Poor officiating robs M55 runner of a Boston medal

Tony Plaster is a runner, not a whiner. So it’s not his style to complain about bad calls. But he apparently was deprived of a third-place medal at Boston. With a little egging on from a few folks, he’s confirmed the following report from one of my masters moles: “(M55) Tony Plaster of the Shore AC placed third in the 3000 Friday evening in Roxbury — fullfilling a lifetime ambition of winning an individual medal at a national championship only to be disqualified for not completing the entire distance. Plaster immediately filed a protest, which added insult to injury. He had to pay a $25 fee. His protest was denied even though he clearly was a victim of the system. Several rules were not in place at this race.”


My source continued:

The rules state that there must be one lap counter for every 4 athletes. In this race there was one lap counter for 16 to 17 athletes. The rule states each athlete should get a “bell lap” Nolan Shaheed, the winner, was the only athlete to get a bell lap. With no clock at the finish line, Plaster was not able to check his time. Why at a national championship was no clock available at the finish line? The following day a clock did appear.

Yesterday, I was forwarded this note from Tony:

The facts are pretty much as in (the source’s) letter:

1. There was no clock running at the finish line to orient the runners.
2. Absolutely no individual lap announcement to me — I believe there was only 1 lap counter for everyone in the heat.
3. The heat combined 55-year-olds with 45-year-olds, not 50s. (The M50s) ran own heat.
4. The rules state that “each runner shall be given their bell lap.” This absolutely was not done.
So I am running in third place with a 40/50m lead in the national championship and stop running on the 14th lap. No official says a word and as I am bent over gasping 10 seconds later I notice and wonder why the runner who was in fourth place behind me continued after the line.
The rest is the usual tale — all my protests fell on deaf ears, officially.
If we were to be responsible for counting our own laps, an announcement at the start would have been appropriate. And if so, why have the lap cards? If they are not accurate, don’t use them and be sure to have a clock so runners can figure where they are by the clock at least. And if someone is aware that I still have a lap to go, why not tell me so I can make the choice to continue running — which I would have.
I am done with this.
My family and friends saw me run and, quite frankly, I dont have so many really good races that I push out of myself and never look back that I want to give this one over to the “he said/she said ” controversy.
I watched a lot of really huge efforts by many athletes at this meet — men and women that simply would not be denied by discomfort and pain and bad luck and so on. I still have my race.
Thank you, Tony Plaster

Me again:
Ah, another lap-count disaster. How many times have we heard of this at major national or world meets? Three, four, five times?
The official results are posted thusly:
M55 3000 Meter Run
1 591 Shaheed, Nolan M57 So Cal Track,Pasadena 9:10.27
2 11 Allison, Michael M55 Club Northwe,Seattle 10:06.38
3 293 Harter, Reid M56 unattached, Boise 10:34.87
4 515 *Payne, Tim M57 unattached 11:21.58
— 234 Friedman, David M56 Shore Athlet, Monroe DNF
— 524 Plaster, Tony M55 Shore Athlet, Neptune DNF
Does this mean David Friedman was similarly afflicted?
No doubt Nolan was lapping folks at the end. So it’s easy to see how lap-counters can get confused. But this isn’t rocket science. Tony deserved better treatment, especially in his nationals debut in this age group. (He turned 55 in January).
As far as being given a medal when he didn’t finish, that’s a stretch. I don’t know of any way he can be given a medal for not completing the distance — even if it’s clearly the fault of officials.
What he’s owed is a sincere apology. Meet management should comp his entry fee. Anything to show remorse, contrition, etc.
When will we learn?
We wish Tony well, and hope he’ll return to nationals again.

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March 28, 2007

7 Responses

  1. Frank Handelman - March 28, 2007

    There is only one thing to do – USATF has to award Tony a bronze medal – without taking away Reid’s bronze. Tony earned it and there is absolutely no reason for this not to be done. We are all in this for the love of the sport and for our fellow competitors – not the money (there is none) and not the fame (there is very little). Duplicate medals have been awarded in the Olympics due to officating errors – do it here!

  2. Mary Harada - March 28, 2007

    so what is new – poor to non-existant lap counting for the 3k (will it happen for the 5k in Maine – probably not – I have not had a bad experience there).
    I signed up for but did not run the 3k at Boston. I have finally learned from years of running the 3k on Friday and the mile on Saturday – that I just cannot do that. So last year and this year – I did not run the 3k. Should I run the 3k next year my husband will come in with me and be my personal lap counter. I do not trust any meet to do it correctly. some may recall my comments a year ago about the lap-counting fiasco in Linz at the WMA indoor meet – when all alleged records for Women 65 and up were tossed out because of incompetent lap counting.
    I was stunned to learn that there was NO CLOCK on the track for the 3k – this is a NATIONAL meet – not an all-comers – good grief. And one counter for 17 in the men’s race- terrible. As for a bell for the final lap – aside from the first runner to get the bell – in mixed age group races – never ever have I experience that – and I have been running 3ks and 5ks on the track for more than 25 years. Maybe it should happen – it does not – and not just in the 3k, it does not happen in any mixed age group race I have run. It would be nice for the officials to acknowledge that there is more than one age group out there – but when they have only one lap counter for multiple age groups – you also think they will be ringing bells! Fat chance of that – first they need to abide by the rules – 1 counter for every 4 competitors, keeping lap sheets and actually writing down lap times – bell ringing – LOL

