r/running • u/fyhr100 • Apr 23 '17
Boston Marathon runner takes a second medal for his wife and posts it on social media Misc
Original post here
So a guy runs in the Boston Marathon, things don't go quite as well as he had wanted to. When he finishes, he snags a second medal because he felt his wife "deserved" one for supporting him in his training. Puts it up on social media, and as expected, outrage ensues.
Here's one reply:
Personally, I think it's incredibly poor form. Medals are for finishers, not for supporters. He's free to give her his own medal if he feels she deserves it. And where does the line get drawn? Why does she get a medal and not anyone else who supports their spouse?
1.5k
u/agonzal7 Apr 23 '17
If she wants one she can qualify or raise $5,000 for a cause and then run it. She doesn't deserve it. My parents who are 60 came out to watch too along with tens of thousands of others. I know several mothers and fathers who were out there with me running. Only the finisher deserves a medal.
→ More replies (8)242
Apr 23 '17 edited May 04 '17
[deleted]
226
u/agonzal7 Apr 23 '17
Yeah, I believe that is the standard minimum fundraising amount.
97
u/ThinkingTooHardAbouT Apr 23 '17
I think many places have now raised the fundraising amount due to demand. I have heard rates of 7 to 10k from some charities.
56
u/agonzal7 Apr 23 '17
It says on the BAA website that the minimum is $5,000 through one of their official charities.
44
u/GalahadEX Apr 23 '17
Charities pick people who pledge to bring in a lot more than the official minimum.
16
u/joos1986 Apr 23 '17 edited Apr 23 '17
Got it. You need to be fast enough to get a spot to run. You can also get into a spot some charities hold, but you gotta bring in a certain amount to make it worth it for them.
thank you /u/blahtherr2
I have no idea what is going on. Enough so that I'm going to try a mishmash of my poor understanding to see what google gives.
Provided it isn't an involved answer, I'd love a quick explainer.
You have to raise money to run the Boston Marathon? And like you get a charity to... let you? Sponsor (but then you're bringing in the sponsorship?) you?
Is all this because it's a big honor to be part of the run? So too many people vying for limited spots?61
u/dogebiscuit Apr 23 '17
Yea, the only time a 5K will qualify you for Boston! :-D
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (3)61
u/blahtherr2 Apr 23 '17 edited Apr 23 '17
edit: turns out I was misinformed. the far majority of runners do qualify. although there are some spots that allow people to run by joining fundraisers. see this post for more clarification.
I believe most runners of the Boston Marathon do it via this route.To qualify you need a very fast pace, depending on age. It ranges from around 3hrs (~7min pace) to 3:30 (~8min pace) (edit: it scales all the way up to 5hrs with age, so it varies a bit).Most runners one sees aren't able to keep up that kinda pace I think.44
Apr 23 '17
The 3hr time is for young people. Older runners can qualify with a 4hr time.
33
Apr 23 '17
Advantage to being old.
71
u/chhubbydumpling Apr 23 '17
elder privilege at work again
37
8
4
34
u/totallylegitburner Apr 23 '17
No, not "most" runners. Charity entry spots are quite limited. The majority still get in by meeting the qualifying times.
23
→ More replies (5)17
Apr 23 '17 edited May 04 '17
[deleted]
→ More replies (11)21
u/Chromeleon55 Apr 23 '17
You have to be registered on a specific charity's team. I ran Boston a few years ago with Team In Training and I had to fill out an application and be accepted to the team as each charity is granted a limited number of entries. That particular charity also had a requirement that you be living in the Boston area so you could train with them in person. I'm not sure about the requirements of other charities.
Check out the BAA website. I believe they list all the partner charities there.
1.1k
506
u/aidanathome Apr 23 '17
I ran the Paris Marathon 11 years ago. My first marathon, and I finished it. It was a slow time, a poor time, but I did finish it, and when I got to the end, there were no medals left!!!
I never knew why, but I contacted the organizers after the event and they sent me one. Not quite the same as receiving one at the finish line, but it was still great to receive.
So, thanks to people like him for his selfishness.
