400 pound marathoner gets bashed for 9 hour 'long walk'

[Liberal_in_LA]

Readers of Gneiting's epic journey through the soaked streets of Los Angeles were inspired and congratulatory, but some were decidedly critical about the fact that it took the man with a 60-inch waist 9 hours and 48 minutes to complete the 26.2-mile race.

"What an insult to people who really trained for this event! This was nothing more than a long walk for a big guy!" commented Runner3.

"He chased his ego for nine hours, 48 minutes," sniped burningrabbit1.

"'Running' constitutes getting both feet off the ground at the same time, something I'm fairly certain Mr Gneiting didn't do," Bassman8 wrote.

"A marathon is a race. 26.2 miles is a distance. You can't call this bit of lumbering around Los Angeles a marathon any more than you can call a walk across the street and back a 100 meter dash," Mark Spence wrote on the Fabulous Forum blog.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/chatter/2011/03/worlds-largest-marathon-finisher.html

[CBGLuthier]

1. what a bunch of assholes.

Hell I weigh a little more than half that and I wouldn't want to walk 26 miles if you gave me two days.

How, exactly, did this man hurt those assholes anyway?

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. runners don't like walkers getting the same medal and attention for walking these marathons

[LanternWaste]

10. sd

ed: s/d

[markpkessinger]

17. In terms of effort expended ...

This 400 pound man might very well have exerted as much or more energy than some 130 pound runner.

And in any case, aren't marathons really more about pushing oneself to his/her personal limit, rather than worrying so much about ranking against people who are less competitive?

I think the man deserves all the credit in the world for his accomplishment.

[TorchTheWitch]

49. a running marathon is about running

There are other types of marathons, but since we're talking about a running marathon then the race is about RUNNING. It's no more appropriate for someone to walk in a running marathon race than it is for someone in a swimming race to run along side the pool or use a canoe.

It shouldn't matter that he's 400 pounds and walked the route, he should have been disqualified for not running in a RUNNING race. He could have done the same thing without entering the race at all. Oh, but then he wouldn't have gotten a medal and all the media attention.

[markpkessinger]

50. For those who see it as a competitive race....

...the fact that there are slower participants who are participating for their own reasons takes nothing away from those who are running competitively. A marathon can be "about" more than one thing. There's nothing standing in the way of those who are running competitively from being as competitive as they choose to be and feeling smugly superior to the non-competitive participants.

[TorchTheWitch]

53. any race designed to have a winner is a competition

However little or much each participant personally feels about the competitive aspect is immaterial. A running marathon is DESIGNED to be a competition and DESIGNED to be a running race. Those slower non-competitive participants that entered the race are at least RUNNING or trying to run the whole distance. None of them entered planning on doing no running at all.

What if this guy wasn't overweight and this was a swimming competition, and instead of swimming he just ran along the side of the pool? Wouldn't you find it unfair and inappropriate enough to be disqualified? Wouldn't it be an insult to the actual swimmers that entered the race that he didn't swim in the race because he didn't have the appropriate swimming ability to do so to begin with?

What if this guy wasn't overweight and entered the running marathon not planning to run at all and walked for some other reason? What if he entered the race and decided to take a different route than the race designated? What if he entered the race and decided to start sooner than everyone else?

If this guy entered the race planning on walking instead of running and had no competitive interest then what is the POINT of entering the race at all? Why not walk the same distance and same route some other time in the same expected time frame? He entered the race because of his ego like everyone else. Either for the admiration of others that he was a participant in the race or to stroke his own ego at being a participant, but at least the other participants actually RAN or at least TRIED to run as much of the distance as they could.

[11 Bravo]

57. Worst. Analogy. Ever.

Do you honestly believe that the difference between running and walking is the same as that between running and swimming? I'll tell you what, you put Michael Phelps in a pool and let me trot alongside on the pool deck. He can choose the stroke and distance. Not only will I clean his clock, but I will obliterate the world record.

[Dorian Gray]

60. I have a lot of friends

who enter these things. Marathons, Triatholons (all in NYC). They do it to raise money for charity, and the only people they compete with are themselves. They try to do their best. Why anyone else would feel angered or threatened by that is beyond me.

