Edinburgh Marathon slammed for withholding results

ORGANISERS of the Edinburgh marathon festival have been criticised over a failure to publish the full results of the race.
Runners have criticised organisers of the Edinburgh Marathon for witholding the full results of the race. Picture: Ian GeorgesonRunners have criticised organisers of the Edinburgh Marathon for witholding the full results of the race. Picture: Ian Georgeson
Runners have criticised organisers of the Edinburgh Marathon for witholding the full results of the race. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Almost 10,000 people took part in Sunday’s event, but many are now threatening to boycott future events in the Scottish capital.

Times and placings have been announced only for the top three in each category.

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Confirmation of each runner’s time is texted to participants’ mobiles and can be individually retrieved online, but many said they were disappointed friends and family could not see the times.

Last night, Scottish Athletics said it was already in talks with organisers, Edinburgh-based GSi Events.

A spokesman added: “Scottish Athletics is fully aware of concerns being expressed and is in dialogue with race organisers.”

GSi did not respond to calls and e-mails. Its Edinburgh marathon Facebook website tells participants: “All your personal data and information, including your running times, are treated with great respect.

“As such your result information is available to you. We will only openly publish the top three finishers of each race.

“You will need to log in to get your times, splits and finishing position within the race. You can then choose to share this information as you see fit.”

Runners said such a policy was virtually unheard of and that GSi had taken “data protection” too far.

Marathon times at races around the world are typically published in full online and often in local media. Some critics even claimed the move breached rules laid down by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

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Many runners said they wanted to share their achievement with supporters and sponsors.

Ian McNulty, from Dundee Hawkhill club, said on Facebook: “Just looked to see results of my fellow club members and people I know. Can’t believe you are not making public everyone’s times. This is a race that many people are interested in, not a secret society. I’ve run for over 20 years but this is the first time I’ve heard of a privacy policy over published race times.”

Steven Medd wrote: “I can only assume the organisers had such a tough time organising this year’s event that they had to devise some sort of hare-brained, wacky scheme to ensure nobody with even the remotest interest in running competitively would ever touch it with a bargepole ever again.

“Congrats, you’ve done it, although ‘data protection’ as a justification is a touch far-fetched.”

Darry Coulter said: “Results secrecy fiasco. Shocked by the lack of any statement two days on.”

Hector Haines, an international runner with the well-known Hunters Bog Trotters club in Edinburgh, said: “Not having results after the race devalues the whole event … if you can’t verify your time and result officially, then you have not competed in a marathon.”

Councillor Steve Cardownie, Edinburgh’s festivals champion, said: “It’s a departure from how it used to be done but I can only think it’s down to technology, and to cater for those who don’t want their results out there.”

Many top runners use times from Edinburgh to qualify for automatic slots in other marathons. IAAF rules say: “Official results for all participants should be made available on the race’s website within the shortest possible time.”

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