Hopefully Southern Utah Marathons Won’t Take This Stupid Idea From Los Angeles

LA Marathon’s Controversial Dual Finish Lines

The decision the Los Angeles Marathon made by creating two finish lines in the name of health and safety has proved controversial. The marathons in Southern Utah could make a similar choice, but they shouldn’t. 

With warmer than usual weather projected for the LA marathon, organizers decided to make finish line at the 18-mile mark as a safety valve for those who were feeling overwhelmed by the heat and couldn’t push through to the 26.2-mile finish line. 

This caused a lot of controversy on the internet as people debated what constituted a finisher. Race officials determined that those who stopped at the 18-mile would still get a medal, but they would not receive a finisher certificate. 

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After the race, 4.5 percent of participants totaling 985 runners crossed the 18-mile finish line. I understand they were thinking of safety, but this idea undermines the whole idea of running a marathon. 

Part of running 26.2 miles is to do something hard that most people can’t or won’t do. A shorter finish line undermines the whole reason runners have trained and honed themselves to accomplish it, and the medal shows their accomplishment. 

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As for shortening it for safety reasons, all marathons take that into account. At any time during the race if someone is not feeling well or worried about their health, they can stop and get medical aide. The safety part is always there. 

Giving the option of a shorter finish line is not the answer no matter the race conditions. Let’s hope this idea does catch on with other endurance races like the one’s Southern Utah is known for.