Arien O’Connell, a 24-year-old a fifth-grade teacher from New York City, won Nike’s Women’s Marathon in San Francisco on Sunday. She came out of the back of the pack, crossed the line first with the fastest time.
But Nike wouldn’t give her the gold medal because she had not registered as an “elite” runner!
That’s pretty weak,” said Jon Hendershott, associate editor of the authoritative Track and Field News magazine, based in Mountain View. “Think of the PR they could have had with this girl coming out of nowhere. It sounds like they got caught totally off guard.
Let’s hope Nike won’t be in charge of counting votes in Florida in November!
So who got the medal? Second place, or nobody?
As a runner, there are two sides to this story. First, one must register before every public marathon-style event (5K, 10K, Marathon, etc.). Unregistered competitors (known as “pirates”) are allowed to run, but must not cross the finish line as soon as they reach it out of courtesy to those who paid. If this runner didn’t pay to register in the race in general, then she technically shouldn’t get a medal because she pirated the race (despite the connotation, pirating is not a bad thing).
HOWEVER, seeing she DID pay to register in the race, this is completely asinine that Nike won’t give her the medal. After reading the full story myself, I say this is completely stupid and utterly unfair. “Facepalm” is all one can say…
Was she wearing Nike?
Sean, From the Chron:
“At the awards ceremony, the O’Connell clan looked on as the top times were announced and the “elite” female runners stepped forward to accept their trophies.
“They called out the third-place time and I thought, ‘I was faster than that,’ ” she said. “Then they called out the second-place time and I was faster than that. And then they called out the first-place time (3:06), and I said, ‘Heck, I’m faster than her first-place time, too.’ ”
Just to make sure, O’Connell strolled over to a results station and asked a race official to call up her time on the computer. There it was, some 11 minutes faster than the official winner.”
Someone in Nike’s PR department needs to be fired.
She should ask ACORN for some help in getting qualified.
She just learned a very expensive lesson: Read the rules. There are very valid reasons why you have to register elite to compete for the top prize. She basically ran the wrong race.
This is no different than other large marathons with financial prizes. It amazes she that she did not know this.
The reason for the rule is that the elite runners have their own race within the race. In order to do their best, they can’t run with the pack. That is why they start earlier.
The other reason is that the elite runners make tactical decisions based on what their competition is doing. Having a separate elite race allows them to do that. Loosing your competition in the mass of runners doesn’t allow that.
Now if the race director had allowed an age-group runner to winner, they would have had a riot on their hands from the elite runners. They followed the rules, and they would feel like they were getting cheated by someone who choose not to follow them.
Now that being said, she won the age-group race, and they should recognize her for that. But she didn’t win the competitive elite race because she didn’t participate in it. And the prizes were for elite race.
Now you know the rest of the story.
Ron, as a guy who has run several marathons and half-marathons, I always assume that if someone passes me, they will beat me across the line.
If an “elite” runner doesn’t have the sense to adjust their tactics to being passed, then they do not deserve to win the prize.
First is first.
As for not being the “same race” — geez, the elites had a 20-minute head start and O’Connell still beat them. The idea of an elite group is to keep them from being slowed down by the pack of slower runners.
I’ve been an elite runner (called “seeded runners”) at Bay to Breakers in SF … I sure as hell take it seriously when I get passed!
The problem is that no one can think anymore. I am sure if someone was in charge and on the ball, they could have at least announced that one of the non-elite runners had the best time, given out a special award based on that (even if they post it later) and made themselves look really good.
I’m wondering if there is a difference in level of supervision of “elite” versus mass runners. In other words, do they keep a sharper eye on the “elites” so they don’t take a taxi?
But on a gut reaction level, the “elite” concept leaves a bad taste in the mouth, just like amateurism did 100 or 50 years ago, or even more recently.
jbellies: I don’t know about this race, but the last dozen or so that I have run, every runner has an RFID tag laced to a shoe. That’s not only for elapsed time, but the top races have RFID pollers in strategic places to keep cheaters from taking shortcuts.
Sorry folks but I have to agree with #7 Ron.
She should have read the rules. But I will say that here we have yet another instance of something basically fun being made into an absurdly complex mess, just like professional (or even high school) sports.
But not to worry. I’m a New Balance man. Nikes pinch my feet.
im sure there is some sort of big legal document so that nike can use the winners likeness however they choose. big business at its best…
I believe, #8 (Iperdue) misunderstands when he says “If an “elite” runner doesn’t have the sense to adjust their tactics to being passed, then they do not deserve to win the prize.”
That’s precisely the issue. O’Connell, because she started at least 20 minutes behind the elite pack, did *not* pass the elite runners. She was *not* the first to cross the finish line. So the elite runners never knew that someone in the age-group race was exceeding their pace, and never could react to someone 10 minutes behind them as the real threat to winning. That’s why the initial reaction was “they were in different races”, because, really, they were. One that started 20 minutes before the other.
Reportedly, Nike is now acknowledging O’Connell’s performance by calling her the winner of the other race and giving her the same prizes the elite winner got. Had they figured out this mess on the spot and done that, the PR nightmare wouldn’t have happened.
