First of all we are not a bunch of mean people that do not sympathize with parents who run with baby joggers and want to race with them. It just so happens that I have a 20 month old at home that I put in a baby jogger when I go out for runs. However this has nothing to do with why we post on our race materials and recommend to our race clients that baby strollers and baby joggers are not allowed on the race course. The entire wording is “for safety reasons, baby strollers and baby joggers are not allowed on the race course”.
When we look at our races and how we work with our race clients, safety is a top priority. This is why you see police officers blocking traffic on the road, why we file permits to get roads closed off for the runs, why there are course monitors, etc., etc. Safety is a very serious issue to Race Time Sports. When pushing a baby jogger out on a race course, this is a safety issue to us. The safety of the children sitting in it as well as the safety of the other runners around it. It’s just that simple. We don’t want to create an unnecessary risk in a race environment where the children or other runners could get hurt as a result of a baby jogger turned over or getting loose.
I personally love baby joggers. My wife and I use ours. But we leave it at home for race day unless only to use it as our stroller in the spectator area. We have heard the arguments from the emails. “I have to because I don’t have anyone to watch my kids”, or “It’s my choice not yours”, or “I will start at the back”, and “You said this was going to be a family friendly event”. Here is our feedback on these very typical comments.
1. Please wait to participate in a race when you can find someone to watch your children. They would probably enjoy watching you cross the finish line.
2. It actually is our choice since we bear the burden of all the liability of the event and the safety of all participants.
3. Starting at the back does not mean you will stay in the back.
4. One of the reasons it is family friendly is because we help participants feel safe.
We love our participants and their kids. And we want all of them to be safe and happy. This is why we will continue to recommend to our clients to keep baby joggers off the course and safe.
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