[Dorian Gray]

59. Well put. Exactly.

[Prometheus Bound]

21. A very tiny number of runners, I suspect, if any, in this case.

Marathoners would recognize the effort he had to make to finish. I can't imagine any resenting it.

[roguevalley]

69. then they should make their own races. Jeezus. How is this

man walking and being inspiration to himself and others a problem for them? Fucking narcisists. And I know. I misspelled the word. :)

[gateley]

2. Jeez - I don't weight 400 lbs but it probably would have taken me 9 DAYS. What is

WITH people? So unkind. :(

[WolverineDG]

28. Well, one skinny person here who loves to beat up on fat people

told me she didn't care if I'd climbed the Pyrenees twice and walked the 500 mile Camino Frances in Spain. All that mattered to her was that I was an evil fat person.

dg

[REP]

41. Don't you know fat = evil?

:sarcasm:

Can't win. If he had quit, it would've been because he's fat. He finished, but it's not good enough because he's fat. He trained and got a lot of exercise - which fat people are always being told to do - but he dared to be publicly fat, so fuck him.

[gateley]

45. Was she a real person, or a troll? That is just so bizarre. nt

[WolverineDG]

78. real person, long-time DUer

someone whose posts I had enjoyed (but no longer!).

dg

[gateley]

83. ...

:wow: I'm so sorry to hear that! It just doesn't jibe in my brain that someone who is a "good" person (you know what I mean) can be so uncaring and judgmental. That's really sad. And I'm so sorry you had to even 'hear' that crap. :hug:

[WolverineDG]

84. Thanks

but it's par for the course. :hug:

dg

[walldude]

3. LMFAO comments coming from people who

think that running is the be all end all of life. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

The only time I run anymore is if someone is chasing me. Other than that I don't see a need. And if these people are typical of runners then I'm glad I don't have to hang out with them.

[DrDan]

7. they are not runners - just those who sit on the sideline and try to be funny

[MattBaggins]

64. You better watch Zombieland

Rule #1: Cardio

[DrDan]

4. that is ridiculous - the guy should be commended

of course, I wonder how many of those offering comments have come close to a marathon. I have completed several half-marathons, and they are not a walk in the park.

[Dorian Gray]

62. That was my thought...

that those people picking on him weren't runners. They were people making THEMselves feel better about not doing anything by picking on a 400 lb man who dared to do something.

Total lack of class.

[LynneSin]

5. Congrats to the person who walked the Marathon. He truly understands the spirit of the competitor

Inspires me to do more events like this even though I can't run very well.

[Brickbat]

8. "He chased his ego" -- and everyone else running the marathon was doing it for...what?

Marathon runners are really a piece of work.

[frylock]

35. word

[southernyankeebelle]

9. I say congrats to the big guy. Screw what they think. You did it.

[tammywammy]

11. So he get criticized for being fat, and when he "runs" a marathon he gets criticized too.

This is just ridiculously stupid.

And congrats to Mr. Gneiting's endurance!

[damntexdem]

12. Exercise is good for everyone, if it doesn't kill them.

Doing a whole marathon, even in 9 hours (so less than 3 MPH), might seem a bit risky for someone who weighs 400 pounds. But since he made it, it was good for him.

And he did a further service by exercising a bunch of idiots on the LA Times blogs. ;-)

[ixion]

13. Accolades to Mr. Gneiting...

The twelve-year-olds and basement-dwellers should be ignored.

[bigwillq]

14. Wow

Good for him for finishing the race. I've covered marathons before. And, yes, some folks walk a long portion of it. Folks who seem to be in good shape based on appearance. It's a shame that some of these folks have to resort to name-calling based on this man's appearance. Sad.

[Lyric]

15. I couldn't make it the whole 26 miles walking.

I have nothing but admiration for this man. Screw the haters.

[madrchsod]

16. he finished ahead of 16 runners.....

[Iggo]

46. BAM!

Right there.

[truebrit71]

18. I myself am quite the pudgy bastard and i can't imagine doing that distance in 9 days, never mind..

..9 hours...