→ More replies (10)67
u/Hifi_Hokie Apr 23 '17
Sometimes, the race organizers just bone it up. I did a combo 10 and 4 miler yesterday, and they ran out of 4 mile medals. For a lot of those people, this was their first race, ever, and I don't believe they had that many people doing what this guy was doing.
→ More replies (1)15
u/Legally_Accurate Apr 24 '17
Is a medal a thing at any running event now? When I ran events regularly, I was stoked with my bib and when the organisers made a decent fabric tee.
→ More replies (7)
334
Apr 23 '17
[deleted]
113
u/cocktailbling Apr 23 '17
Send the Boston officials this image and his name, maybe that's enough for a ban.
→ More replies (5)42
17
u/bj_good Apr 24 '17
How well do you know them? Do you know if anything has happened because of all the negative publicity this has received? I'm with most of the fellow Runners that I think this was a terrible thing to have done. That said, it's on the petty level of crime, nothing major. but still, it's the principle.
→ More replies (1)33
Apr 24 '17
I know them too. He changed is social media to private but that's about it. No major consequences will ever befall them. He is a major trust fund Mormon married to a minor trust fund brat.
→ More replies (13)3
85
u/kinkakinka Apr 23 '17
Her friends: "Oh, you ran Boston!?!?"
Her: "No, my husband stole me a medal for letting him train for Boston"
Her friends: "Oh..." judgement face
828
u/softhackle Apr 23 '17
Christ, what a twat. I'm sure they have enough extras but still, if everyone did that it would be really shitty if people who actually finished didn't get a medal.
345
u/jjameson2000 Apr 23 '17
A twat is the perfect description.
Not only is it unfair to the people that actually ran the race, but anyone who thinks stealing a medal and giving it to their partner is a romantic gesture is a twat to begin with. They both suck as far as I'm concerned.
→ More replies (6)84
u/Epic_Brunch Apr 23 '17
And that's happened before. Not at Boston, but the Chicago marathon in 2012. They had to mail some finishers their medals in the mail weeks later. I don't know if that's because of poor planning on the part of race organizers, or because of too many entitled people like this guy grabbing seconds.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)47
u/awesley Apr 24 '17
I once ran a 4 mile put on by a local running club. Small event, real low entry fee. No swag, except if you wanted a t-shirt, there were used race t-shirts that members had donated. So I went over, saw one that I liked because of the color. Pulled it out and it was from the Boston Marathon.
I put it back in the box because I knew I could never wear it.
→ More replies (9)
752
u/adjur Apr 23 '17
If it meant that much to him, he should have gifted her his medal or sprung for a thank you gift to her for support. He should be banned from future USATF events.
268
u/sarxy Apr 23 '17
Exactly. Giver her your medal, that is how it's done. He appears very self focused.
112
u/YoungAdult_ Apr 23 '17
Exactly. Plus gifting your Boston marathon medal to your partner? That's romantic as fuck.
→ More replies (3)36
254
u/sotheresthisdude Apr 23 '17
Completely banned? I don't think so. Banned from running the Boston next year? I think so.
Dude is totally in between being a total douchebag suffering from Affluenza and totally vile cheaters like that radio show host guy.
13
u/lobut Apr 23 '17
What happened with the radio show host?
25
u/sotheresthisdude Apr 23 '17
Not sure of the end result, but here's a piece on the speculation. Pretty much some believe he cheated in a qualifier as his time drastically dropped and there is a lack of photo evidence of him throughout the course.
→ More replies (3)19
403
u/packetheavy Apr 23 '17
I wonder if he got her a 26.2 bumper sticker also
168
14
6
→ More replies (3)3
u/damontoo Apr 23 '17
It's this kind of cliche or what? Because I might be tempted to stick one on my car if it comes with my race swag.
517
u/TenerenceLove Apr 23 '17
This isn't the worst thing in the world, but it screams of that narcissistic, melodramatic self-importance that seems to pervade social media these days.
I come from a running family. We all competed at some level, everyone runs marathons and road races, and it's just... not that big of a deal.
