In the lead-up to the L.A. Marathon this past Sunday, there was a sizable outcry (with which I totally agree) related to their decision to allow people who didn't finish the entire course to get finisher medals. The weather forecast was calling for high temperatures in the low to mid 80s (and actually hitting approximately 90). So, given the layout of the course which has Mile 18 very close to the finish line, where people do an "out-and-back" portion to close out the final 8+ miles of the course, the race organizers said they were going to let people have the option of crossing the finish line at that point, for those people who are "having a tough day" (i.e., not responding well to the heat).
To me, this was a horrible decision to make. It cheapens the medal being a finisher's medal by handing it out to an untold number of people who didn't actually finish the race. Yes, 80s+ temperatures are very hot, atrocious to run in. (I've done it on numerous occasions. Most recently in San Antonio just a week prior, when temps hit around the low to mid 80s by the time I finished.) That's where your race protocols are supposed to take over. At what combined temperature and humidity do you "red flag" the event? (warn people to slow) Or even "black flag" the event? (stop the event from continuing any further) Same as far as ambulances and ER availability is concerned -- if you are overwhelming those services, the event likely needs to be cut short or ended. Alternately, do you have additional water that was placed out on the course? Are participants being "hosed down" by extra impromptu stations along the course? Are there other cooling methods being supplied? Is there any opportunity to start the race an hour earlier so that there is an hour less of blazing sunlight? (This latter one is increasingly difficult the more jurisdictions that would need to sign off on the shifted permit timeframe, but still worth looking into.)
Then, wouldn't you know it, the drama shifted from the finish line as it affects "the mass participation" runners to the finish of the men's elite field. Absolutely astonishing come-from-behind sprint finish with a final difference of 0.01 seconds between first and second place. With about 800 meters to go, there was still a large gap between Nathan Martin (U.S.) and Michael Kimani Kamau (Kenya). The video of the enormous surge of speed that Nathan made to nip Michael right at the tape is astonishing to watch. And Michael had left it ALL on the course, to such an extent that he instantly collapsed as he crossed the finish line. Were it not for Nathan coming on "like a freight train" there, officials could have been a little closer and possibly been able to catch Michael on his way down. But, given what did unfold, they wound up taking him off in a stretcher.
This is all the more devastating a loss for Michael Kamau because of what happened about 90 seconds earlier. There is video that was posted on X showing that a fan (carrying/waving about a Kenya flag) wound up crossing right in front of him, distracting and confusing him enough where he went around the right-hand side of a barrier that he should have stayed on the left side of. He paused for several seconds as he was directed back onto the correct area so he could properly finish. That total stop of momentum and then needing to get back on course and up to some semblance of speed, when you already have all your energy stores nearly totally depleted, is IMMENSELY difficult. That he was able to nearly beat Nathan Martin -- who didn't have anything similar happen to him, so his forward momentum was unimpeded -- is pretty damned impressive. Hopefully there will be enough of an outcry over what happened to Michael Kamau that the Race Director will take measures to make sure there is some semblance of barrier between spectators and the runners during the last, say 1/2 mile to 1 mile of the course; there is no excuse for permitting this sort of thing to happen. Sure, I'm happy that an American won the race, but I would prefer it if it were not at least partly due to the lack of sufficient crowd control.
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