Tuesday, June 4, 2013

CSI Bris-vegas

I swear those super-sleuths on TV have nothing on a runner who believes she ran better than the results on the internet suggest.

The provisional results for Sunday's race were on line by Sunday night and I'd been curious all day about the lady in pink that I'd passed in the home stretch. I'd thought that she might be in my age group  but I'm a terrible judge of age and the lady who'd collected the third place medal wasn't her so it was up to the results to satisfy my curiosity.

So I was surprised when I saw this - I'm seventh name down and the two people following close behind are definitely male. Plus the time I'd gotten on my watch was 5 seconds out. Sure I might not have pressed start the moment that they'd said go (it was a really low-key event - no starting pistol or hooter) but I certainly don't have a tortoise-like reaction. I'm more ninja-on-red-bull especially when I'm trying to drag off a P-plater apprentice tradie in a ute at a set of red lights.


So who was the lady in pink that I'd passed? Was she just a figment of my oxygen-deprived brain that I'd conjured up to keep me pushing the pace right to the end?

I knew I was going to have to wait till the photos came through to see if I was just making up porkies, if I was hallucinating and maybe needed (more) medicating and a white jacket OR if something had gone amiss with the timing and the results.

Photos came through yesterday evening and I'm relieved to know that I'm not seeing little pink people. Somehow the results got a little stuffed up - not sure how when it's all done with the magic of chips and computers.

It took quite a bit of searching to find the incriminating photos. The photographer had done a really good job of getting shots which hadn't been photo-bombed by hoards of gurning runners. (Gurning is a quaint English tradition where you win by being voted the most grotesque-looking. It's like a reverse beauty pageant.)


But persistence is my middle name. Or it might be OCD. Or she-who-must-be-right. I eventually found what I was looking for.

Here's me finishing in front of the lady in white from the half marathon and if you look closely you can see a little sliver of pink just poking out from the side of the finish arch.


And here's the same white lady being followed through the finish line by my pink hallucination-who-was-actually-real. I checked her number against the results and 'apparently' she finished 5 seconds ahead of me and won the 50-59 age group. 


So I'm claiming my rightful victory here and now. I might not have the medal but in my head I'm standing on the top of the podium with the olive wreath around my head and the gold medal being placed around by neck by none other than Hugh Jackman (Yep, I enjoyed that congratulatory kiss, Hugh. Hope you did too.) while the stadium full of adoring fans erupts with cheers making it impossible to hear the Chariots of Fire theme being played over the loud-speakers.

Pity reality isn't as much fun as my imagination!

13 comments:

  1. Hmmm..... Now how did that happen? You were robbed of Hugh!!

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  2. They stuffed up the results big-time! I know 7 people that did the half, and 6 had their results recorded incorrectly (one by 50 minutes!!!)

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  3. You have you send them a mail... if not for yourself, then for us, we want you to win, specialy after that write up and your fight for victory...

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  4. How can be results recorded incorrectly? I hate that kind of organization.

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  5. I love your imagination. Weird results since it's obvious you passed the pink panther.

    I usually believe the time I have on my Garmin if the race results are much different than on my watched. I even hit stop button when I'm in a race for let's say a 5K and I haven't passed the finish yet. When Edward II (Garmin) says I ran 5K I press stop :)

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  6. Write them. I have been in races that were mixed up and they fixed them although it was still at the race that we got it straightened out. That stinks.

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  7. Well that's crap.. I mean how did that happen! Booooo!

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  8. haha... reality is never as fun as imagination! ;)
    Is it possible she started the race behind you? hm... maybe the results are def messed up... weird?

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  9. That is just not right. With chip timing errors should not occur. You have the right to an appeal.

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  10. That's an outrage! You deserve your moment of glory with that amazing time. Thank goodness for your Sherlock Holmes-like investigation or you would never have known!

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  11. What?! I would not be happy - you clearly beat her!!! She must have thought you were much younger than her to go ahead and accept the first in age group medal!!!

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  12. Either the timekeeper's asleep at the switch or she's Rosie Ruiz. You need to contest this...we need you to win, because you DID!

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  13. Hmph! This calls for a protest!

    Although as you say... at least you know the truth! Could she have started later or do you all start together? I know nothing about running races obviously!

    Either way, you did a fabulous job! (And THAT'S all that matters in my little mind!)

    xx

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