Slow is Ok with Me

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/sports/23marathon.html?em

I didn't even realize that there was a debate going on. But there is. I can understand the frustration of both sides. The slow runners want to participate just the same, but the speedy folks want to be able to differentiate themselves. If both sides get the race shirt, how are we all supposed to know that one person was faster? We aren't. Second place is the first loser anyways, right :)

I don't have a time I am aiming for. I don't have lingering hopes of breaking any sort of records. I want to finish and I want to run most of the time. It is not going to qualify me for the New York or the Boston. But, is that not the point of having marathons for which you must qualify before you can even participate? That makes more sense than saying the slow pokes should not even bother. The elite (ist) can still have their elite marathons and Joe Public can get his race shirt for running the Pocatello Community Marathon (if there is such a thing).