Marathons and other extreme sports

Two days ago we had our annual marathon here in Chicago. Although many the 45,000 + people from all over the world who participate in the Chicago Marathon consider it their favorite one, the one last Sunday was considered a major fiasco. Normally that day the temperature is in the mid 50s Farenheit. Last Sunday's temperature averaged 89 Farenheit and water quickly ran out, people were dropping like flies all over downtown, and hundreds of runners were hospitalized. Officials called off the marathon around 3.5 hours into the race.

Of course people are now pointing fingers and playing the blame game here. But something some malcontent caller said during a call-in radio show caught my attention... He placed most of the blame on the runners themselves. He said people who do these extreme activities (he included skydiving, rock and mountain climbing) are not only idiots, but they must be very insecure people who need to prove something. They are selfish because if somthing happens to them, they exhaust rescue personell and cause hardship to their families if they are injured or killed. Finally, he said these activities are there merely for people to have something to brag about around the water cooler- these "endeavors" do nothing to progress humanity like curing cancer or inventing something would (to be fair though, I know that many people who participate in these activities are very successful and contributing people in other areas in their life... many happen to be very accomplished businesspeople, engineers, and doctors)

As someone who did 4 marathons in the past (although I run a few times each week, I stopped doing marathons a few years ago when there was a death during a marathon I was running... not only did the experience break my heart, but made me realized I was pushing my luck) , I could have easily taken offense to this man's remarks. But I was wondering why do so many people in the western world love marathons, or climbing Mt. Everest, or bungee jumping in Queenstown, NZ? Does this reflect some type of boredom or insecurity we have? Do you have admiration, scorn, or indifference to those who do these activities? Finally, does anyone here do any extreme activity (marathons, Mt. Everest, etc)?

chi-town

grr, I wrote a repsonse, but when i sent it i was told there were server problems (as keeps happening for me today with TT).

in a nutshell i said-
1-it's the race coordinators and racers who are repsonsible for health, not just the race. if you're running it's your job to make sure you have ample supplies and the weather wasn't a surprise the higher than normal temps were expected for over a week.
2-it's not just one culture who wants to push limits- all do. it's, most likely, part of human nature. Whether it's learning, extreme sports, traveling etc. They all have some value to some people and push some limit (personal or cultural). One person might find it amazing that someone can run 26.2 while another might find it amazing that someone would want to go to Germany. People do it to test themselves, feel a sense of accomplishment and self-worth, or just for entertainment or fun. There's a myriad of reasons and it varies person to person.

I most recently ran the Chicago marathon last year, when the temprature was around 3 degrees (Celsius), gusting, and threatening to rain/sleet. Despite the challenges, I'd prefer that any day to the hot, humid conditions the runners faced on Sunday in the Windy City. Last year I left with the impression that the race was to be held earlier in October, 2007 to avoid such wintery weather. This year the race organizers certainly accomplished that goal, although in Chicago one never knows what the weather will bring!

I guess you can't blame the organizers for the runners who are getting sick. How about if the runners use their brains for a change. How about thinking oh the weather is way too hot for me run? Gee.

I love that attitude... which is basically:

I've personally decided exactly how much risk is permissible in life, and anyone who takes slightly more is an idiot.

Does this person drive? They’d be horrified to learn how risky it is, and how automobile drivers overwhelm rescue personnel daily…. And, plus, the sedentary lifestyle of drivers leads to other problems later on.

As a percentage, training for a marathon adds an infinitesimal amount of risk to a life we pretend isn’t inherently risky. Plus, the health benefits counteract a lot of other risks.

Although, I heard from someone running, that there were no liquids for the first 6 miles. There is no excuse for that.

Agreeing with thefirelane: "extreme" is a matter of perspective. Ultra-marathoners strike me as extreme--you know, the folks who need to eat *while* running 6+ hours just to keep going another 30-100 km or so? But they also have my respect.

You missed something extreme of all -- THE IRON MAN (3.5kms swimming + 180 kms biking & 42 kms running)

I would say your statement is true to some extent but not always. This is because a few people get extremely bored with their routine job & leading a normal life To get oneself self motivated to do such extreme sport is not easy. A lot of perseverance and commitment is needed. I respect them for that. It is not easy!!!

... and one person died.

people die all the time.
i know that's harsh, but it's true.
you can die in your sleep, you can die walking out your front door.

You shouldn't blame the race organizers for it.

as for the water station issue. I had a friend that ran and she was fine and said it was set up similar to last year and was in line with how marathons are traditionally set up (there isn't a standard, but in general water stations are around the same areas/distances in every race).

Are you talking to me, buddy?

I do free climbing and I check my harnesses and my ropes multiple times before I climb. I just don't climb and hope for the best.

it is the runners and the organisers responsibilty to ensure they are OK. I ran a marathon last year. It was my first, and while it was not hot, it was (predictably) a bloody long way. I had however done months of training for this and knew what to do when, how much and when to drink for different conditions.

