The story of an official pacer: facebook.com
minardi Apr 2019 2:00pm, 30 Apr 2019 4,634 posts	0 minardi I saw this earlier and thought it was just unbelievably cruel
geordiegirl Apr 2019 2:13pm, 30 Apr 2019 8,796 posts	0 geordiegirl Just read the thread on FB, OMG I am horrified. 7.5hr cut off is not that long given it is a marathon for anyone to do. That really upset me. Those people who are at the back, not top athletes but out there performing the same race as elites to be treat like that is horrendous. VLM (& other races if they take the same stance) should be ashamed of themselves. Wonder if we can get any traction on this from the elites? How can people become marathon runners if they are not encouraged when they try? To make the start line is an amazing victory. Confidence at the back can be low (speaking from experience, I am a back of the pack runner) and to be treat this way will only destroy that further - a few will be spurred on to say xxx you, but not all. I get the need for cut offs, but if you are within a cut off window you deserve to be supported and encouraged the whole way round. And not calling the pacer a liar and not allowing the extra time it took to get them across the start line through no fault of their own to be added. I am so angry right now.
Autumnleaves Apr 2019 2:17pm, 30 Apr 2019 13,548 posts	0 Autumnleaves Thank you for the link - I had heard about this but not read the account. Just dreadful - as you say WW, if you are going to have pacers for those times then they and their runners should be treated with respect. Just awful.
Neal Apr 2019 2:37pm, 30 Apr 2019 17 posts	0 Neal I'm really surprised that there isn't a "broom wagon" type vehicle at the back of the race, separating the competitors from the utility vehicles etc and making sure that anyone who isn't keeping up with it is outside the cut off time.
Rosehip Apr 2019 3:29pm, 30 Apr 2019 12,393 posts	0 Rosehip There was a lines remover then a road sweeper or two, then a car with a clock followed by a bus then more sweepers and dismantlers. We saw them at 13 and a bit - I’m guessing not before 3pm?? But it might have been earlier- I don’t think so. We did comment there were more vehicles that early and more people caught up amongst them than usual Someone I was tracking finishobang on 8 hours, but he came through halfway in 3 hours at 13.35 think there was a miss match between sweeping based on gun and actual start times
HappyG(rrr) Apr 2019 3:34pm, 30 Apr 2019 31,219 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) That's pretty horrendous. Feel very sorry for those caught up in this. VMLM need to respond and to assure it will be rectified for future events. Grrr.
Wombling Plodder (Welsh Womble) Apr 2019 5:15pm, 30 Apr 2019 2,639 posts	0 Wombling Plodder (Welsh Womble) someone has posted up the official pacer timings/gun time against the VLM stages for opening the roads and the pacer was within them
Surrey Phil Apr 2019 6:20pm, 30 Apr 2019 2,983 posts	0 Surrey Phil The crux of the matter is if you have a slow pace group then the organisers must stick to it. Terrible treatment for someone there to assist slower participants, and the removal of timing mats and water stations is something else!
Corrah Apr 2019 6:29pm, 30 Apr 2019 4,547 posts	0 Corrah I did wonder as someone was trying to say that the pacer had not read the instructions properly. I have been at the back before but never treated badly and have taken at least that long to complete.