Define 'Bandit' (Read 1314 times)


Best Present Ever

    There is a local marathon/half marathon. It's the only for-profit race in town, it's incredibly expensive, and I don't like the folks who run it for a whole lot of reasons, some good, some not so good. I don't want to spend $85 for a crappy t-shirt and put money in the pockets of people I don't like. The course is really pretty, though, and goes down roads I like to run, but that aren't very safe to run on (unless there's a race going on). If I start at some point after the start line, end away from the start line, and carry my own water, am I a bandit, or a citizen who happens to be running on many of the same roads as a race?
    Trent


    Good Bad & The Monkey

      Yes. Both. You are benefiting from the race being put on (protection in the crowd, from volunteers, road closures, etc, make it a safer course, by your own admission), without paying.
        I think you're a bandit. The roads are closed for the race and you're enjoying that. It costs money to close the roads.
          if you are asking the question ... then you know the answer Smile

          2012= under-goaled


          Best Present Ever

            I think you're a bandit. The roads are closed for the race and you're enjoying that. It costs money to close the roads.
            Not a single road is closed for this race. There is very little police support for this race, and it's mostly around the start/finish area in town and a few intersections in town, not that part of the course I'm interested in. (Which goes back to where on earth all the money goes?) It's run along the side of two lane country roads.


            Best Present Ever

              if you are asking the question ... then you know the answer Smile
              No, I don't do troll-y things like that. We had a local discussion about it, and there was real uncertainty. Shoot, I ran a 10 mile race last week. There were all kinds of folks running part of the course who were just out for runs, many without realizing that they were going to run into a race I think, but they chose to continue along the course with us. Were they bandits? Or does intent matter?
                Run it backwards against the direction of the race. Then you can say you're just a citizen out for a run that just so happens to utilize the same roads of the race.
                  If you are not taking advantage of any race amenities and the roads aren't closed anyway, just do it on a different day. If you feel it is unsafe to do by yourself then I'm not sure how running with lots of other people makes it any safer. By yourself you can at least stay on the shoulder.

                  Thank you for taking the time to read my signature!

                  Trent


                  Good Bad & The Monkey

                    I say, organize another race on the course you like and enjoy it Smile
                      Yes. You're a bandit. So what? If you're fine with it, you don't have to justify it to a bunch of anonymous people on a message board. Go ahead & run. Just don't expect a lot of support for the idea. I've been a bandit myself, a long, long time ago. I wouldn't do it again but, I don't lose any sleep over it either.
                        I say, organize another race on the course you like and enjoy it Smile
                        +1 if the organizers are pricks and you don't want to support them ... build a better mousetrap ... if you feel this way, chances are that plenty of other runners would opt for "door #2" if it were available. We will get a post from the organizer next year complaining that nobody is running their race and they will be a bandit in yours.

                        2012= under-goaled

                          I vote Bandit .... Course is for the race, if you want to race pay the fee (even if high), if you think not worth it stay home/run else where. I personally hate people just happen to be running the course, once in 10 mile race a guy barrelled pass a pack of us runners and before realizing a bandit/"guy just happened to be running on same road" my first thought was crap we must have really slowed. In last half marathon I ran in the results got screwed up because bandit runners actually hit the shoot and everything got out of sych. Yes I know your plan to stop outside finish line would avoid this, to me its the spirit of the law that matters. IMHO ... Race course is for race participants. Plenty of other roads to run.

                          "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it Great!

                            There is a local marathon/half marathon. It's the only for-profit race in town, it's incredibly expensive, and I don't like the folks who run it for a whole lot of reasons.
                            Then why would you want to be out there showing support for their race?

                             

                             


                            Prince of Fatness

                              The course is really pretty, though, and goes down roads I like to run, but that aren't very safe to run on (unless there's a race going on).
                              This here tells me that you are taking advantage (safety) of the race going on where you want to run. Personally I'm not one to get worked up over this stuff but you did ask the question.

                              Not at it at all. 


                              A Saucy Wench

                                Bandit. It is what it is. You can justify it however you like, but it still makes you a bandit.

                                I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                                 

                                "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7