I felt the same way about this, but Nike (Damn them, I LIKE hating Nike) made good on the deal and actually LEARNED from it.
Nike’s statement:
“Nike is announcing today that it recognizes Arien O’Connell as a winner in last weekend’s Nike Women’s Marathon with the fastest chip time, completing the full race in 2:55:11. She shattered her previous time and achieved an amazing accomplishment.
Arien will receive the same recognition and prize, including a Tiffany & Co. bowl, the full marathon elite group winner received. Arien was unfortunately not immediately recognized as a race winner because she did not start the race with the elite running group, which is required by USATF standards. Because of their earlier start time, the runners in the elite group had no knowledge of the outstanding race Arien was running and could not adjust their strategies accordingly.
Learning from the unique experience in this year’s race, Nike has decided today to eliminate the elite running group from future Nike Women’s Marathons. Next year, all runners will run in the same group and all will be eligible to win.
Nike has a proven track record of supporting athletes and we’re proud to be able to honor Arien and other athletes who surpass their goals and achieve great accomplishments.”
I wear New Balance, but I have to give Nike credit for owing up to things…and to learning from its mistakes.
@Ron (#7):
How does one determine whether or not they are an “elite” runner?
A NY fifth grade school teacher crossed the country to run a marathon in SF, on her own hard earned dime, and gets bumbed by a billion dollar multinational corporation that sponsored the event? Well, I stopped buying Nike when they used child labor, threw out my Nike Air golf shoes, and I’m now in the market for a new brand of golf bag.
Nike screwed the pooch. It is very difficult to correct the error once it has been made.
The original winners were announced as the race winners. There was no qualifier about they won the “elite race” or among those with that started 20 minutes early. They were the overall winners.
Reebock could do themselves a favor by acknowledging and awarding her a special prize in her home town. That would garner special attention for Reebok that would really hurt Nike’s image.
Although its been too many years, when I raced the better runners would be allowed to be at the front of the pack. Everyone started out in the one group. It was understood that slower runners made way for the better runners.
#14, I don’t buy it! If an ‘elite’ runner starts 20 minutes ahead of the pack, and then loafs becuz they don’t think they have any competition, they are not ‘elite’. Presumably they got that status because they are good and give a consistent effort. Why even bother if they are separated from the pack, and guaranteed a win?
Do elite runners run more slowly (that is, finish later) if they have no competition? What does it matter if somebody passes you? I would hope a 3:01 runner would run in 3:01 whether there was somebody passing them or not.
Okay, I confess: I drive faster when people are passing me. But I’m not racing.
Remind me never to buy their products. Oh, I don’t anyway.
#19 – There was no qualifier that they won the ‘elite race’ because there did not have to be. The race, by international rules, starts with the gun and ends when the runners cross the finish line. That’s it. Those are the rules of the competition, and rules that the Nike race is bound by to be certified. They don’t have the option to not follow the rules, less they lose certification of the race (which would mean no more Nike Women’s Marathon!). Nike could have reacted to this quicker, but they are bound to recognize Colligan as the winner. And listen to yourself whine about this! Do you teach your kids that if you don’t like how things turned out, change the rules afterwards so you can win?
#20 – Yeah, let’s see you “loaf” through a 3:06 marathon… Listen, 2:55 (what O’Connell ran) was the fastest time by a woman on that course by about five minutes since at least 2005. She may well have creamed Colligan if they had started at the same time, but she may not have, and Colligan never had the chance to rise to the challenge. Did you think that the whole pack of women’s Olympic marathoners were loafing when they all stayed together for the first 15 miles in Beijing before Tomescu-Dita broke away? Oh,I guess you didn’t watch that… The goal is to win, not to kill yourself, and you never know how much you had in you until it is far too late. So elite runners evaluate the race by the competition and expend effort accordingly.
Read the news. Nike fixed its error, recognized her as a winner, and said there wouldn’t be an “elite” category anymore.
#17… Q: How do you become elite?
A: It depends on the race.
Some races it is invitation. That is, they decide and ask you. Or if you are good, they force you in to that division (to prevent you from dominating the age-group like a wringer would).
Some races let you decide. If you think you are good and want to try for the big prize, then go elite.
Other races require that you have a minimum time from other races to qualify.
Wow, for once I am glad my asthma holds me back because I would sure be pissed if I was that chick.
Reebok showed up at her school and gave her her dues
” Well, you probably saw this one coming. On Thursday, representatives from Reebok, Nike’s arch-rival, surprised O’Connell with a special awards ceremony at her Beginning with Children Charter School in Brooklyn, New York.
Reebok presented O’Connell with the following: a trophy, a free pair of shoes every month for a year, T-shirts for everyone in her class, and a $2,500 donation to her school.
The inscription on the trophy? “Winner and Heroine of Non-Elite Runners Everywhere.”
That sound you hear is Nike grinding its corporate teeth.
”
Elite female runners don’t do 3+ hour marathons… they do 2:30 and below – just ask Paul Radcliffe. The definition of elite is bogus in this case and that is why she ran with everyone else – aka the “normal” runners.
peter