  3. Steve Vaitones - March 28, 2007

    I’m not only a critic, I also answer criticisms.
    And I’m not criticizing Tony, I want to present what happened outside (or inside) the oval. Ken’s “mole” needs to get the facts straight (and sorry Mary, so do you in this case).
    Ken’s comment: “only to be disqualified for not completing the entire distance”. He wasn’t DQ’ed, he DNF’ed.
    It is true that there was no clock. We’re in a rented facility and bring in everything but the Lynx system, and, you know, sometimes things don’t get done regardless of the checklist. And I’m ultimately responsible. Hey, I was told it was a responsible position. (Those with big event management experience might agree, and I hope future directors highlight that item on their ‘to do’ list. My fall back comment, but there’s a heck of a lot of truth to the statement.
    There indeed was not a bell for the last lap for every runner. When was the last time that happened at a masters meet. (Mary’s been to world meets and states she’s not experienced it). From the devil’s advocate position, if we did that, then we’ll have protests because athletes who were lapped running along side someone else will say they thought the bell was for them and they were confused.
    FYI, the M45 and M55 leaders were running together most of the way, including at the bell.
    There was someone reading splits.
    There were three lap counters, two of which have come in to do the 3000’s for a number of years here, and I wouldn’t replace them with anyone out there.
    The lap board is only for the leader; it is not changed for every runner.
    “To go” were told to each runner – a runner might not have heard them in the intensity of the race, but they were being tracked.
    Lap sheets showed Tony stopped a lap early. He was recorded directly behind the same runner for laps 3-4, 6, and 9-13 (and one more place back on laps 5,7,8) and that individual continued another lap. The order of places 1-10 didn’t change over laps 9-13.
    The Games Committee reviewed the protest and denied it. I don’t have the written protest, but I would assume the arguments were not convincing.
    Regardless of outcome, awards can’t be given if an athlete doesn’t complete the distance.
    And Ken, on the Friedman DNF, he was out before 3 laps were completed.
    Steve V

  4. Quick Silver - March 28, 2007

    Lap counters (and pointers out on the roads) are only there for assistance. It is always the runner’s responsibility to know the route and to keep his own lap count.
    Quick Silver
    Hong Kong

  5. Mary Harada - March 29, 2007

    Steve: I was surprised to hear that there was no track clock on Friday – in all the years that I have run the 3k at Boston I do not recall there not being a track clock. Well stuff happens – and that was one of them. No one is perfect and I guess my surprise was that I just assume that the masters meet at Reggie will be run with such precision and perfection – that it comes as a shock to learn that you folks do not walk on water! -:) Seriously – I have never experienced a problem with lap counting in the 3k at the nationals in Boston – but I still have someone on the side doing it for me because I like to see my splits and I do not assume that there are sufficient lap counters to give me that written record. Next time I run the 3k at Boston – I will have my husband come and take down my splits because he enjoys watching the meet, not because I think the counters will not be paying attention to where I am. Anyway – I can tell my time where I am – when one runs close to 1 min a lap – the math is easy even for me when I am in oxygen debt! And – I never expect a miracle. While a clock at the finish line makes it easier to keep track of splits – having someone calling out the time is great – in Boise at the National Masters meet – they turned off the clock for the first finisher for all the women, did not re-set it and had no official calling out time – it was just tough luck to all you older women – just keep running until you think you might be done. (the scoreboard clock was not working either) What a mess – Gerry Davidson was out there trying to set a world record at age 85- watch in hand trying to figure out her laps. It was a disgrace. That is why I love running at Reggie when Steve and the USATF-NE crew run the meet.

  6. al cestero - March 29, 2007

    what a shame…tony is a teamate of mine and one of the nicest guys around, to say nothing of his work ethic, which truly humbles me..i couldn’t make the meet , but wondered why the summaries listed him as a dnf…it’s not his style…he’s the type that’ll run two extra laps for fun…it would be a nice, fitting gesture,given the circumstances, to award him a bronze medal..i for one, can vouch for his earnest spirit, and if anyone deserves a break,…it’s him…albert

  7. Master Runner - March 30, 2007

    While it would be nice to have a clock and lap counter, I think the runner has to take responsibility too. After all, the runner should have a pretty good idea based on time elapsed on their watch … unless you’re in the habit of running 40-50 second PRs!

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