[CQ-Contest] Fragmenting and cheapening contests.

[S. Markowski Jr.]

This is getting to be like comparing apples and oranges.

It was said these "shorter races" were "sometimes" run in conjunction 
with the marathon. There currently are no "shorter contests" that run in 
conjunction with "The Marathon" Contests.  These are separate races 
you're referring to, not a "mini-version" of the Marathon.  Even if you 
have a 5K races........ everyone travels the same 5K, to the same 
clock.  How in the heck do you have a "5K" contest that's fair and 
equitable?  Too many variables: propagation being the big one, sleep 
/time-off periods of the Big, Single-Op stations.  No way to even it out 
in a short period. You compete against more than a clock in a contest, 
and I don't know of any "Mult's" in a Marathon race.

In almost every contest , I miss approximately 26 hrs due to my job's 
shift schedule other than when I'm on vacation.  I just deal with it. I 
don't have a Contest Station at home..... Me competing on a level keel 
with the stations(and ops) of WB9Z, N9RV, K9ZO, ( many others) not to 
mention the east and west coast Super Stations gives me about the same 
chance of winning the contest, whether a marathon or a "shorty", as I do 
beating the Kenyan Guy who has been winning most of the Marathon's lately. 

Now to consider the work involved by the contest sponsors, log checkers, 
software guys.....Extra classes, more T-shirts (prizes for 
winners/participants)...who's going to flip the bill for this?  Most 
organizations are already operating on very tight budgets.  Where's the 
money going to come from?  I haven't seen corporate sponsorships line up 
for ham radio contests, as they do for the Marathons.  What's the 
entrance fee to be able to "participate" in a big marathon?  I don't 
know of any ham contests that require a fee to participate in.  How many 
people would participate in a contest if there were fees to enter?  I'd 
bet there would be quite a bit less than now.

This is not meant to flame anyone.  The major contests are just 
that...Major Contests! (Marathons) If they are too long to operate in 
them, and your only intention is to Win the contest....It is not going 
to happen, don't enter.  I think (self included), most who enter (or at 
least are on the air for), know they are not going to Win, but choose to 
play anyway.  Compete against yourself (previous best score, more hrs in 
chair, competing against similarly situated stations, etc.)  I DO get 
frustrated operating from home......  but I've also gotten frustrated 
during big runs in V2. Stuff happens.  I like to compete..... play 
radio, have a good time...... I can't play football anymore, retirement 
from work is closing in.  I never ran in a marathon.......was never 
interested in it.  I can Contest/or play radio darn near anytime, 
regardless of how bad knees or any other body part I've abused are 
acting up... In those conditions, I wouldn't even rate a "spectator" at 
the Boston or Chicago Marathons.  Apples and Oranges....
73,
Zig KM9M


Russell Hill wrote:

>Actually, they have 400M, 800M, Mile, 5K,etc, sometimes run in conjunction
>with the Marathon.  Not everyone has the real estate, budget, time
>resources, cooperative family or job, or whatever else to focus on
>Marathons.  If the only T-shirts awarded were to the Marathon participants,
>there would be a lot less activity.
>
>I do not get the impression that the Marathon participants are upset when
>someone wins a prize in a 5 or 10K "Fun Run".
>
>73,
>Rusty, na5tr
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <K3BU at aol.com>
>To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 10:06 PM
>Subject: [CQ-Contest] Fragmenting and cheapening contests.
>
>
>  
>
>>In a message dated 3/17/04 1:07:22 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>>frugoli at worldlinkisp.com writes:
>>    
>>
>>>>Maybe it's a 24 hour contest but you can only operate 6 hours.<<
>>>>        
>>>>
>I haven't seen anyone trying to break the Marathon into smaller
>Marathonlings. (Yea, they made category for women, because they can't beat
>men :-)
>
>
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