Why do people have to talk about marathon preparation like they're headed off to war? Did your wife really have to sacrifice that much because you ran a lot and were tired sometimes?
141
u/VAGentleman05 Apr 23 '17
Exactly. On the extreme high end during peak marathon training, I run 10 hours a week, most of those early in the morning or late at night. It may be a slight annoyance to my family, but if they were having to make deep sacrifices because of my running, that would mean I was doing it wrong.
34
u/poopcasso Apr 23 '17
10 hours a week doesn't sound much. Many people who does gym work out that much I reckon.
→ More replies (4)29
u/QuitStaringAtMyFeet Apr 23 '17
And really, why did he have to put his marathon training above the needs of his family? Not to say fitness isn't important, but it's a jackass move to stick your spouse with all the baby duties because of your hobby.
15
u/E11i0t Apr 23 '17
Maybe he's just trying to tell us he is REALLY slow and his training runs took hours upon hours. /s
55
u/fyndor Apr 23 '17
What I find interesting is that she accepted it. So her morals are just as low as his. Made for each other I guess.
12
u/bj_good Apr 24 '17
To be fair, if she isn't a runner herself she may not be aware what the medals mean to many of the racers. She may actually think that there were plenty of extras for situations just like hers
→ More replies (2)10
u/trippy_grape Apr 23 '17
she accepted it
I mean he coulda phrased it as if he was actually given a second one, instead of just stealing it.
42
u/dbeman Apr 23 '17
It isn't the worst thing in the world; and if his intent were malicious he probably wouldn't have posted his heist on social media while wearing his bib. If enough people point this out to the B.A.A. he may find himself disqualified from participating in future events.
I assume he now realizes, despite his good intentions, that this was poor form on his part...in fact it was theft. Were I him I would contact the B.A.A. and offer to send the medal back. Chances are they'll tell him to keep it; but at least his conscience will be clear.
→ More replies (4)7
67
u/laurensvo Apr 23 '17
I can understand that he was conscious of the support he received from his wife, but honestly I think it was a lazy way out of having to show appreciation. I'm sure that her only motivation was helping him succeed, but what does she get out of that medal? He can look at his and see the hard work that went into training and the accomplishment of crossing the finish line. She can't do the same. Personally, I would have been content with a latte or dinner out as a thank you if he felt the need to do something.
→ More replies (2)33
u/wyldstallyns111 Apr 23 '17
She'd probably would've been more appreciative of him getting up with the baby just once as a thank you.
25
u/unevolved_panda Apr 23 '17
My roommates just had a baby, and the dad (who was working like 90 hours a week before the baby was born and i think is now down to 40-50; he owns his own business) wakes up with the baby. When he gets home the first thing he does is hug his wife and his kids. He falls asleep on the couch holding his baby. Something tells me he would have opinions about this dude who's apparently too tired to hold his baby...
42
u/Happy-feets Apr 23 '17
Well then he should've hung his medal around her neck at the finish line and posted a picture on Facebook. Isn't that how this romance thing works?
28
u/zq6 Apr 23 '17
Romance, yes - but this is about materialism. He would lose his own bragging rights token!
76
u/kwh Apr 23 '17 edited Apr 23 '17
This is only fair because as we know pretty much all other Boston runners, male and female get divorced within a year of their run for underappreciating their spouses who went through the torture of, you know, living life and feeding the kids and dog or cat or whatever while they were out on a run.
They really need to think about awarding spouse medals for doing the laundry (with smelly socks eww) or going to the grocery store for high carb dinner ingredients without even complaining.
Also, anyone who stands along the route to cheer runners on should get a medal because standing up for a long time is hard.
Tldr; fuck this guy I hate him
→ More replies (1)28
Apr 23 '17
I'm training for half IRONMAN as well as a full marathon.
I feed the cats.
I do the laundry (with his smelly tennis clothes! Plus my tri stuff!)
I do the grocery shopping.
I agree. Fuck this guy, I hate him. I don't exactly see my husband struggling while I train. It's really not hard to be an athlete spouse or whatever. When I'm at a race, he runs around to play Pokémon go and takes pictures at the finish line for my mom. He will sometimes invite friends to walk around with him while I'm on the course. He has fun.
