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Mar 2021
9:36pm, 13 Mar 2021
33,573 posts
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SPR
You're not reading that correctly, 800 and up is one limit (25mm), under 800 is another (20mm). The Adios 4 is fine for 800.
I know you're joking but I'm pretty sure any officials looking at this will be looking at potential height violations and all the fly versions would stand out.
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Mar 2021
9:47pm, 14 Mar 2021
13,753 posts
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larkim
I'd be genuinely impressed if any track officials wanted to wrench my shoes off my feet after I finish 7th in 10:52 in a local league 3000m to then measured my shoes with the accurately calibrated equipment theyd need to do the job properly  Just as they don't check me for EPO...
Good point about the chart, I'd missed the "not including" reference to 800m. Though I can't believe Adiós 4 would really confer a benefit over 400m compared to spikes!
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Mar 2021
9:55pm, 14 Mar 2021
318 posts
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anthonyj89
larkim you'd be surprised.
Things that have happened at the Southern Athletics League / BAL fixtures I've competed at:
GPS watches were confiscated at the start of my 5000m, else officials would disqualify. They were not even against the rules.
Teammate disqualified for wearing a HRM during a steeplechase, they caught him when he was warming down topless. He came last.
At my second ever track race, the track judge said he was 'itching to disqualify a distance runner' as he was yet to collect that badge. He looked very closely at everyone's feet on the line.
Officials would 100% get the ruler out on peoples shoes.
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Mar 2021
11:10pm, 14 Mar 2021
33,575 posts
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SPR
They wouldn't need to get the ruler out for a fly version, they are visibly over the limit.
Just because you think you're 'slow', doesn't mean you aren't faster with them.
It's not about whether the Adios confer benefit, it's about having rules that limit the space for future benefits in shoes on track. Stack height is the easy way to do that.
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Mar 2021
4:54am, 15 Mar 2021
13,754 posts
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larkim
They're definitely not quite so officious up here, at least not in the local league events we tend to do. I'm not doubting that there is an impact at my pace; otherwise why would I be thinking of wearing them vs my normal training shoes, just that i can't see them bothering!
Now, perhaps the runner behind me who is a bit of a "geek" about this sort of stuff might "have a word" with the officials post race, I can see that scenario being played out across the country quite readily, forcing local leagues to declare a higher level of vigilance, perhaps.
It does sound like Anthony's lot are exactly the sort that get officials a bad repuation though! The closest I've got to an argument about rules has been the "coaching within the competition area" rule when an official was trying to stop a coach in the crowd from shouting splits to their runner on the track. Entirely legal from the stands, despite what the official "believed" to be the rules!
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Mar 2021
6:45am, 15 Mar 2021
33,576 posts
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SPR
The UKA have essentially announced a higher level of vigilance. I don't really think there's any grounds for calling officials officious for enforcing a rule that stops you gaining an advantage you're trying to gain. Quite different from the scenarios Anthony has described.
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Mar 2021
6:59am, 15 Mar 2021
13,755 posts
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larkim
Yes, perhaps I'm being a bit unfair on the officials with that term. In the end, they can only enforce the rules as they are and shouldn't be criticised for it.
I think what I really mean is that I can't see the officials that I know being interested in policing the rules in races which really don't matter and for participants for whom nothing of importance arises. County champs, BMC races, BAL fixtures; fair enough I'm sure they would. Cheshire T&F League? I doubt it, unless someone at the sharp end complains.
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Mar 2021
7:20am, 15 Mar 2021
33,577 posts
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SPR
T&F Leagues are about racing though and that's precisely where fairness matters regardless of the level.
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Mar 2021
8:54am, 15 Mar 2021
13,756 posts
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larkim
True, true, but I'm rarely closer than 100m to the next competitor, hence my slightly dismissive attitude. Plus our club regularly places 14th out of 15 so we "don't matter"!
As I say, knowing our local league they probably will be fairly relaxed about it, and I will play by the rules anyway; I'd prefer the Adios 4 or my spikes on the track anyway - and probably default to the spikes because they are "proper".
It's those (e.g. my wife) who wouldn't have more than one pair of trainers that might get caught out and who are really and truly taking part for the "fun" of it.
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Mar 2021
9:58am, 15 Mar 2021
33,578 posts
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SPR
I think that's probably one of the main issues. Now it's not so simple for road runners that want to try track. There are shoes that will break the rules which are actually a disadvantage on track but that's the downside of a simple rule to limit tech rather than a complex one that tries to remove it somehow.
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