I have no idea if the people who died in Chicago were not prepared - their fault,
Were not given enough water stop opportunities - race organisers fault, or
had pre existing, but unknown heart problems - unlucky

An extreme activity only becomes stupid when it is poorly prepared for and risks not considered.

I didn't. I was just completing the information given.

oh, okay. sorry Kay.

Runners who die during a marathon mostly had an unrecognised cardiovascular disease- everyone running a marathon should get a cardiovascular checkup before he begins to train, and only run when in good health. (as well if you don't feel well the day of the race, if you have not trained enough, if you are not used to running at high temperatures...).
An unfit runner might need medical help and won't finish the race (bad enough), but most likely will not die from exhaust. If you count the x-thousands of runners every year, a couple of deaths (as tragic as it might be for those involved), is no reason to condemn the marathon. How many people die in bed, how many people die during sex form exhaust, how many people die because they are NOT doing any sports? What about the thousands of injuries from skiing every year?
I read the reports about Chicago Marathon- they shut down the race for everyone who had not passed 21k after 3.5 hrs - well 3.5 hrs for 21k is a speed where I strongly would discourage to continue "running" anyhow. In a German race, they normally shut down the race after 6 hours, and everyone who has not finished the 42k until then won't get his time recorded and won't get a medal.
The stupid ones are those running without proper training, those who run despite being injured or sick. The marathon IS hard for your body, but if you're in good health and well prepared, there is nothing against running one or 2 per year. (btw I've only done half marathons so far)

I wouldn't consider running a marathon extreme...ultra marathoners - now that is extreme. I have done a few triathlons in my life but have never pushed myself to the point of actually hurting myself. I think any 'extreme' sport has risks but, so do other non extreme things (like riding a bike in Boston). I find it personally irresponsible to not know your limits. I cannot tell you how many times I have been on quite difficult ski trails and had to coax people down the mountain because they got themselves onto a trail that was way beyond their limitations. I think the average Joe who goes out and does his first marathon has probably not done any other kind of extreme exercise and maybe they haven't done enough preparation and just don't know their limits. OK, I'm starting to ramble.

I guess what I'm trying to say is 'Know your limits before you attempt the risky endeavors'.

Due to a pre-existing heart condition. At least get the facts straight.


Urrrrmm... Isn't the whole point of free climbing to not use ropes and harnesses? Hence the word "free"...

I did: one person died. It's a fact.

Nope, I was more referring to the caller of the show mentioned.

Also, for extreme... remember: Ultra Marathon technically means anything over 26.2 miles, which I think is a pretty sweet loop-hole. Who wants to hold a 26.3 mile ULTRA MARATHON! with me?

The Twin Cities Marathon was also held last Sunday, and was one degree Fahrenheit from being called off for heat and humidity. We're about 7 hours' drive north of Chicago!

I do believe that for many people who run marathons, it's the challenge that attracts them first. But marathons are getting more and more popular, and people look for greater challenges.

My brother-in-law, Dan, is an Ironman several times over. He has done conventional Ironman races, but he's such a nut that if he can't find one to do on hand, he'll just come up with one himself. He's in the Army and was posted in Saudi Arabia last year. There's no Ironman Riyadh competition, so he and a couple of buddies did an Ironman on their own, running the track at the base, biking round and round the inside of the compound walls, and swimming in the base pool. To top that, it was too hot to do during the day, so they did it overnight. And for no t-shirt at the end.

In his case, I think part of his motivation is genetic. His family is kind of wild; his older brother was a race-car driver who died when Dan was young. Dan has taken this impulse and is doing something constructive with it, so you've got to hand it to him, IMHO.

The organizers of the race absolutely, positively ARE to blame. One cannot carry around a cooler of water during a marathon to ensure proper hydration. All marathons provide water for the runners, and if there were not a sufficient number of water stops organized for the event given the high temperature, it's the fault of the organizers and noone else.

IPJ- you don't need a cooler full of water. you also need more electolytes, not just water. many runners will carry some water or gels that help. it's also up to the runners to be well hydrated in advance (to properly do this it requires more than a day or two of drinking lots of fluids)

Everyone is welcome to an opinion, so i'm not arguing opinions here. I do know from friends who ran the race and also personally running marathons in warm conditions- it's possible and you are responsible for your own safety. if you feel like you're bonking, getting sick, or unsafe it's up to you to stop.

Yes, of course this is true, but the issue was the temperature and an insufficient water supply, not hundreds of people neglecting electrolytes. If that was the case, they'd have had issues regardless of the temperature.

I had the misfortune of accidentally driving into the "belly of the beast" Sunday. I forgot about the Marathon and ended up driving straight into the downtown area. It was mayhem. Ambulances everywhere. Madness.

I think it'll be interesting to see how this affects Chicago's bid for the Olympics.

If we (soon to be they...heh heh) don't get it, man, Mayor Daley is going to be miffed.

From BBC Online: Chicago shrugs off marathon mess

It is especially surprising that they ran out of water when some 10,000 of the 45,000 registrants did not run (many presumably because of the weather).

Aww...I think it's cute that they think that.