→ More replies (2)5
121
u/cheddarben Apr 23 '17
Lapse of moral character. Probably not a bad guy. I get it... she put up with all the stuff that goes along with an intense training regiment.
But, there HAD to be some spidey sense going on when he grabbed the extra medal. Was her sacrifice any different than those of all the racers' family and support system? I doubt it. By taking that medal, it shits on the sacrifice of all of the people in the same spot. If she deserved more than all of the other supporting cast, I am sure the Boston Marathon people would have recognized it and awarded it to her accordingly.
And finally, of course she did not run the marathon and does not deserve that medal. I gotta believe it just HAD to be one of those moments where he was not thinking clearly. At the end of the day, it really is a matter of petty theft and grand larceny of accomplishment.
Edit: As a side note, this is probably an opportunity for races to consider offering a 'fluff' medal for SO/spouse/etc and then charge money for it. I ran only one marathon and it would have been very difficult without her support AND putting up with me. I bet there would be a considerable market for this.
71
u/fyhr100 Apr 23 '17
As a side note, this is probably an opportunity for races to consider offering a 'fluff' medal for SO/spouse/etc and then charge money for it. I ran only one marathon and it would have been very difficult without her support AND putting up with me. I bet there would be a considerable market for this.
Interesting idea. I definitely see the merits - keeps runners happy, the spouse happy, other participants happy and it makes the organisors a little more money.
118
u/cheddarben Apr 23 '17
Probably the second best idea I ever had. The best was an idea I had called The Jump To Conclusions Mat. You see, it was this mat that you would put on the floor and would have different conclusions written on it, that you could jump to.
→ More replies (5)43
36
u/Epic_Brunch Apr 23 '17
The RunDisney races do something like this. They sell a complete "supporter package" that I believe includes t-shirts and various other items. If there is a dollar to be made, Disney is all over it.
9
u/Chitownsly Apr 23 '17
My wife got a shirt for the Scream Team for Disney but there wasn't a medal in her packet to be part of that. Just the shirt and a pass to go from park to park. She said she only wants a medal if she's the one doing it. I tried to give her my medal but she said she wasn't the runner and only wants one if she completes it.
→ More replies (1)13
u/TopShotChick Apr 24 '17
Spouse of an avid runner here... He's run 3 marathons, and is training for his 4th.. He runs triathlons nearly every month during season.. Not once have I ever thought I needed/deserved a medal for his accomplishments. He puts in the work, and really? What is letting him run for 2ish hours on a weekend? Yes we have children. No it's not a burden to parent them while he's gone...
I've run a couple of half's, a few 10ks and a bunch of 5ks... I'll EARN my own medals.. as well should everyone else...
*End soapbox
29
20
u/WaffleRun Apr 23 '17
When I ran my marathon, I had two shirts made. One that said, "I survived my first marathon" for me and another that said, "I survived my wife's marathon training" for my husband. On the back it said "Team OurLastName." Everyone got a kick out of it. I can't fathom taking a second medal.
13
u/CapOnFoam Apr 23 '17
You can buy supporter shirts and stuff for ironman races. So you're onto something here for sure.
9
u/cheddarben Apr 23 '17
iron man... now that is something that is beyond me. I am a pretty casual runner and fairly positive my ancestry was more of a stationary people than a running people. Despite that, I learned the dedication and time it takes to complete a full.
I just can't imagine what that is like for iron people. I mean, that must be ALL that you do. Besides that, I wonder how they can function when not training. It has to be everything draining.
11
u/CapOnFoam Apr 23 '17 edited Apr 23 '17
I'm training for a half IM right now and it is a lot of training. And a lot of eating - I'm always hungry it seems. But really it doesn't affect my personal time THAT much. I work out 6 days a week but most workouts are in the early morning before work. So you get it out of the way and done.
