Rich on Running: Be charitable toward Marathon’s charity runners

In the battle between elite runners and charity runners over the soul of the Boston Marathon, I’m siding with the charity runners.On Sunday, a published media report came out that depicted several hard-core runners griping about the current state of the Marathon. Their beef – part of it, anyway – goes like this: Even though they had met the qualifying time, they couldn’t compete because there were too many slots reserved for people who get in through an alternate process, such as running for a charity.While I sympathize with someone who has worked hard to qualify for the Marathon only to miss out on a spot because there isn’t enough room for elite runners, my sympathies only extend so far. Over 21,000 runners qualified to run the Marathon last April ? compared to under 6,000 who received non-qualifying invitations. That’s a fairly large gap.Bemoaning the presence of non-qualifiers reveals one of the uglier aspects of sports, which is when athletes who have become so good at their craft want to shut out the “ordinary” people who also want to compete. We saw this in the NFL personnel who passed on Danny Woodhead ? and we are seeing it now with the Marathon miscreants.If anything, the Boston Athletic Association should expand the options available to charity runners. I don’t mean expanding the field ? almost six thousand is kind of pushing it. But the BAA should be more charitable to people who want to run for a charity. Currently, charity runners must generate thousands of dollars – as much as seven grand – for their organization, and if they can’t meet that total, the balance might come out of their credit card. This sounds less like charity fundraising and more like “predatory” fundraising.The one aspect of the elite runners’ argument with which I sympathize fully is that too many spaces go toward folks who qualify solely because they have an “in” with the BAA. Sadly, cronyism in Boston is as old as James Michael Curley ? maybe even older ? and it is not even close to its “Last Hurrah.”So, to the runners who feel left out, my advice is to stop taking it out on people who are trying to help worthy charities and start taking it out on the BAA’s buddy system.A study in contrasts: Last week, I enjoyed a morning run along Smathers Beach in Key West while vacationing in Florida with my girlfriend. I did it barefoot – which quite a few other runners are trying these days – in 70-degree temperatures by the sun-splashed sea.Then, yesterday, I went for a run up Massachusetts Avenue from North Cambridge to Arlington Center (about three and a half miles). First the snow started coming down gently. Then it was coating cars, sidewalks and streets. Let’s just say there was a bit more walking than running on the return trip. And let’s just say running in Florida in December is quite different than running in Massachusetts.Congratulations to the Lynn English boys indoor track team, which is 1-1 after defeating Saugus at Swampscott yesterday.”Last year, we only won two meets,” said Bulldogs coach John Walsh. “It was tough (with) Peabody, Marblehead, Swampscott, Beverly. It was a rough schedule.”The Bulldogs got their first win of the season in their second dual meet. They also had a close contest in their opener, a 46-40 loss to Danvers last Thursday.”The team had a really good night, actually,” Walsh said of the Bulldogs against Danvers. “We’re doing all right. We’re strong all around.”Walsh was a three-season track athlete (cross country, indoor and outdoor) at English from 1982-85. This is his second year coaching at his alma mater. He has help this year from recent alum Ricky Kimber – “one of the best around,” Walsh said – who is working with hurdlers and sprinters and is planning on going into the Marines. Walsh also credited former Bulldogs coach Mike Toomey with a role in the rebuilding process.Upcoming races: This is a relatively quiet week, but that’s understandable because of all the holiday commitments people may have for Christmas.