I am amazed that he did that..I cannot imagine the mental strength it takes to complete something like that ordinarily, but doing it at 400lbs make it even more amazing...

Time for me to get the old bike out of the garage and get to work i think..

[Ed Suspicious]

19. To be on your feet

and moving for 9 hours would be tough for anyone. It takes a herculean effort for someone who is 400 pounds. The peanut gallery needs to check their bruised egos at the door. When they finish the marathon with 280 pounds strapped to their back and belly then they can have something to say about it. Till then, shut the fuck up.

[Mnemosyne]

55. +1000 Welcome to DU, Ed S!

:hi:

[themadstork]

71. Yeah. The non-morbidly obese have no real idea of how ridiculously hard this would be.

My latests bouts with depression and diff surgeries have sadly left me technically morbidly obese. Just a few years ago I didn't feel right if I weren't running 6 miles a day. All this extra weight makes everyday stuff frustrating, let alone long-distance walking. The pounding your joints take is immense. Unlike most I don't think being fat is some moral failing, and partly because I don't buy into the shame I am slowly working it off. Kudos to this guy, a great example for the rest of us with similar health issues.

[fishwax]

20. way to go, Gneiting!

:applause:

[WatsonT]

22. He completed it, what does it matter what time he got?

I applaud him for making the effort.

[TheCowsCameHome]

23. Good for him. Maybe Chris Christie will walk 26 miles straight into the Atlantic.

That would be something to cheer for.

[elocs]

24. The average adults walks around 3 mph, so for 26.2 miles that would be 8.73 hours.

So 9 hours, 48 minutes is a very respectable time especially for a man of that size and the effort it would take to move that much weight. I rather doubt that your average adult who may walk for 30-60 minutes at a time would be able to walk the length of a marathon at one go.

This reminds me of a story I read many years ago about the marathon at the Mexico City Olympics. Evidently people would wait for the last "runner" to come across the finish line so they could laugh and jeer at him. The last marathoner entered the stadium to finish long after the others had crossed the line and he was limping and struggling, but when he was all the people still there he pulled himself together and nobly finished the race the best he could muster. His spirit moved the crowd and they gave him a standing ovation as he held his head high and crossed the finish line.

[rasputin1952]

81. I figured it out to be about 2.3 mph...not bad at all, especially considering that

the individual in the center of this had about 240#'s over the average marathon "runner", (actually, it's more like a measure canter), if anyone actually "ran" for 26.2 miles they'd be as dead as the original Marathon dude.

Two things about all of this...the individual completed the course, and did it ahead of 16 others, (not including any number that dropped out along the course). Seems to me, at 400#'s, undoubtedly a little lighter after that hike, this man should feel pretty good about himself, in spite of those who find this "outrageous"

[guardian]

25. I wonder

how long the winner would take to finish carrying and extra 250 pound on his back?

[Curmudgeoness]

31. Excellent point. nt

[WolverineDG]

26. And what did the majority of skinny people do during that same 9 hours?

I doubt seriously any of them walked 26.2 miles.

dg

[CrownPrinceBandar]

27. Were there any rules that said he actually had to run the thing?.........

Did his not running impact their performance? No. Instead of congratulating the guy for actually finishing, I see a bunch of assholes getting their panties in a wad for NOTHING.

[SidDithers]

42. Some races have a cut-off time...

usually 6 and a half hours. Cities that host marathon races, in general, don't want their streets tied up any longer than necessary.

Sid

[Name removed]

70. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[themadstork]

73. I'm reading Frank's What's the matter with Kansas? Right now

Seems like a great example of what he calls the plenti-plaint. "oh no, people are walking marathons, our culture is so doomed."

The vanity of the republican culture-whiners is overwhelming. Every superficial oddity of the world is a personal slight against them.

[RamboLiberal]

29. F*ck the elitist "runners"

A lot of them had to be treated for hypothermia and probably didn't finish.

And I would imagine some of the entry fee posted by all of those who have no hope of being top finishers furnishes prize money for the elite.

[Prometheus Bound]

40. It's not the runners criticising him.

It's just a few snarky assholes who read the LA Times.