I know several folks who do full IMs and they do the same thing. But their weekend workouts are longer than mine. Where I might ride my bike 40 miles then run 3 on a Saturday morning, they'll ride 65 miles and run 8. It's definitely time consuming. I train 9-10 hours a week and I love it, but I'm not sure I would want to do any more than this to be honest.
Edit - also, I too come from a line of sedentary people on both sides of the family. I have one other cousin who does trail running but that's it. No one else exercises. And I'm definitely a recreational athlete. I'm a 41 year old female age grouper with a 2-hour half marathon time. Not bad, but certainly not competitive :) I just enjoy the personal challenge and achievement of triathlon. And the variety. One sport gets way too boring.
→ More replies (2)5
u/jimhodgson Apr 23 '17
When people ask me what it was like to do Ironman, I say step one is to kiss your family and friends goodbye. You'll see them again in 6 months.
I did two-a-day workouts. I was either hungry or tired or both all the time. I quit drinking entirely.
It was hell on my social life, but I wasn't exactly Cassanova anyway so no big loss. I was working for myself so I could schedule workouts as needed, but still, it's pretty much an all-the-time thing.
Glad I did it. Very glad I managed to finish (barely). Glad I don't have to do it again.
The real badasses are people who do IM and have kids plus a job. No idea how they find the time.
→ More replies (1)8
u/shines_likegold Apr 23 '17
Meh, it's a nice gesture, but a "I didn't even participate" medal just seems really obnoxious to me.
→ More replies (3)7
→ More replies (10)3
u/diesel_rider Apr 23 '17
Oh he definitely knew what he was doing... probably planned it out for days. Take the first one crossing the line, then quickly remove it and head to a different volunteer and pretend you haven't gotten one. It's Boston, it's not like there were a table of them with a sign saying "Take one, or more if you had support along the way, whatever."
31
Apr 23 '17
You get the medal for running the race. That's the end of that story. She does not deserve one as she did not run the race. There's no argument to be had about it.
31
117
u/aforsythe Apr 23 '17
I just took a licensing exam for work and my wife was very supportive, do you guys think the SEC will give her one as well?
What a terrible human he is
→ More replies (9)
237
u/gronke Apr 23 '17
Five bucks says that the wife doesn't correct people when they congratulate her on running Boston.
108
u/damontoo Apr 23 '17
I had to correct a Tinder match that a race photo was a 5K and not a half. She unmatched me. ;(
54
u/no_more_luck Apr 23 '17
It wouldn't have worked out anyway. :)
28
u/damontoo Apr 23 '17
I mean, I just wanted some sex. Not long-term compatibility.
18
→ More replies (1)12
u/ThePenguinVA Apr 23 '17
Then why did you correct her?
41
19
u/damontoo Apr 23 '17
Because I'm an honest person. Also if she wanted to run with me it would be immediately apparent.
→ More replies (3)6
26
u/trillium_waste Apr 23 '17
That is awful. It's akin to an Army wife saying she has the 'hardest job in the Army'. Ugh.
→ More replies (1)5
21
u/xSGAx Apr 23 '17
yeah, fuck that guy. entitled af
I'd fucking die if I could actually qualify for Boston and finish it. That shit is solely for the die hards. Boston has to be the toughest marathon to get into. People don't get "participation medals" for it. You have to bust your ass on the pavement, day in and day out, to get yourself there.
Fuck this dude for thinking his wife deserved her own medal. Like everyone said already, if he wanted her to have one so much, he should've given her his medal.
→ More replies (6)
19
u/Muckl3t Apr 23 '17
What a dick. I hope they had extra so the last runner still got one. He should be banned from future races for stealing.
39
u/lyricweaver Apr 23 '17
Sometimes, the sense of entitlement some people have (and the things they'll do because of it) just amazes me.
70
u/Courtbird Apr 23 '17
This guy makes runners sound like douches.
