Yesterday was a long day, there were strong winds on the bike and very hot temps on the run, so everyone was not doing great on the run. But we all ran the course, or least most of us did.
On the run section, there was one section that is a down and back, and it is the one portion of the run I always dread. It is hot and there is no shade and it seems to go on forever! So I had gone around the turnaround point and was heading back to the hotel. Once you make the turn, you can see the runners coming towards you as you are running. I was just passing mile 4 when I saw this guy running towards me when he cut across the entire road to my side and went to the shoulder and started stretching. I yelled to him "You OK?" and he said something about he was just cramping. Maybe it is because of my job, but I instantly thought that what he did wasn't right. I mean why would he cross the road to stretch when he could have stretched on his side?
Like I said, it was hot, so I decided I needed to walk to the next cone, when I look to my right and there is the guy. Running right besides me! So I said "Feeling better?" and he tells me again it was just cramps. My reply was simply, "you cut the course, I saw you run from other side of the road to the shoulder" He then claimed that he was running as a relay, which made no sense. I told him that relays went the same 6.2 miles as everyone else. His next reply was "I don't have to explain anything to you". My only reply was simply, "no you don't but you also have to know that you cheated and I hope you can sleep at night" Great comeback huh?
That incident helped fuel my last 2 miles, as I was pissed at this guy. After I finished, I talked it over with a friend of mine, and then I went and found a race official and told him what happened. Now, according to the official results, this
Somedays you just don't have it. I get that, but do not cheat someone out of a spot because you decide to cut the course. Run the race, get what you earn!