[Dappleganger]

80. What is elitist about people who spend hours and hours of physically training

for an event? BTW, only the top 3 get prize money (if at all). Most people just get a shirt and fun memories.

[Brigid]

30. Forget the runners.

Keep walking, Mr. Gneiting! :yourock:

[Modern_Matthew]

32. I hope none of those people consider themselves liberals. They'd be hypocrites. nt

[Nevernose]

33. "He chased his ego for 9 hours..."

Of course he did -- just like everyone else there. Running competitively, in fact, is far more about "chasing ego" than what this fat guy did. The people out to win, or even just out-perform others, by definition were chasing their egos.

And for the rest of them: they mostly seem like a pack of junior high bullies picking on the guy who came in last because he was fat, yet had the temerity to do the same thing the jock kids were doing. Fucking assholes.

[underpants]

34. As a marathoner who has gone the distance 3 times (and failed once) I say --- CONGRATS Mr.Gneiting

Well done.

Did he get a medal? probably not- they tend to have time limits BUT he went the distance. PERIOD. He went the distance.

There are articles every month in Runner's World about doing a run/walk. Amby Burfoot one of the Gods of the marathon world advocates it now. I have personally planned walks in every one that I have ran- to take account of how I was doing and the most important advise you will ever get (and widely do in publications) SLOW DOWN especially at the start.


These two quotes I can very much agree with:

"This man beat everyone who stood on the sidelines and just watched," Kristin Schefcick wrote.

'If I have to crawl, I will.' " -- I gave up on the Lee Bridge at mile 16 of the Richmond in 2009 and it burned me ever since. The medals and my training program for all three finishes that I have achieved (Richmond 2007, Potomac River-NoVa 2008, and Shamrock-Va. Beach 2009) are framed and hanging in my bathroom. I smile every time I see them and Mr. Gneiting should too when he thinks of that day.

Exclusion and separation in any sport or interest does not help it grow. It shows more on the complainer than on the object of scorn. And it clearly shows that they are not into it for IT they are into it from THEMSELVES.

[frylock]

36. note to runners: get a fucking bike

[kudzu22]

37. I am constantly amazed at people's capacity for assholatry

I used to be fat, and I know what it's like. I was only 300 pounds and there's no way I could have walked one mile let alone twenty-six. Now I'm in much better shape and I haven't even done a marathon yet, so my hat is off to this guy. At least he has an official time for the marathon, which is more than 99% of the people out there can say.

[JuniperLea]

38. What a bunch of asshole losers!

WTF? I hope they all get shin splints, bunions, corns, blisters, and plantar fasciitis!! Karma is a bitch, bitches!

[themadstork]

76. That was such a delightful list of running injuries. Loved it! Nt

[Maru Kitteh]

39. screw the haters

[InvisibleTouch]

43. I couldn't walk for 9 hours.

Good for him, and to hell with the jerks.

[TwilightGardener]

44. Who the hell cares if the big guy was out there doing his thing? He set

a personal goal and challenged himself, and went through a lot of effort and pain to finish. Good for him. Screw any asshole who has to denigrate his accomplishment.

[Raine]

47. Good for him!

These are the kind of people who probably like to make fun of overweight people for sitting around. A guy gets out and gets exercise and they crap about that! :mad:

[JVS]

48. I think those runners are badly underestimating the level of perseverance...

that "a long walk for a big guy" takes.

[Prometheus Bound]

52. I hate to sound like a broken record, but who said runners are criticizing him?

It's just a few anti-social boors who seem to park themselves on the newspaper comment sites and who seem to be nasty about everything.

I didn't see one comment from any runners in the marathons in any of the blogs or reports. There was just one person that calls herself runner3. I am sure close to 100% (if not 100%) of marathon runners would support this guy in his effort.

[vicarofrevelwood]

51. I'd like to see any of these whiners run a,

Distance of 26 Miles with a 225lb sack on their back.

[myrna minx]

54. Such nastiness - he's mocked for not getting fit and for being large, but then

he's mocked for trying to get fit. Jerks.

[Drahthaardogs]

56. Who cares. Running is not a sport anyway.

It is certainly athletics, but it is not a sport. It requires endurance, but agility, strength, and hand eye coordination are not required, thus it is not a sport. So a big dude walked it. Big deal.

