There is no shame in a DNF. No one wants to enter a race and not finish, but sometimes bailing out is unavoidable. Weather, injuries, wrong turns, missed cutoffs, allergic reactions to bee stings—these are all things that could prevent you from reaching the finish line. Regardless of your skill level, there is no guarantee that any ultramarathon will go smoothly. But if you give it your best you have nothing to be ashamed of, even if you must pull the plug before your goal has been reached.
However, something has been bothering me lately, and it’s that a growing trend of race directors are allowing runners to “drop down” a distance mid-race and still get credited with a finish. The most common stage for this is in a 100-mile race where runners sign up to run two 50-mile loops, only to drop after one loop but still get a finisher’s medal for completing the 50-mile race. I have also seen this at 100ks where runners were given the option to stop and finish at the 50-mile mark.
In ultrarunning, the value lies in the effort to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone and the rewards that come from overcoming the challenges we face along the way. This is not a sport for the faint of heart. Ultrarunning takes dedication, commitment, hard work and sacrifice. And the process, long before we ever toe the line, is what makes us better people on and off the trail. I would much rather see a runner give everything he or she had and DNF at mile 65, than take a medal for stopping when they were still able to continue.
Perhaps this is not a common occurrence, and there is a good chance you have never run a race that allowed this option. But should you find yourself in this situation and ultimately choose not to continue (for whatever reason), do not take credit for a finish. Instead, take pride in your accomplishment and that while you DNF’d, you still did something that most people would never have the courage or dedication to take on in the first place. And use your frustration with your DNF to figure out what went wrong and how you can do better next time.
Do you need to adjust your training or nutrition, or add more strength workouts into your weekly routine to prevent those trashed quads that kept you from running down hills? Whatever it is, look forward. Taking credit for finishing a race that you did not complete is fool’s gold. It might look good on paper, but you will know deep down inside this was not what you set out to do. Furthermore, it may discourage you from doing the things you need to do to improve. Your false satisfaction will likely act as a deterrent. You may check a box that should remain unchecked.
So, the next time you are faced with the option of stopping and taking a “finish,” versus pushing on — despite the pain, bad belly or the uncertainty that lies ahead (which will surely be less comfortable than the hotel bed that is just a few minutes away) — I urge you to keep going for as long as you safely can. Never push through an injury that could do long-term damage, or place yourself, crew or rescuers at risk by putting yourself in a dangerous situation far from an aid station.
Go until you can possibly go no further. For in that moment, when you must hand in your race bib or cut off your bracelet, you will know you did everything you could. You can be proud and satisfied. And that DNF on your UltraSignup page will not be a black stain, but a badge of courage that you left it all out there.
16 comments
I don’t feel like DNFs are a point of pride and I do have a couple mixed in with my successful race results. That said; I don’t like the option for racers to ‘thunk’ the entry and drop down to a shorter distance.
The ability to thunk at an event also detracts from the accomplishments of those who finish was they start. There is less risk of failure if you just need to adjust your entry once you get started.
Plan your work and work your plan.
I would take a DNF than drop down and get a medal BUT I don’t care if others do it. It’s none of my business and doesn’t affect me as long as the RD allows it. Do I think less of you as a trail or ultra runner if you do? Nope. I don’t judge people that way. Maybe you shouldn’t either.
I’m with Francis on this. Everyone is different, which means they have different abilities, goals, levels of experience, motivation, etc. But when somebody makes a decision that’s different than what I might make (like dropping down) I don’t get “bothered” by their choice, much less by the fact that an RD gave them that choice in the first place, just like I wouldn’t judge someone less favorably because they signed up to run a shorter distance than I did or fault the RD for offering multiple distances to race. I know this article was intended to inspire people to persevere through the inevitable difficulties during an ultramarathon but, in my opinion, there’s plenty of room in the sport for events that offer the option to drop down and for events that don’t.
If you stop at 50 miles you’re quitting, which is fine, but you didn’t “finish” anything. You don’t deserve that hard earned finisher’s buckle. RDs should know better.
Sure you did. You finished a 50 mile run, which is an achievement that not many people can claim.
If the race director allows it then I don’t see the point in making any runner feel bad for taking a finisher award for the distance they actually did complete on the course. I recently completed a two loop 100 mile race and I’m very happy that my friends who couldn’t continue after the 50 mile mark (in some cases well after) still received a nice mug recognizing that 50 mile accomplishment. They didn’t get the 100 mile buckle this time – but they did finish those 50+ miles.
I am in the camp where it doesn’t bother me in the least bit. I don’t think people who drop down should get a place award for the drop down distance, but getting a finish medal and credit isn’t a big deal.
Why be so concerned with your own definition of other people’s successes and failures, when you should be focusing on you and your best? This article sounds pompous disguised as motivational; if the race allows it, then it’s a legitimate finish whether you agree with it or not.
We all set goals, sometimes we make it, sometimes we don’t. There’s no shame in setting an audacious goal and not quite getting there-it’s motivation for growth. Everyone has their opinion on this topic, but for me personally getting a medal for a distance less than what I set out to do puts an asterisk on it. And inside my own head I wouldn’t be ok with it. But that’s just me.
The drop down probably matters less to those runners who are not contending for a podium or age group accolade. If you were third place based on the registered 50 milers, and then got bumped to fourth place because a registered 100 miler went out too hot and “DNF’d” down to the 50, I could see being annoyed by that outcome….especially if the podium finishers were to receive a case of beer. Just sayin!
I think some are missing the point. We set these goals for training and racing and we should use the race to measure our progress and success. I think the author is trying to tell us that if we fail to reach our goal it’s OK. We owe it to ourselves to acknowledge the shortfall and go back to the drawing board and make the next one better. Receiving a medal for less than the intended effort can hinder that improvement process. Don’t quit (unless hurt or in danger), keep trying. I’ve come back from and seen others come back from serious BONKs. Does the drop down medal encourage some to quit reaching for their original goal? I think so.
I agree with John, this is pompous disguised as motivational. Nobody is missing the point here. The author has a bone to pick and is going about it the wrong way.
I just ran a 50K where EVERYTHING went wrong in the first lap and I was asked if I wanted to take a 25K finish. That’s not what I came to do. I regrouped, went back out again, learned how to adjust, and finished. Not my best race but I am much wiser for seeing it through and will have that experience forever.
To each, their own, but why not consider an allowed mid-race drop down as an “unofficial finish?” The runner knows exactly what transpired without additional judgement. I choose not to criticize what others do as the challenge is great enough that I need only focus on myself.
I have accepted a lower finish including finisher’s award when the RD allowed it. Definitely makes it easier to “quit”, although completing 50 miles doesn’t feel so much like quitting to me. I think that if an RD allows people to drop down then they shouldn’t be able to receive any podium awards. If they did I think this is the only time it should concern other runners since it’s only fair to know who you’re competing against. Otherwise I couldn’t care less what other people do and what the RD allows. If the RD allows drop downs and I don’t, then that makes continuing on and finishing the intended longer finish that much sweeter. I’m happy to just focus on my own efforts and internal goals.
Interesting….If no one else is impacted by a person recieving a finishes medal when they drop down a distance…I dont think it matters. But it they recieve a place on the podium…taking it from someone else…well thats just not ok. Personal story thats sort of, but not really relevant lol…In Challenge Roth I, as an amateur competitor got third place in my age group. Yippy I thought. But no, third place was taken by a professional athlete that finished 2 minutes ahead of me, but last in the professional race. So automatically, based on a professionals athlete time, if they dont win anything in the Pro race, they get put into the amateur results! I struggled with this.
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