A Runner’s Dilemma
By: Justin O'Brien
There was recently a controversy surrounding the Via (Lehigh Valley) Marathon, the Boston Marathon and a runner who used the former to qualify for the latter. Members of the running community likely know the story, and it has certainly begun drifting into the mainstream. For those who haven’t heard, here is a good summary from Runner’s World. A far more extensive recap can be found in a 4500+ post letsrun.com message board thread. Here's a very short version of the story: a man may or may not have cheated at Via to get a Boston Qualifier. Via has announced that they have no plans to disqualify the runner despite a great deal of circumstantial evidence that he did, in fact, cheat to run a faster time. I recommend reading the article linked above for all the details.
The recent announcement allowing the man's time to stand has set off a powder keg of emotion directed at the Via Marathon. The race’s Facebook page has been inundated with posts criticizing the race director for the decision. People are calling for a boycott and for the race to lose its Boston Qualifier status. It's important to note that Via has a unique distinction of being contested on the last day in which times are accepted for the upcoming Boston Marathon, making it a popular race for runners looking for one last chance at qualifying for America’s most famous race. This reason, along with its proximity to home and its relative ease as a marathon course (200+ foot elevation drop!) led me to choose Via Marathon as the race to make my first appearance at the 26.2 mile distance.
Which leads to my aforementioned dilemma. There are several things to consider: Are criticisms of the race fair? Is it a race that will seemingly allow cheating despite overwhelming evidence against the runner? Do I want to support a race director who won’t go the extra mile to preserve the integrity of his event? Ultimately, all these questions boil down to one very important one for me: Should I still run the race?
When I decided to run a marathon, I needed to choose the right run to fit into my schedule. The plan was to attempt to qualify for Boston, so I needed to choose a race that happened before the cutoff, yet gave me ample time to train for the longer distance. The race also needed to fit into my busy racing schedule, allowing me time after the race to recover, as well as not interfere with races I planned on doing throughout the year. The Via Marathon fit nicely into my plan, as well as having the advantage of starting less than a half hour from my house. Via it was. Less than a week after my registration, the story of the runner potentially cheating broke. Less than a month later, the announcement that he would not be disqualified was made.
The race FAQs state that no refunds are permitted. However, it is heavily advertised as the second fastest Boston Qualifying (BQ) marathon in the country. The amount of people who achieve a BQ time at this race is one of the main draws, and they use that fact to promote the race. The loss of its BQ status, which is being called for by many “internet guys” removes one of the few draws this race has. If the race loses its BQ status, I feel that I would have no choice but to ask for a full refund on the grounds of the race not delivering its advertised perks. And it there is real danger of this happening. This very question has been posed on the race’s Facebook page and remains conspicuously unanswered several days after posting. If this were to happen, then what would I do? My race and workout schedule are pretty much set through early September. How difficult would it be to find another race? Would Via even give me a refund? It does explicitly state that there are none. Money aside-- I’ve built my entire racing and training schedule around this race with the explicit goal of getting to Boston. If qualifying isn’t an option, then what? I would probably feel pretty lost and angry through no fault of my own.
Then there is the ultimate question of, even if the race goes on as a BQ, even if they add measures to prevent cheating (the race says they are adding six intermediate timing mats to the route), should I run? The online running community is making it out that running this race would be akin to crossing a picket line as a scab. “Running this race is supporting cheating," they claim. There are numerous posts on Via’s Facebook page made by people saying they thought of running the race, but definitely are not now as a result of this scandal.
The Via Marathon is a fundraiser which raises money for the Via of the Lehigh Valley which “is a non-profit agency that provides services for children and adults with disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.” It is not the BAA hosting a giant race with resources to police the entire course to watch out for cheaters. It's clearly a lower key marathon race to raise money for a good cause. It is likely that due to the man who (potentially) cheated his way through the event, that the event will raise significantly less money than in past years. If 100 fewer runners show up for boycotting reasons, that’s over $10,000 fewer dollars going to charity. In addition, the new protocols to prevent future cheating are estimated to cost between $7,000 and $10,000. So to the runner who probably cheated his way to Boston, I hope you enjoyed the experience, because a great charity is suffering because you wanted to take shortcuts in life. As for me, as long as the BQ stays in place, I’ll be there, trying to accomplish the same goal you had. I want to run in Boston in 2016. But I’m going to do it the old fashioned way, the correct way. One step at a time.
Justin O’Brien
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