SFTC Discussion Forum

I would say this was the worst race that I have run in a long time. It is very unfair to the runners and cheats them out!!!! Its was all very uncalled for!!
I'm sure that I'm NOT the only one who thinks this!!!

Wow. Trackstar1639, these are pretty scathing comments you have made concerning the Varmint HM. Can you please explain why you feel this way? Thanks.

This race was billed as an epic adventure this year; needless to say the top 11 runners were upset and rightfully so given the circumstances. The race is organized well but given the nature of Burkes Garden this is a very low traffic race so attention details is a must. Charity does a good job but someone needed to be there to ensure runners were directed in the right direction, moreso given the speed they were running that first mile in. The course record would have fallen for sure this year as a majority of the top 5-6 guys there were capable of a 71-72 minute half marathon time on that hilly, muggy course. Some suggestions I would make would be the following:
1.) Have a lead bicycle/ATV to lead runners around the garden to ensure runners are traveling in the right direction and to ward off dogs and stray vehicles.
2.) The race director needs to have an assistant RD since she runs the race; she ran the race this year and when the decision to pick up the misguided runners were made she was not available to make that call and the miscommuniction to the runners picked up vs. her decision caused some heated moments which was unfortunate.
3.) Have more fluid (ice cold water) available at the finish line (having a volunteer handing out bottles to each finisher); Some folks had some issues and about went down and needed something cold to drink or douse of their bodies immediately upon finishing.

The course is epic due to the heat and the hills (most underestimate the course) and the awards and legend of the Varmint make this a unique race. Hopefully the fast guys will come back to the race to give it a go. This was the first year that I can recall since the race's inception in 1994. Upon talking to some folks though, the bluegrass music and shish kabob's are sorely missed. I'd love to see some BBQ or something else catered at the event so folks could eat like they used to in the mid 90's.

Lets see, I don't know how you didn't hear what happened since your a board memeber. If you look at the results an see the winning time was like a slow slow slow pace 7:20 ave per mile.
I was one of the front runners in the race, and there was no one to tell us to turn guess around 1.4 miles. So we went straight ended up on switch backs about 2.5 miles up the side of the mountain. A truck comes out of no where and tells us to get in the truck me an 11 others. The race director was running the half her self, she told the truck to take us to the front of the race. Then afterwards she tells us were are disqualified. It actually ended up being a pretty heated argument because she (race director) sent the truck to get us, told the truck to take us to the front and then wanted to disquualify us. Which was really unfair to us. She she got fed up w/ the argument and said she would give us the prize $ even out of her own pocket or what ever. So Tim Sykes an I waited til after the awards to get the $. We were sitting in chairs in the hall way she had some guy walk up an give us just our race entry back ith 2 cops. Tim was like she(race director) said she was gonna give us the prize $. She came over with the cops and said she wasn't basically all Tim said was you gave us your word that we were getting the prize money an that you word means nothing. Then one of the cops got in his face like nose to nose saying he is getting out of control. She tried to say the turn was marked, but it wasn't, it was marked half way around the turn with small arrows on the very edge of the road that you can't see.
From my personal perspective, not getting that money put me in a huge bind. This is because i just graduated college and haven't started work yet, which starts next month. I now don't have enough $ for rent about 75$ short, and will have to pay a 75$ late charge when I do start working. I only came down for the money in the race because i needed it, and ended up loosing $ because of the hour drive one way.
I will get others to reply on this post, if i can find them, because they aren't in the results from being disqualified. sorry this was so long just wanted to try an give u as much info as i could.
Randy

asicsman
I'm pretty sure the course record would have gone down by atleast me an the two other guys both named tim. Tim smith an Tim sykes we would have probably ran between 1:12-1:14 atleast. I probably won't even be around to run this race again. I'm bout to run for AT&T and there going to get me a job in Colorado Springs so i can train out there.

trackstar, sorry about your bad race.

Since you went off course, how do you feel it justified to feel prize money should be awarded to any of those who went off course? I would think that the awards would go to who finished the actual course as described.

Had a similar experience in another area race, where the turn was marked and the bike leading the race led us the wrong way...very frustrating since it added some distance and caused some results to be skewed since it caused the race to be run 2 different ways.

bubbarock
Ok I see it from your perspective, that we didn't run the same course. I look at it like this, then why should all the top runners get punished for somewthing that is in no way there fault?
Its not like the race would have even been close, me an the other top 2 guys would have been over 20 mins faster even on the same course than the guy who won.
I also look at it like this, the guy who got the $ just gave it away, so he didn't need it, he wasn't expecting to win any money. So really he wouldn't have even cared if he didn't get the $.
I really needed that $ to pay rent, an now will have to pay a 75$ late charge because of that.
Maybe the race director should have had the turn properly marked an w/ atleast a bike leading the way. I mean if this race was ultra competitive an we wouldn't have known who would have been top 3 then I could understand, but we ALL knew who the top 3 would have been easily.
O well crap happens, I'm sure when I start working in Colorado in a 3 or 4 weeks an making decent money, I won't care what happened at the race. Still if something like this happens there needs to be some fair way of fixing it. An I"m glad they put $ in the race, because there's not enought money races in the area, or any where really.
I hope this was a good enough reply of my opinion.