The problem with elitism

ORN: Running later tonight, finally recovered. It will be hamster, and easy, but I will once again be lacing up my running shoes.

During some daily surfing, I followed some linkage to this post. After reading it, I decided to hunt down the various posts and stories which had spawned it. To spare any but the curious the time, I will attempt to condense the whole affair:

• Coverage of the Walt Disney marathon sucks, devoting almost as much space to this man as it did to the winner of the men's masters division.
• Some people complain about the coverage (understandably so), and slam the slow-paced results of the hapless runner above.
• Hapless runner responds, defending himself poorly and mentions that he got a grant (which few runners are lucky enough to recieve - I'd love to pick up some free running gear, with someone else picking up the tab.)
• Whole affair can be summed up with "I'd rather be a snob than a lemming."

Okay, I'll admit that anything that happens at the Happiest Most Expensive Place on Earth is going to be more a money-making scheme than a competitive race. Disney, which no one has ever accused of missing a chance to make money, has realized (correctly) that a less-competitive race will draw more people, who will bring their families, stay for a week, and eat hamburgers for $6 each, while slurping from $4 cups. So, consequently, news coverage of the event isn't going to be of the highest calibre.

And, I will concede that the article was poorly worded. The winners should have been all listed together, and then a bridge (along the lines of "The Disney marathon also attracts more casual runners, such as . . . ") linking the results of a few casual runners.

So, why do I think that it is a bad thing (in general) to slam the efforts of slow runners? Aside from being one (more below), anything which inspires more people to get out and get moving is a good thing, for running and for the population in general. I will readily concede that Hapless Runner (he knows who he is) defended himself poorly. But the point remains that even the efforts of the slow should be recognized - not everyone can run a marathon in three hours or less. That doesn't mean that they shouldn't try.

After all, when I am coming in on the finish line, pushing as hard as I can, heart pumping, head down and as close to a sprint as I can manage, I am not competing for first. Or second. Or third, or even three hundred. I'm competing against someone else for that coveted 1122 spot in a 10,000 person field. If I don't get 1122, and wind up with 1124, there is no difference. It doesn't determine if I get a trophy, or a medal, or recognition. But it matters to me, and so, I fight for that place.

As I said above, I'm not a fast runner. I probably never will be. When I was six, I got hit by a car, and suffered a compound-complex spiral fracture. The easiest way to get an equivalent fracture is to clamp down your leg, just above the ankle and just below the knee, so that your leg is immobilized. (The knee clamp should be a little looser - your knee will need to move for this demonstration.) Now, attach a suitable large pipe wrench to your shin, about halfway between the two clamps. Get it good and tight; really grip those bones. Now - spin that pipe wrench around. Snap that shin in a couple places, and wrench themuscles from the leg. Your knee should rip across the back - that's expected. Make sure the fractured bones of the shin poke through the flesh, and be sure to crush a lot of blood vessels.

Originally, they were talking about amputation. Then, it got upgraded to "keeping the limb, but don't expect much," and finally to "hopefully he can run, though he probably won't." I can (and do) run, but my knee and lower leg are basically rebuilt. My shin has almost no tactile sensation, and I generally am aware of a problem only when it's past the "gentle warning" stage, and goes all the way to "potentially crippling injury" stage. The simple act of standing, if I take stock, has a nice, gentle, low-grade pain coming from my knee at all times. Walking hurts, though not much worse. Running hurts too - but I managed cross-country in high school (never well - I couldn't break 18 for three miles), and run now.

I'm not asking for praises - but it would be nice if some of the elites could simply say "Good effort" and leave it at that. No snarky comments, no guffaws, no laughter as those of us in the middle, back (or even those of us who manage 106/568 in our age/gender division).