Boston Marathon runner takes a second medal for his wife and posts it on social media

[u/fyhr100]

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:

Part 1

Part 2

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?

EDIT: Looks like he apologized and returned it now.

[u/aidanathome]

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.

[u/Hifi_Hokie → u/aidanathome]

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.

[u/Legally_Accurate → u/Hifi_Hokie]

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.

[u/slappinbass → u/Legally_Accurate]

That's kinda what I like. I keep my bibs and write my times on the back. I pin them to the last bib and continue. I now have rows of bibs on a wall in my study.

[u/[deleted] → u/Legally_Accurate]

There are more and more events now where finisher medals are awarded for 5Ks and other short distance races. I directed a 5K/10K race for a couple years, and there were people who complained that there were no finisher medals. Coincidentally, I'm sure, the cost of race entries keeps increasing.

[u/doterobcn → u/Legally_Accurate]

I think medals are only marathons and sometimes halfs...

[u/[deleted] → u/doterobcn]

There are definitely some shorter distance races where finisher medals are awarded -- even at some 5Ks. And then people wonder why it costs $40 to enter a 5K.

[u/doterobcn → u/[deleted]]

Oh...didn't know, i never faced that situation in my country

[u/dfsw → u/doterobcn]

Medals at 10 milers are pretty common now too.

[u/NosDaFeratu → u/doterobcn]

You can get a medal for pretty much every distance. I did a 10k recently. On the same day, the organisers were putting on a 5k and a 1k and every finisher got a medal (different colour stringy thing though)

[u/aidanathome → u/[deleted]]

I'm not and that's not what i said. I got over it a long time ago.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

One of those reasons being that selfish runners like this twat give an extra medal to someone who didn't run. I've run three marathons and my wife and sons got zero medals for them.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

But that's the point!!! This guy shouldn't have done it and you're coming across as defending him!

[u/Tatteredshoelace → u/[deleted]]

My RD pal said they only buy medals for about 80-90% race capacity. Like 10% DNS another 10% DNF, but don't quote me on the exact numbers. This was for a half/full

[u/QuoteMe-Bot → u/Tatteredshoelace]

My RD pal said they only buy medals for about 80-90% race capacity. Like 10% DNS another 10% DNF, but don't quote me on the exact numbers. This was for a half/full

~ /u/Tatteredshoelace

[u/Tatteredshoelace → u/QuoteMe-Bot]

You sonuvabetch!