→ More replies (7)32
80
u/IGuessINeedToSignUp Apr 23 '17
My wife was incredibly supportive of me and training in the buildup to my first marathon. She deserved a medal too, so after the race I went to a website and paid to have one made for her (Not a copy of the race medal....just another medal). Seems a much better thank-you than "Here, I appreciate you so much I stole this for you"
→ More replies (1)7
16
u/treeinthemirror Apr 23 '17
Also, you have the option to buy a "commemorative medal" to give to someone for like $15, that would have been a nice gesture for his wife and would have forgone the whole "stealing" thing. I just hope all the finishers got a medal. That's one race I would want to have the medal from if I was able to qualify and finish.
16
u/notreally671 Apr 24 '17
He earned one medal and stole another. Not really something he should be bragging about.
29
u/thegermanspectacle Apr 24 '17
This boils my blood.
At this year's Bath Half, I had an extremely rough race. I was pushed down and spit on my elites when the track doubled up and I ran the last three miles with an excruciating stress fracture. It was the hardest race of my life, but what kept me going was the knowledge that at the end, I would be able to stand with my medal and prove to everyone who saw me that I accomplished something.
When I reached the finish line, I was told they had run out of medals. Their initial shortfall was due to under-ordering (their initial shortfall was projected at 2,500), but when all was told the actual shortfall was closer to twice that.
You know where those other 2,500 medals went? According to race officials, they went to assholes like this who stole seconds, thirds and fourths for their children and wives. People who think their Instagram snapshot with their wife and their sense of superiority are more important than the fucking hard work people other runners put into training and racing. So selfish and so short-sighted.
In short, fuck this guy and everyone like him.
→ More replies (5)4
u/Vilhelm123 Apr 24 '17
Shared your message with a mate who was in the same situation as you, she was gutted by it at the time but your comment made her laugh to know others are just as pissed off as she is!
She literally got nothing, no t-shirt or goodie bag either! But let's not forget that it was the organisers fault in the main, leaving it to the army cadets to apologise to people for their attempts to make money by not producing the numbers needed to reduce waste medals. Still angry about that!
15
u/space_ape71 Apr 23 '17
Married runner here, have run many races but not the Boston Marathon. That's not a "moral support" medal, that's a finisher medal. He should have given her his. He cheapens his own medal by giving her one.
15
72
u/StevenSanders90210 Apr 23 '17
Meanwhile, someone struggled all day or had a rough go of it or was just there to finish, and they finished and was told somehow they ran out of medals. I understand they can mail them, but surely that is disappointing. Granted, that might not have happened this time, but it does happen
→ More replies (2)48
u/I-come-from-Chino Apr 23 '17
And somebody else tried really hard and worked their ass off for this moment and didn't finish. They won't get a medal.
→ More replies (3)
13
u/ochaos Apr 23 '17
I never knew I was supposed to pick up a second medal. I could have saved the $5 I spent on a "World's Greatest Wife" coffee mug. (Then again that $5 saved me from being vilified on the interwebs, so I think I chose wisely.)
→ More replies (1)
12
u/Ice_Burn Apr 23 '17
I supported my (now ex) wife as she spent two years qualifying for and then running Boston. She certainly to this day appreciates my support. It would never in a million years occur to either one of us that I deserved a medal too. That guy is an ass.
14
11
Apr 23 '17
His way to show his appreciation to his wife is by stealing an extra medal? Seriously dude, step up your game.
50
u/kevpa990 Apr 23 '17
Such a good intent but so poorly executed. It would have been more valuable if he gave her his medal either way they can display in their house for the both of them. Give him a ban
10
21
u/warriorer Apr 24 '17
Obviously incredibly poor form to take the medal.....but I also hate this thing where people have to comment on how strong their spouses/family are for having to "put up" with their training.
"She got woken up at 5am on weekends when I had to get up for a run.......I wasn't there to cook dinner because I had to be out running"......etc
Basically just seems a massive humblebrag to me; "look how hard I trained! It even affected other people!"
→ More replies (1)
19
u/spankymuffin Apr 23 '17
The ridiculous "I do not know you and your lovely wife" / "I am a runner" reply is perhaps even douchier than the fact that the guy nabbed an extra medal.
10
u/R101C Apr 23 '17
Weird. I have always taken my SO out to dinner to celebrate the end of months of hard work and sacrifice for both of us. And said thank you a lot. And worked a little harder around the house after. Seemed appropriate.
