Pearl Izumi Walker Slam

[windwalker]

The June 2010 issue of Runners World has an advertisement by the Pearl Izumi shoe company slaming marathon walkers, here is a quote from it:

"The marathon used to be an elite athletic contest. These days, it's an all day affair where some people mosey across the finish line seven hours after they started."

"Now we don't want to take anything away from these "FINISHERS". But we are fairly certain that Pheidippides wanted people to beat more than the sunset."

Now I was one of those runners that looked at walkers as speed bumps and wished they would stay away from the real athletes fun. Well a cronic achillies injury forced me to be a walker. I had an awakening, walking is indeed a sport and a tough one. I've been a walker for about 5 years now and have a great respect for those "FINISHERS" who cross the finish line in 7 hours.

Dave

 

[Kirsty-Leigh]

I don't see why the "real" runners should care what we slow people do. It's not like we are in the first corral standing in front of them and then walking in front of them for the first mile trying to get in there way. And they will have gone home by the time we finish. What actual benefit would it be to these people if we stopped running? We make up a good population of the race and if we stopped running then there would be less people running, and less funding for the race. What was the point of this other than to make fun and alienate more than 1/2 of the participants.

I say who cares if you are fast or slow. We are all athletes. And we are all AWESOME

Well that's my rant over

Kirsty

 

[SamSam]

As a walker I've become accustomed to people looking at like I'm not really working out if I'm not running. I know I'm getting a great workout, so I try not to let it bother me.
Proud to be a walker!

 

[mytripsandraces]

"Now we don't want to take anything away from these "FINISHERS". But we are fairly certain that Pheidippides wanted people to beat more than the sunset."

I'm pretty sure Pheidippides would have preferred to walk that original run and couldn't have imagined anyone would do that distance willingly!

Now I was one of those runners that looked at walkers as speed bumps and wished they would stay away from the real athletes fun. Well a cronic achillies injury forced me to be a walker. I had an awakening, walking is indeed a sport and a tough one. I've been a walker for about 5 years now and have a great respect for those "FINISHERS" who cross the finish line in 7 hours.

Me, too, except that my jaw was wired shut so I couldn't run the half marathon I'd scheduled. Running and walking are two completely different sports. It was much harder to walk that half than it would have been to run it. I have a lot of respect for people who can walk long distances without taking a tea break!

I don't see why the "real" runners should care what we slow people do. It's not like we are in the first corral standing in front of them and then walking in front of them for the first mile trying to get in there way.

Unfortunately, there are walkers who start in the front. It drives me and most other runners I know crazy! At one event, there was a group of walkers taking up 3/4 of the course in the first mile and talking loudly about blocking the runners. My friends who are walkers always start at the back, but there are some who don't respect the rules of the course. It's unfortunate, but it does happen.

I say who cares if you are fast or slow. We are all athletes. And we are all AWESOME

Too right! I would much rather run than walk and am impressed that people can maintain the walking pace for such long distances. I have a friend who walks ultras and can maintain a 15-minute mile for longer than a marathon! No-one can convince me that that is easy, especially considering how much pain I was in after walking a half marathon in 3:30 (she walks a sub-3 ). Ouch!!

 

[fashionista311]

you know, if you look at the true elites - ryan, paula, deena, meb, kara etc - i've never heard any one of them say anything but positive vibes for everyone just getting out there doing it. it always seems to be the 3.5/4 hr or so marathoners that seem to slam the back-of-the-packers. so by their own logic, a 3.5 marathoner could be "moseying" across the finish line by elite standards and therefore should not belong in the marathon

i say as long as you give it your best shot, more power to you for getting off the coach and trying. besides we all get the same medal at the end of the day no matter how you cross the finish line!

 

[John VN]

My flame suit is on. BTW, I am a new walker.

I can understand and appreciate the sentiment behind the ad. When I think of a Marathon, I think of crossing the finish line after a hard run where you left your guts out on the course and the result is collapsing. Coming from bicycling, I think the same way when it comes to a Time Trial. A bike rider crossing the finish line should require help to stay upright on the bike because of the effort put into the ride.

Now for my gut feelings. If the above results where required, DW and I would not be entered in W&D, Spacecoast 1/2M or 2011 WDW 5K, 1/2 Marathon and the Full for me. I think everybody who walks these events should be considered ATHLETES and deserve as much praise as those who can go to super extremes in order to reduce their times.

Always holding my head up high, to my fellow walkers.

 

[SAHDad]

you know, if you look at the true elites - ryan, paula, deena, meb, kara etc - i've never heard any one of them say anything but positive vibes for everyone just getting out there doing it. it always seems to be the 3.5/4 hr or so marathoners that seem to slam the back-of-the-packers. so by their own logic, a 3.5 marathoner could be "moseying" across the finish line by elite standards and therefore should not belong in the marathon

i say as long as you give it your best shot, more power to you for getting off the coach and trying. besides we all get the same medal at the end of the day no matter how you cross the finish line!

I've never heard it from the 3:30-4:00 crowd. I have heard it, however, from the 2:25-2:45 crowd, the kind who insist that anyone can run a sub 3:00, if only they put in the required effort. To that mentality, I say things that won't even get close to passing the profanity filter.

The course gets no shorter, a warm day typically gets no cooler, and a cold day generally just stays bad when you are out there longer than 3 0r 4 hours. I have walked 20 miles, and, truth be told, I would much rather run it. I have nothing but respect for anyone who is still out there and moving after 5:30 or 6:00 hours.

