Comments on: Update » Nike Is Going to Announce Arien O’Connell As A Winner

By: Blaine Moore

Blaine Moore — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:16:37 +0000

Heh, thanks for the heads up, I hadn’t seen that article yet!

By: Further Embarassment to Nike » Reebok Awards Arien O’Connell @ Run to Win

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:16:05 +0000

[...] month, Arien O’Connell ran the fastest time but didn’t win in the Nike Women’s Marathon due to Nike unnecessarily starting a non-elite group of [...]

By: Sheamus

Sheamus — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:35:18 +0000

I don’t think you’ve reported this yet Blaine, but Reebok surprised O’Connell – and Nike – by giving her a special awards ceremony at her school.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?&entry_id=32410&tsp=1

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.”

By: Arien O’Connell did not win the Nike Women’s Marathon @ Run to Win

Arien O’Connell did not win the Nike Women’s Marathon @ Run to Win — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:44:21 +0000

[...] It appears as though Nike is going to award a separate award in a new category to Arien and will get rid of the elite start next [...]

By: Jamie

Jamie — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:33:55 +0000

Yeah, but it’s a stupid rule is all I’m sayin’.

What I can’t understand is why that rule exists in the first place. Just doesn’t seem logical to me. Oh well, like you said, looks like it’ll be changed.

Hey, hope to run with you again soon. I may be picking your brain for some marathon advice.

-Jamie

P.S. Good topics on your blog lately.

By: Blaine Moore

Blaine Moore — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:20:19 +0000

I’m not arguing that the way this race was managed is silly and should be changed (and, for that matter, is going to be changed.)

That doesn’t change the fact that that was the rule, so why take the win away from the person that won, under the existing rules?

By: Jamie

Jamie — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:40:58 +0000

Crossing the line first doesn’t mean jack if it’s the same race, in my opinion. Badwater doesn’t operate that way, despite waved starts. Other races should follow suit. Just makes more sense that whoever gets from A to B quicker is the winner. They are running the same race, just different times. Waves shouldn’t matter, or being labeled as “elite”. It’s obvious which runner was the elite one in this case.

Yes, it’s the rule now, but it’s a stupid rule that should be done away with. It doesn’t make any sense.

Just my two cents.

By: Blaine Moore

Blaine Moore — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:40:42 +0000

Why? Under the rules, she didn’t win. The rules may be flawed, but that’s what they are. Why should you take the win away from the person who won the race?

She ran the fastest time, and now she’s being recognized for that. She still didn’t cross the line first.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:56:07 +0000

That’s a bunch of crap then.

By: Blaine Moore

Blaine Moore — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:29:45 +0000

Jamie,

She is not being declare the winner. Nora Colligan won the race. Arien is being declared a winner, which basically means she gets the same prizes and that’s about it.

Nothing is being taken away from the woman who actually won the race.