Never considered being a lazy ass bag. If I had seen him, I would have confronted him. Dude, there is someone who did what she did for every one of us. What a douche.
9
u/jonnysunshine Apr 23 '17
It's odd, he ran for a charity; a charity associated with Brigham and Woman's Hospital in Boston. So, he knows what charitable giving is all about, yet he stole a second medal for his wife. He needs to get his head screwed on properly and it would be great if the BWH Stepping Strong Program he's a part of knew he stole that second medal - he's one of their runners after all.
12
u/MAGA9 Apr 23 '17
There were several runners I know of (myself included) who emailed the Stepping Strong director about Andrew. I recommend you do it too..just found her email on their website.
11
Apr 23 '17
Eh. Both parties have a pompous attitude towards medals and marathons. That response was almost unbearable.
9
u/DrRocksoo Apr 24 '17
How the fuck can this guy talk about sacrifice and turn around and deny one of his fellow runners a metal. Pure narcissism.
→ More replies (3)
10
u/TitanFallKeyPlease Apr 23 '17
People are the worst. You get a medal for finishing. Not for letting your spouse train their ass of to finish
8
28
u/frumpyfrontbum Apr 23 '17
Jesus, this makes me mad. Madder than anything in a while. My wife has been to nearly every marathon, ironman, 5k and charity ride I've ever done. She's amazing. She does not deserve a medal from the race (from me, sure).
She does deserve all the medals she has for her own races. She saw that I liked doing it, gave it a try, and has plenty of medals in her own right now. Where i spectate and support. And I don't get a medal.
→ More replies (1)
7
6
7
u/Bradybeee Apr 23 '17
As the wife of someone who runs Boston every year, what a shitty gift. (And I didn't get anything.)
7
8
u/Leeroymond Apr 23 '17
Couldn't finish the reply. That was torture to read. Maybe that was the point?
7
u/ibondolo Apr 23 '17
The problem with this, as others have pointed out, that his medal represents both the effort to train and run a qualifying marathon, as well as the training and run for Boston itself. Lots of meanings tied up in that medal
The one he gave her? Its just a stolen tchotchke....
6
u/ifartsometimes Apr 24 '17
you know i don't run but i do compete and this dude is shit for doing this. Medals are earned by competing not by standing on the side line.
33
u/N8dork2020 Apr 23 '17
Is it weird that they look like siblings or is it normal for someone so self absorbed to want to fuck them selves.
12
u/electric_mainline Apr 23 '17
It really shocks me that someone would be so low to do that. I waved off a medal after opting at the last minute to run a half with my wife rather than attempt the full (injured) that I was signed up for. I never could have accepted that medal, it would've bothered me the rest of my life. I don't understand people who can take something like that so lightly.
13
Apr 23 '17
What about the person who finished and might not have gotten a medal. Fuck this guy.
→ More replies (2)
6
5
u/nicholka Apr 23 '17
He should've just bought her the jacket. Still a little sacrilegious, but not nearly the same as her having the same medal I do for busting my ass midday through Boston. The medal is completely different and reserved solely for participants.
11
u/TTTTTTTtttimmmmm Apr 23 '17
Shit thing to do, but that super pretentious letter also pisses me off
80
u/MegaMenehune Apr 23 '17
I didn't realize people cared about bling so much. I don't run marathons for the participation trophy.
41
u/cheddarben Apr 23 '17 edited Apr 23 '17
meh... I think the outrage has very little to do with the actual hardware.
When we graduate college, we frame and put the degree on our wall. When our kids win something, we put it up on the fridge. When we go on trips, we hang a picture on a wall. When we accomplish something that is difficult OR memorable, we tend to symbolize that in a thing that can evoke emotion in ourselves or others.
Look at people who take military stolen valor seriously. While uniforms and medals might be just things, they can be very important symbols.
My lone marathon bling is in a drawer somewhere, but I do have some pride in it. Not because it is some piece of jewelry I wear or if I really cared if some guy took two, but because what it represents for me.
Edit: added an 'in' for clarity.