 

[windwalker]

Yep, walkers are real athletes and real marathoners when they cross the finish line. I used to hear this in the martial arts: This art is so much better and a fung fu guy can beat a karate guy anythime, blah, blah, blah. Bruce Lee said it best, "There are no superior styles of fighting, just superior fighters". The same can be said for the endurance sports, if you work hard and give it your best then you are a superior athlete in my book.

Dave

 

[crewmatt]

I'm a "runner' and I dont have any problem with walkers at all. In fact I couldnt be out there in the sun for upwards of 5 hours. And hey anyone to smile and wave at during a long run is always a welcome perk. I'm the 3:15 crowd, maybe if I suddenly get faster I can be more picky. As long as they dont jump corrals and start in A corral to walk it then more power to them.
I dont know where people complain about the walkers:
A-They're not using up the water at the waterstops
B-Not crowding the finish
C-Not getting in your way - even on 2 loop courses that I've done walkers are usually very considerate when the tip catches the tail.

I think you're an athlete if you consider the distinction to matter. All that it takes to be an athlete in my opinion is a willingness to give 100% to get through an event. If that means walking a marathon, then thats what it means. I mean us marathoners are really "walking" when compared to most 100 meter sprinters. Even if I ran my fastest mile ever, I would NEVER be in the lead at a major event. Regardless of distance.

 

[VernRDH]

Dave, I too saw the ad. And I have the utmost respect for anyone who goes the distance, regardless of how long it takes them to get there. If you put in the training and give it your all, then how can I not respect you? Walker, runner, wogger, whatever, you got up off the couch and went out and did it.

I get it that Pearl Izumi is trying to appeal to more "elite" athletes. But hey, who makes up the greater percentage of participants in these events? The elites or us common folk?

PI will never see a dime of my money.

 

[funwalker]

Sorry Veronica, I don't get it-I do not believe you can build up the 'elite' group of athletes by tearing apart another group of athletes. We have Race Walkers in the Olympics. One has speed and one has endurance. I am disgusted and do not have any respect for IP.

Because one sport is different albeit baseball, football, soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, Running, Race Walking, Walking - does that mean one is set above the other?

I get it that Pearl Izumi is trying to appeal to more "elite" athletes. But hey, who makes up the greater percentage of participants in these events? The elites or us common folk?

Me either and I will not wear what I do have again.

PI will never see a dime of my money.

 

[Bookwood]

I just hope PI never sees a dime of the "non-elite" running money! I work my butt off to maintain a 12-13 minute mile during a half and welcome getting to pass a few people on the way- so Thanks walkers!

 

[windwalker]

I'm determined enough to believe that I can eventually make the shoe companies believe that we are indeed a sport and worthy of products designed for us. Those of you who have known me for a long time know that I've been talking to those shoe companies for a long time. I even had Mizuno come on here and answer questions about their shoes and what worked best for walkers.

I have had to pursue other concerns for a while after my divorce but I will soon be able to continue my battle with them.

Dave

 

[mytripsandraces]

I just hope PI never sees a dime of the "non-elite" running money! I work my butt off to maintain a 12-13 minute mile during a half and welcome getting to pass a few people on the way- so Thanks walkers!

I'm pretty sure they don't get any money from the elites, either, since they tend to pay elites to wear their merchandise or, at the very least, sponsor them, which means they provide them with free running gear.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

Me, too, except that my jaw was wired shut so I couldn't run the half marathon I'd scheduled. Running and walking are two completely different sports. It was much harder to walk that half than it would have been to run it. I have a lot of respect for people who can walk long distances without taking a tea break!

Me too! I can't believe how tough it is to walk those distances! I didn't think it would be easier to walk a half marathon than to run it, but I assumed that the effort would be equal. No way! It is TOUGH to be out there for that long, struggling to keep your pace where it should be.

 

[crewmatt]

Yea, anyone with that marathon waddle the next day in the parks deserves a high five. The other thing is, I own some PI stuff for biking, but I never really associated them with running equipment. In fact I was in my local running store this weekend, and didnt see ANY of their shoes. Has anyone here had any experience with their shoes? I've seen a lot of companies throwing into the running shoe arena who up until recently have been more than happy to ignore it, K-Swiss would be another example.

 

[windwalker]

Nobody wants to market a marathon shoe designed for and advertised for walkers. I'm hoping that will change in the near future. I guess they assume if they supported walkers the real runners would not buy their running shoes.

New Balance sells walking shoes that are great for mall walking but are not players in our world. We are something new and unique, marathon walkers, but we are growing by leaps and bounds. There will soon be more of us than there are runners doing the distance and we need the support that running gets.

Some company sometime is going to step up and acknowledge we exist and start making what fits our unique needs and when that happens we will need to support that company back.

Dave

 

[JillPTFLA]

Pearl Izumi had a similar ad in Women's Running magazine telling runners that they had to mate with other runners to get rid of "slow genes" or something to that effect. I was so incensed by the ad that I wrote a letter to the editor of the magazine and they published it! Of course, it was edited so my point was kind of watered down but at least my disappointment with the company came through. I am a slow runner and really don't aspire to be in the front of the pack (as John Bingham says, you get a much better value for your marathon entry fee if you finish slower!). I am just out there because I can be and I enjoy the hoopla. I will not buy anything by Pearl Izumi either because I was so insulted by these ads.
Jill