Fish Creek Park

Let's start with a hypothetical scenario:

If a marathon runner is the first person to cross the finish line and is given both a chip and gun time of 2 hours 45, and another runner of the same gender crosses the line as the 10th person but with a gun time of 2 hours 47, but a chip time of 2 hours 43, who is the winner?

IAAF rules of competition say that the official time is the gun time, and that awards or prizes are given on that basis. I was once informed that the gun time is used as this ensures everybody in the race has the same conditions and therefore nobody has an advantage - rumour or not, the use of gun or chip time is certainly a contentious issue when it comes to winners and losers, and one that no doubt causes a great deal of debate.

I've been a runner for well over 30 years now, and yet today was the first time I have experienced losing out on a podium position because 2 people that did not pass me in a race made the choice to start further back in the field,  and actually ran a faster chip time than what I did.  Yes, it was like a smack in the chops, yes I feel disappointed, frustrated and cheated out of a prize, but thankfully I've got enough trophies and medals, running shirts and gear to last me a lifetime, so much so that the bitter pill I was forced to swallow went down a little easier than most.

It was the penultimate race in the 5 Peaks Trail Running Series at Fish Creek Park, and I'd woken up feeling a little under the weather. I felt tired, felt a little icky, and I really wasn't in the mood. I couldn't decide whether it was just pre-race nerves at the thought of a shorter and no doubt faster trail race, or whether I had a bug or something - either way, I really wasn't looking forward to racing.

The race started at 9am and due to the narrow start and the single track trails about 2km into the race, the organisers made the decision to stagger the start, with the faster runners asked to go first. I'm not the best trail runner, but I still felt that I should start nearer to the front and so found myself lining up with the speedsters.

Pre-race and not feeling too good!

The start was indeed fast, and my first 2 km splits came in at around 4.20's. This was far too fast for me, especially considering there was another 14km to go which included plenty of steep climbs, winding forest trails, knee-deep grassy meadows, and a small stream crossing. My legs were already feeling heavy so I was surprised that I'd even managed to go off that fast, but to be cautious, I reigned myself in and started to run at a more conservative pace.

With starting at the front of the field, I knew that there were already 3 ladies ahead of me, and I was quite happy to settle into 4th for now, with the intention of waiting to see how the race panned out. However, the gap between us was starting to widen and I hadn't got enough strength to make up any ground.

Start of the race

A climb up through the woods brought us up on to the ridge and as I started to run along the narrow pathway above the cliff, I noticed that one of the ladies had now turned around and started her decent back down the trail towards me. I had forgotten that the sport and enduro events were starting together and I figured that she must be doing the shorter sport event, and sure enough, a different coloured number confirmed this for me as she sped past. This now meant that I had moved in to 3rd position, and with the thought that maybe I could make the podium after all, I found myself speeding up. A few minutes later, another lady was heading back on the return leg - whoo hoo! I was actually in 2nd place, and with that in mind, I started to push harder in an attempt to put as big a gap as possible between me and any chasing ladies.

I couldn't see the leading lady in the Enduro event - she has sped off up the trail shortly after the start - and apart from a couple of chaps that kept whizzing past me on the uphill only to be overtaken by me on the down, I never saw another soul anywhere near me for the next 10km. The trails were pretty tricky and required lots of concentration, but by now I had got my competitive head on and didn't hold back despite the sharp turns, tree roots and rocky sections.

With around 3km to go, I was starting to pay for the earlier faster pace, but I forced myself to keep working and overtook a few men in the process. As I made the final turn from the trail to rejoin the paved pathway, one of the marshalls said something that I didn't quite hear but for some reason made me turn and look behind - another lady was about 20 yards behind me and was giving chase!

I'd spent so long in 2nd place that I wasn't about the relinquish it now, and the sight of her put me into fight or flight mode as the adrenalin surged through my veins and my breathing became more erratic. Suddenly, I was doing 4 minute km pace and I was frantically telling myself to calm down, relax, stay strong and control the breathing. I had 2km still to go - a little over a mile - could I do this? My legs were saying no whilst my mind was saying yes, and before too long, I saw the finish line and almost collapsed in heap as soon as I crossed it. I'd done it - I'd held onto 2nd place and I was ecstatic. The chasing lady finished strong some 45 seconds or so behind me to take 3rd......except she hadn't - she'd won the race - or at least that's what the results said. And the next lady to cross line snatched 2nd place, relegating me to 4th.

At first, I couldn't comprehend it - I was on the front row at the start, and only 3 ladies had gone past for the whole duration of the race, 2 of which were doing the Sport course. I began to wonder if perhaps men had ran with somebody else's number, but no, they hadn't. They were both ladies, and it look like they had won based on their chip time rather than the gun time - and despite having never led the race, despite not passing me or the "leading" lady, they were declared winners.

I felt extremely let down and disappointed - crikey, I even felt embarrassed, especially considering my efforts over the last 2km to get away. I felt paranoid, convinced that the other lady already knew she had won and was laughing at me panicking and running away for nothing. I'm so used to doing races based on gun time that I never thought for a second that this would change - you race your competitors, not the clock, and the winner is the first one past the post - at least that's what I always thought.

In all fairness, the first 2 ladies DID run well to finish so close behind us at the end, but I can't help wondering why they started with the slower runners rather than with the leaders - did they consider starting later an advantage in terms of giving themselves space on the trails and not getting caught in a bottle neck? Who were they racing - me as a competitor, or the clock as a time trial? Maybe 5 Peaks should make it more clear how THEY determine the results - that way people won't be disappointed.

I've always been a fan of the 5 Peaks Trail Races but the past 2 events have left me wondering why I'm doing them. I won the ladies race at the last event, and yet they gave my prize to the 2nd placed lady and I would have walked away with nothing - again despite a sprint finish! - if it weren't for Andy and Alan offering to speak to the organisers to explain their mistake. I got a prize, but not what it was meant to be.

Today just took the biscuit and I didn't even hang around for the presentation to find out what had happened - I was far too annoyed and disappointed. The scary thing is, the first race in the series back in May this year was used as the trial race for the Canadian Mountain Running Championships - I wonder how those people were selected? First over the line, or the fastest runner? Was it even a race, or was it just a time trial? It makes a mockery of things for sure!

There is one more race in the 5 Peaks Series, and it's back at the Canmore Nordic Centre in September. I'm already entered as one of my goals for this year was to do all of the races with the aim of winning my age group category overall.

Much as I've loved these trail races and the courses they provide, it time to try something different and I think that next year is going to feature lots more on the trails, but over much longer distances.

For now though, I've graciously swallowed the bitter pill - kind of - and need to start preparing for another 50 miles on the trails next Saturday which if reputation is anything go by, is going to be pretty damn good :-)