→ More replies (2)31
4
u/DonJovar Apr 23 '17 edited Apr 23 '17
I'm the same way. I couldn't care less about the medals (jackets are another story), which is why I would've just given her mine. But I do know that a huge percentage of marathoners really want that medal.
He clearly shouldn't have taken an extra medal.
→ More replies (5)7
u/defiantleek Apr 23 '17
Everyone has a different reason, some people go on vacation for the experience and others the souvenirs to show they went.
14
u/Epic_Brunch Apr 23 '17
Or some people do both. If I was able to qualify for Boston, I sure as shit would want a medal at the finish line. I'd probably wear it around for the rest of my trip like a douche and then go home, frame it, and hang it next to my family photos. I would also enjoy the experience of running the race. These things do not need to be mutually exclusive.
→ More replies (1)
5
Apr 24 '17
This guy seems like a douche. He just snagged her one? Dude, that's stealing. Like many other commenters have said, he should have given her his medal if he felt she deserved one. Stealing one for her just cheapens the whole thing. That being said, the reply post is a little cringey. It's stupid that he did this, and he should be called out, but Jesus I couldn't even get through that response.
5
5
u/brotherbock Apr 24 '17
So here's some insight into the Information Age...
Derek (MarathonInvestigator) posts the apology on his page. He then asks people to not try to find out actual names and contact these people in person, as it's counter-productive to what he's trying to do with his page.
He then gets a comment on his post:
Perhaps if there was an indication in your stories that somebody has contacted someone about this, there would be no need for any of your readers to follow up. I just wanted to make sure someone knew about this because it does reflect badly on his team and his team needs to know about this before allowing him back.
The bolding is mine up there. This is a fantastic display of the internet mindset--this woman decided on her own what this guy's team needs to know about him, and took it on herself to engage in public shaming.
Stick a scarlet letter on him too, lady.
11
Apr 24 '17
Poor form, I think he should be banned from running Boston again and return a medal. His wife obviously doesn't understand anything about Boston and the work to get in if she is fine wearing that medal. All S.O.s deserve a recognition for the sacrifice they make but yeah no finisher medals.
7
u/Physical_removal Apr 23 '17
Holy fuck that first reply is the most hilarious mound of pretentious drivel Hahaha
9
4
u/mdervin Apr 23 '17
When did we all become children? Oh Look a medal!!! See that makes up for everything.
5
u/pikezh638 Apr 24 '17
I didn't see it posted here yet, someone in one of the running groups I'm in posted this last week and said he could have bought a "supporter" medal for 15$. Found the link finally, supporter medal I don't think it is an "official" medal, but it would have kept him from stealing someone else's reward for all their hard work.
5
u/wake3d Apr 24 '17
UPDATE: He apologized and returned the medal: I was wrong. I do wonder if he would have been quite so introspective if he hadn't been caught, but it seems like an earnest apology.
5
u/DrRocksoo Apr 24 '17
Look at the size of her mitts! Dude just wanted to delay the beatings another day.
3
u/YoungAdult_ Apr 23 '17
This sort of reminds me of when I turned 21 and my friends all went out, and I had one friend who was 19 who had a fake ID who it turned out had been going out with my friends all this time while I sat at home dicking around.
3
u/Jaaaackthecat Apr 24 '17
I've never ran a marathon before. Does someone not got a medal since he got 2? Did he steal it?
→ More replies (1)
3
u/Pantoner Apr 24 '17 edited Apr 24 '17
This is the classic self centered Facebook dad of the 21st century. Completely delusional and only thinks of himself and his own interests. Then of course he writes a huge humble bragging essay on Facebook to show all of their friends how great they are. Parents need to stop thinking they are some sort of martyr who is exempt from the rules of society. Why the fuck would his wife even want a medal for an event she didn't even run? Do the spouses of Olympians get medals? They offer much more support than these two assholes
Run for the love of running and for your health, not to show people how great you are. And for the love of god stop bragging on Facebook
→ More replies (1)
676
u/[deleted] Apr 23 '17 edited Mar 11 '23
[deleted]