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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think smoking while taking part in Race For Life is a bit........

73 replies

LifeIsButtercream · 16/05/2011 09:57

......... distasteful?

I did Race For Life over the weekend, I was walking it as I was taking part with my 2yr old and I don't claim to be fit enough to run it.

There was a lady taking part in the walkers group, and I would often find us walking near her (it was quite a 'tight' course so the groups were quite compacted) - everytime I saw her she was smoking, which was quite unpleasant as it was hard to move out of the way of the smoke within a group of people. I probably had my judgypants hoiked up a bit high but seriously, it takes an hour to walk the course at the pace we were all doing, couldn't she have waited till the end to have a fag?

I'm probably being over sensitive, but if I was a person taking part to raise money in memory of someone who had died of a smoking-related cancer I would have found this quite upsetting, maybe even disrespectful?

I understand that, if she was finding doing the walk stressful because it bought back memories of someone who she had lost then she might want to smoke, but the did she have to smoke round most of the course?

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 16/05/2011 18:40

It does seem an odd thing to do.

But then I think smoking when you have any kind of cancer yourself odd.

And smoking where other people are going to experience your smoke is just rude, inside or out.

SardineQueen · 16/05/2011 19:05

Seems to me that people are saying that they'd rather she hadn't bothered. Presumably if she could have held off for the course she would have... So the options are that she joins in and raises money or gives it a miss.

I find it sad that an event which is presumably supposed to be inclusive is full of people who would rather that other attendees would take their sponsorship forms elsewhere. People who are saying she is rude, disrespectful etc clearly would rather that she wasn't there at the event.

EmmaBemma · 16/05/2011 19:05

My friend smoked when she had lung cancer. She was given two years at her diagnosis, and understandably felt there was little point in giving up. In the end, she didn't quite make 18 months.

Serenitysutton · 16/05/2011 19:12

Wahhh! That's hilarious! Smoking whilst doing RFL! I've done loads and never seen that. What a chancer

RevoltingPeasant · 16/05/2011 19:14

YANBU - admit I have never done a RFL but if it is supposed to be an actual race then presumably there are people trying to go their fastest - even just walk their fastest - and blowing ciggie smoke around them is a really unpleasant hindrance to someone out of breath or gasping for air.

Emma there is a difference between smoking yourself when you have cancer and smoking at an athletic event specifically for people remembering victims of cancer.

Serenitysutton · 16/05/2011 19:20

You don't know she was raising money, lots of people don't. They just pay their entry fee and go off and do it.

EmmaBemma · 16/05/2011 19:30

I was responding to this from Lynette, RP:

"But then I think smoking when you have any kind of cancer yourself odd."

I've also just remembered that my auntie, who has stage 3 breast cancer and is currently having chemo following a mastectomy, also smokes. It wouldn't be my choice but, you know... stressful times, and she's a 60 year old lifelong smoker. I wouldn't be telling her she's a "odd".

RevoltingPeasant · 16/05/2011 19:34

Oh sorry :) No, agreed, my granny, whom I never met, smoked until she died when my mum was 19, despite having had one of those god-awful old-fashioned lung surgeries where they make that huge Y-shaped scar down your front.

You can tell I'm not a surgeon, eh....

SardineQueen · 16/05/2011 19:40

I didn't realise that RFL was a serious athletic event. I thought it was something for cancer to raise money and anyone could do it, even if they just walked or whatever. I guess that the entry fees go to organisation of it rather than research? So she really shouldn't have been there at all. Her entry added nothing, and obviously had a really negative effect on a lot of people. It's a shame no-one told her to leave really.

SardineQueen · 16/05/2011 19:42

Maybe they could have a different event which is less competitive in focus, and takes all-comers? To give people like this women and elderly people and those who want to do something but don't fit in with the ethos of a competitive event something to do instead?

RevoltingPeasant · 16/05/2011 19:48

SQ I haven't done it myself, whenever I've raced for charity I've just entered a 'normal' event like the Great North Run and done that for a charity, rather than entering a specific charity race iyswim.

But given that nijinsky says she always runs quite competitive times for them, I'd guess some people might take them seriously.

Also, lots of elderly people do race seriously! There are often special prizes for the 70+ category in most races I do - gives me hope for the future

QuickLookBusy · 16/05/2011 19:50

It isn't a serious event Sardine, you have been misinformed

SardineQueen · 16/05/2011 19:52

Yes of course elderly people can race seriously but they're probably not going to be able to compete against the younger athletes! I just had no idea this even was so serious. Of course I wouldn't think someone should be smoking on the starting blocks of a national race, so obviously in this race they shouldn't either.

I suppose it's my fault for not knowing much about it - I assumed it was an "all comers, come and have a go, it's for charity" thing, rather than a "race-race" if you get my drift. Absolutely competing athletes shouldn't be smoking!

The funny thing is that my in-laws do this and have invited me to go along to one, and I can't even run! So will have to tell them no.

DontCallMePeanut · 16/05/2011 19:53

SQ, RFL wasn't at all competitiive when I did it... Well, they had staggered starts, but I walked it, as BF was ill.

It's not supposed to be taken so seriously. Just some people prefer to run, others are happy walking. I even saw someone with a 2 year old DD and a dog on the track.

SardineQueen · 16/05/2011 19:53

xposts and now very !

DontCallMePeanut · 16/05/2011 19:55

Sardine, it's not one of those things where you have to run. Honest!

It is one of those "everyone have a go" things, although I'm sure last time I checked it was supposed to be females only.

DontCallMePeanut · 16/05/2011 19:55

extra x posts... sorry

Serenitysutton · 16/05/2011 19:57

The point of RFL is it's not competitive

foreverondiet · 16/05/2011 20:06

OMG I thought you were going to say a friend smoked and was doing race for life. Smoking actually during the race is totally selfish, disrespectful and unnecessary its only 5km FFS.

Pfriend · 16/05/2011 20:27

Race for Life is not competitive at all. There will always be a few up the front racing but most competitive runners routinely run further than 5K and don't run RFL- personally I wouldn't dream of asking anyone to sponsor me to run 5K when I routinely run half marathons and marathons - I ask for sponsorship then, and don't do RFL because I don't think it is right to enter it and not raise money on top of the entry fee.
But I do think it a bit ridculous that someone can't hold off havng a fag for 1h! YANBU.

psisedriteoff · 17/05/2011 16:19

Sadly,in my earlier post, "I shall be greeted at the end, by my fabulous terminally ill YOUNG, NON-SMOKER, NON-DRINKER aunt,"

That is not now going to be the case Had some bad results yesterday, seems she is no going to be well enough next month

porcamiseria · 17/05/2011 16:54

ha ha this has made me laugh! sorry

porcamiseria · 17/05/2011 16:55

sorry I only read OP, so to anyone with cancer, my apologies

just the idea of some lard arse smoking on race for life.....

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