First place stripped away!

[AuntieK]

Ok, so Saturday I did a race, and now I have a rules question.
When the results of the race were posted I was the winner! Cool! I waited the alloted time for any contests. There were none, so I proceeded to ask when the awards would be given. The race organizer then tells me that another girl had told him she was sure she was the winner, so he had given her the trophy and she had left. He had given the award before results were even posted.
Anyway, he proceeds to try to call her to get the trophy back so he can give it to me. She doesn't answer, and he leaves her a message. SIX hours later, she calls him back adamant that she won (the pack was really spread out on a circuit course with several groups out at the same time, so I can understand the confusion). From what I can tell (IMHO), the organizers knew this girl enough to trust her to take the trophy. They also trusted her enough to give her first place six hours post-race. They told me that they had lost count of one of my laps, and therefore bumped my back to fourth place.
I'm hurt that they didn't follow the rules. They had 15 minutes after posting the results to change things, not six hours. Also, I don't know how they can justify losing one of my laps when I'm positive that I did the same as everyone else.
Anyone know what happens when the race organizers don't follow the rules? What kind of recourse do I have? Or should I just let it go since they're obviously not willing to listen to my side of the story anyway since they don't know me?

[kelownagirl]

That really sucks AuntieK. I have never raced so nothing about rules or recourse but sorry you had to go thru that...

[RoadRaven]

Sounds pretty shamateurish, Auntie, for them to be giving out awards before results are posted/confirmed - and pretty dodgy to give a cup to someone who "is sure" she was the winner...

I hope it gets sorted, and in the very least that the official records show the accurate results.

I hope you enjoyed the race despite the let-down at the end...

[Mimosa]

These things happen even in a more professional settings. It took the jury 2 hours to reach a conclusion on the ranking of the yesterdays race. Until that moment everybody had to wait for their pricemoney. People are calling to get the cycling union to use those chiptiming mechanisms. That way people can't complain anymore about their ranking.

[Thistle]

that sucks Auntie K

[SadieKate]

I have nothing to impart except my sympathies. Have you read through the rules to judge if there are written complaints allowed? What about your team captain/lead/whatever?

[Eden]

I think it probably happens a fair amount - at the last race that I did people were walking up to the results list and contesting it all over the place - and the person keeping track kept just putting them in where they said..... Ours was a pack finish so it was hard for them to tell. When the final results were posted on the web site they were quite a bit different from what I saw on the day of the race - good too, since I kept getting moved down the list from other people claiming to have come in ahead of me. The final list looked better, but I still think I probably came in higher than I was put - not that I really care between 5th and 7th, but one would think that they could do a better job. We don't use chip timing either, but from what I understand in a pack finish like that it doesn't work - you get the pack in a big lump anyway? Our races use video for close calls - but not the really sophisticated stuff you see at pro races (though they do have that down in Oregon - cool). I think I ended up further down than I think I was because I am very small and I was on the side that was farthest away from the camera - I probably wasn't visible past the other riders

[mimitabby]

gee, that's no fun. You put all that energy into a race and win... and then someone who is more argumentive and assertive than you WINS?
what a ripoff!

[spokewench]

Welcome to the racing world - Results just seem to be harder than they really are for most promoters.

You will learn after a while to scope out your competition and watch for them when they get away from you and when you catch them again if you do. Somtimes, you just have to make sure you know where your place is yourself. It takes a while to learn your competitors, but you soon learn how to do it. Was this a mountain bike race or a road race?

It's a shame that the race was not run better, but it is REALLY not unusual!

[AuntieK]

Thanks for all your relpies, ladies!
I actually feel better about it knowing that that's just the way it happens sometimes. (Not that it's right or anything).

[yellow]

AK! So sorry! All that hard work!

(This was Hell of the North, yes? At least it wasn't raining/snowing this year!!)

[colby]

Even if you didn't get the trophy, congratulations Auntie K, you did great.

[annie]

Personally, I think you were treated unfairly. Whether or not it is worth it to pursue a revision, I don't know. Only you can decide that. YOU know you did well. YOU feel as if you won. That is something to hold on to, even tho' it's not a trophy......

Other side now - Has anyone ever been asked to "help" at the finish line of a race? It is crazy. Impossible. Your brain cannot possibly keep track of who finished ahead of who. (At least mine can't.) So I can understand both sides. Unless it is a race with lots of money, with a video of all angles of the finish, and professional judges, you will have a hard time arguing with the officials.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, Auntie K!

Annie