[Dorian Gray]

58. Sour grapes

Even if he walked the whole thing, so what? It's more than most other people do.

I'm sure it makes them all feel better about themselves, somehow, to diss this guy.

[Le Taz Hot]

61. If there's anything I've learned in life,

it's that there are LOTS and LOTS of people out there who get their jollies by raining on people's parades. DU is full of them. Fuck 'em. Laugh in their face and do it anyway.

[JNelson6563]

63. at 112# I sure wouldn't walk for 9 hours.

At least give the guy some credit for endurance. People can be so nasty.

[DRoseDARs]

65. Wait, anonymous commentors being rude on the Internet is newsworthy? Seriously?

STOP THE PRESSES!!!

Christ, Tony could have posted a story about the sumo-wrestler-cum-runner's accomplishment WITHOUT making it into a bullshit he-said-she-said nontroversy. Why why WHY does the media insist on there being 2 sides to every fucking story?

[Prometheus Bound]

66. About the superman who won the marathon

It was the first marathon he had ever run.

He had to run through shin-deep rain.

He had a terrible cramp.

He thought he was going to die.

He broke the race record by 2 minutes.

He ran it in 2 hours 6 minutes 35 seconds.

That's an average of a 4:49 mile for 26 miles.

He ran the second-fastest marathon in the world this year and the fastest time in California history.

That's ridiculous!

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/20/sports/la-sp-la-marathon-20110321

[nashville_brook]

67. i say keep egging the assholes on...the more they talk the better

let people see how despicable these opinions are. Lumber on!!

[sl8]

68. From the LA Marathon FAQ:

http://www.lamarathon.com/event/faqs/

Excerpt from 2011 Honda LA Marathon FAQ:

# Are walkers permitted? Yes, walkers and race walkers are part of the L.A. Marathon. However, walkers are asked to start near the end of the pack to avoid being crowded or bumped by the faster participants. It is suggested that walkers and slower participants consider using a fanny pack that accommodates a water bottle.

# Is there a time limit to complete the Marathon? No, however streets re-open to traffic at an approximately 15-minute per mile pace. At that time, participants still on the course will be required to move into the curb lane or on to the sidewalk and obey all traffic signals. The finish line will remain open to an 8 hour time limit. This time limit will be strictly enforced.

[Gormy Cuss]

72. Thank you.

Looks like Gneiting was participating according to the rules.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

74. Face it. There are mean, sucky people in the world.

At least in this instance they're being called out for their suckiness.

Kelly Gneiting is a better person than any of those childish twits.

[derby378]

75. "Stay fat and fucking DIE, you fat fuck!"

Geez, could they have telegraphed this any more plainly?

I've been in my share of 5K's, and none of them come anywhere near to the demands of a 26-mile trek. I salute the big guy. Hopefully I can follow in his footsteps someday.

[Desertrose]

77. My god people are mean....and snobs.

Good for this guy!! I give him a LOT of credit!

[Dappleganger]

79. I came to running late in life...

played a lot of sports but always *hated* running just for the sake of running w/a passion.

FF to 12 years ago, we lived in the foothills in the Shenandoah Valley and I picked it up to lose some weight. Turned out to be a lot of fun and meditative for me as a busy mom. Granted, I was as slow as molasses (qualified for "penguin" status, lol) but still finished ever race better and better. Running in hills is a real challenge!

I respect walkers, the real walkers that is. The ones who have a pretty fast, distinctive gait who do training as dedicated as runners do.

Oh, btw most marathons were started with runners in mind, not walkers. Walkers have infiltrated the races and diluted the "wins", IMO. The only races which interest me now are for charity (seems to be the best use of time).

[magdalena]

82. And the people in wheelchairs really suck because they are just sitting the whole time.

:sarcasm:

But seriously, I'm new to the running world and have run a couple of races and most runners, especially the veterans, are incredibly supportive of anyone putting forth the effort to finish a race. I really doubt the hecklers are serious runners. If they are, THEY are the people chasing their egos.

[Bombero1956]

85. goes to show you there's assholes in every walk of life

no pun intended.