Runs4Sanity
http://m.runnersworld.com/races/watch-marathoners-stopped-by-passing-train
Sadly this happened in my state, thankfully nobody got hurt.
*Do It For Yourself, Do It Because They Said It Was Impossible, Do It Because They Said You Were Incapable*
PRs
5k - 24:15 (7:49 min/mile pace)
10k - 51:47 (8:16 min/mile pace)
15k -1:18:09 (8:24 min/mile pace)
13.1 - 1:53:12 (8:39 min/mile pace)
26:2 - 4:14:55 (9:44 min/mile)
Wanna make a bet that race has trouble getting permits next year.? And maybe others in that area.
The 52-yr old race that I did a week ago has 2 track crossings and monitors at each crossing. Rules exist at each crossing. They are explained at the pre-race briefing every year. I've never heard a train out there so don't know if anyone ever gets stopped.
Supposedly the RR company promised the RD they wouldn't let any trains on these tracks during the race but it happened anyways, which is why I think RD try their hardest to avoid RR crossings during races but the longer the race, the harder it is to avoid RR crossings.
This actually happened the year I ran the Des Moines marathon. It was the train company's fault and the leaders were stopped. After 26 miles it wound up being a 400m sprint to the finish. Thankfully no one was dumb enough to try and cross the tracks.
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2009/10/19/des-moines-marathon-leaders-delayed-by-train
The leaders in the Des Moines Marathon could see the finish line - they just had to wait a bit.
A passing freight train forced the two leaders in the 26.2-mile race to wait for about a minute Sunday just 400 meters, or about a quarter mile, from the finish line. When the train finally passed, Kenyan Simon Sawe sprinted to a win in 2 hours, 24 minutes, 50 seconds. He won $3,000.
Race director Chris Burch said Monday it was an unfortunate circumstance beyond the control of race organizers.
"It's one of those things, when I heard through our communications - what can you do at that time?" Burch asked.
Sawe said he was shocked when he made a turn onto the final stretch and saw the freight cars.
"Nobody is prepared for that scenario," Sawe told The Des Moines Register. "I couldn't believe it. It was a long train."
As he waited, fellow Kenyan David Tuwei caught up and the two could do nothing but wait before sprinting the final stretch. Sawe won by about 5 seconds.
Mick Burkhart, Iowa Interstate Railroad vice president, apologized via e-mail. He said the railroad was aware of the race and had agreed not to operate in the area during the marathon.
"Due to some miscommunication, a train was allowed into the race area before it was supposed to," he said. "There is no excuse for this happening."
Race organizers notify the railroad each year of the date of the marathon and the time runners will come through the area. Sundays are usually a slow day for the railroad in downtown Des Moines, Burch said, and he said the whole thing was a miscommunication.
There are no plans to change the route of the marathon.
"It would be hard to run a 26 mile run in Des Moines without going over tracks," he said. "We will try harder to work with (the railroad) so this doesn't happen again."
Yeah, apparently people who live in Columbus and know about the race and inner workings heard that even though the RD and RR company had an agreement, a new guy was in charge that morning and gave the go ahead to the train crew.... they are so fortunate that there weren't any injuries.
Bummer. Sounds like they need some backup plans.
In ours, crossing #1, runners are held then resume race when the train has cleared. That's near beginning.
#2 crossing, runners are held in order, and that becomes the finish order.. They still have to finish the race -about another mile or so, but the racing is basically done at that point if they were held for train.
Im not sure how many trains leave during the day after tourist season is over, but I'm guessing a couple. That last crossing probably has people crossing for almost 7 hrs (10 hr cutoff) it probably doesn't take a lot of scheduling considerations, combined with probabilities for the slower fols to avoid issues.
There may have been 500 racers this year, including marathon and relay, but well over 1000 for the 50th running.
I remember hearing about the Des Moines incident. I can't imagine how mad I would be to miss out on a placing, or a BQ, because of a train that wasn't supposed to be there.
20,000 miles behind me, the world still to see.
Runners are crazy. lol
Maybe I'm showing my age (I'm 38), but I still remember the rather graphic train safety movies we were shown in elementary school. No way am I climbing through a train stopped at a crossing.
Guess I'm not really surprised. I saw people ignore the police at last year's Baltimore Running Festival, once to let a ambulance through and the second time for a fire truck. When the cop is blowing his whistle and holding his hand out, it means stop.
Maybe I'm showing my age (I'm 38), but I still remember the rather graphic train safety movies we were shown in elementary school. No way am I climbing through a train stopped at a crossing. Guess I'm not really surprised. I saw people ignore the police at last year's Baltimore Running Festival, once to let a ambulance through and the second time for a fire truck. When the cop is blowing his whistle and holding his hand out, it means stop.
Believe me you aren't showing your age, hell I still remember that scene in Fried Green Tomatoes when the boy gets his foot caught as a train begins to come around the turn. Screw ever messing around a train damn it.
KillJoyFuckStick
I putting the patent on this new "obstacle style" marathon.
You people have issues
TOUGH TRAIN 10K!
HOBO DASH!
Hip Redux
TOUGH TRAIN 10K! HOBO DASH!
LOL
Lol, definitely
No more marathons
My BQ in 2012 came at the Spinx marathon in Greenville,SC. I was hurting as I passed the 25 mile mark but I had a BQ minus 5 well in hand. I made one of the last turns onto a long straightway before the final turn into the stadium finish. The street was straight for about a half mile, with a slight rise. As soon as I made the turn I looked up the street and could not believe it - there was a train crossing the road. I kept running, thinking that this just could not be. As I got within about a quarter mile the train finished through the intersection - relief! But then I hear the whistle of another engine. I put on my finish line sprint, thinking "hell no - I've got to get through". Did, but holy shit. That would have sucked.
Boston 2014 - a 33 year journey
Lordy, I hope there are tapes.
He's a leaker!