1. Full marathon distance. 2. Full contact. No holds barred. 3.Must stay within the course. 'On yer marks, fight, or run, you choose.'-- etherman, May 28 2004 WWF style Total Anarchy New York City Marathon http://www.halfbake...k_20City_20Marathonby futurebird. Not really the same but it's brilliant. [calum, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Human Demolition Derby http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093894/"2019. A game nobody survives. This year might be the exception." [contracts, Oct 21 2004] Fight or flight, huh? Sounds like Evolution Derby.-- k_sra, May 28 2004 You get a croissant, as long as you add the stipulation that men aren't allowed to wear those flimsy little running shorts. If you're in a demo derby, you're dressing like a real man, you nylon-garbed pansy.-- shapu, May 28 2004 fair point <shapu> mind you they still have to run 26 & a bit miles. I might add a rule of no padding, helmets etc. Don't want this turning into American football.-- etherman, May 28 2004 American football will kick your ass.-- yabba do yabba dabba, May 28 2004 Stopping to beat up your fellow racer may slow him down more than it slows you down, but its not going to help you catch up to that guy who didn't bother with the two of you and is a mile ahead by the time you finish up. Therefore, I would imagine that any participant who actually wants to win this event will hold off on fighting until right near the very end of the race. And seeing how physically drained most runners are after 26 miles, I don't think there will be much of a fight at the end either.
I suppose this could make the marathon a bit of a team sport. You get your buddies to focus all their energy on roughing up your biggest competetor at the start, while you do your best to avoid his thugs. Could be intersting I guess, but I don't see anyone being very happy after it's all said and done.-- luecke, May 28 2004 I agree that there are a huge number of tactical possibilities in this game. Do you whack your nearest opponent at the end when you are weak or at the start leaving the way clear to speed ahead?
Also there would be a wide range of styles, great fighters with dodgy foot speed. Quick nippy guys who try to stay out of the rough stuff etc. I reckon thats where the intrigue lies in this sport. Well that and the violence.
Oh and "Yabba" no lard asses in fancy dress costume are gonna get me. I play rugby, a real man's sport rrraaahhhrr!!!-- etherman, May 28 2004 Bring it.-- yabba do yabba dabba, May 28 2004 If you want to watch people running and fighting on a field of sport, then that is Baked - rugby. If you want it to be "no holds barred," you're talking Australian rules football.
Nothing new here.-- DrCurry, May 28 2004 Not quite full contact but not too far away from it, the Kenyans spiking (i.e. accidentally on purpose sticking their running spikes into the legs) of Dave Bedford in the 1974 Commonwealth (? - memory's a bit hazy on this one) Games was a fair attempt at baking this.-- DrBob, May 28 2004 Baked. It's called a mosh pit.
I think this would work better with a figure-8 course, and a good 50 laps required to win. Much more chances of collision.-- Worldgineer, May 28 2004 obviously your not a sports fan <DrCurry>. Aussie Rules is NOT no holds barred. You cannot legally punch someone in the throat in Aussie rules and actually sendings off are quite common. Also I am not taliking about//afeild of sport// I'm talking about a road race.
As for spiking in existing athletics, it does exist but is illegal and isn't a key tactically technique (usually).
I agree indoor is also a possibility although //collision// is not what we are talkin about. We are talking premeditated violence.
Name the place Yabba xx-- etherman, May 28 2004 It's not quite as much fun to cheer "fight, fight, fight!" online. Dunno why that is.
Hmm.-- shapu, May 28 2004 Conracts, please. That's a movie about a punishment. This isn't punishment it's fight club on a track.
And Yabba, American football is patsy in comparrison to rugby. Broke my finger in football. I cracked my head in Rugby. Plus you play rugby when your drunk because it's simple rules. Football is confusing.-- The Dark Lord Chuckles the Silly Piggy, May 28 2004 Football is thinking man's rugby. Bring it.-- yabba do yabba dabba, May 28 2004 (psst, you already said "bring it")-- Worldgineer, May 28 2004 (maybe it means something different now)-- k_sra, May 28 2004 (like what?)-- Worldgineer, May 28 2004 (like bring it, dark lord)-- yabba do yabba dabba, May 28 2004 (ok, as opposed to "bring it, etherman". but you still haven't finished with etherman, who has offered to bring it and has requested a suitable place to bring it to)-- Worldgineer, May 28 2004 (it's a character flaw of mine - i start way more than i can finish)-- yabba do yabba dabba, May 28 2004 Rugby's about thirty men and only one ball. What does that tell you? It's not about the ball, it's about the violence.
American football - they could all be gnomes inside those Disneyworld costumes and we'd never be able to tell. What does that tell you? It's not about the violence.
Pansies.
(assumes manly rugby-playing stance and awaits wrath of heavily padded American halfbakers) :-)-- david_scothern, May 28 2004 Why the running? I understand it's mildly amusing, but wouldn't a demolition consist of men in an arena duking it out ala gladiator? Or at least a bunch of people in padding knocking each other down over and over? Demolitions don't have running. And who wins? The last one standing or the first one to the finish line?-- k_sra, May 28 2004 ds, rugby players do it with misshapen balls!-- po, May 28 2004 And just how do you know this, [po]?-- k_sra, May 28 2004 Why not have a points system? So, winning the race gets you a certain number of points, but beating someone's nose in also gets a few points (less than winning, say).
See also: Carmageddon.-- shapu, May 28 2004 I've been away so lots to cover here. Firstly, 'The Running Man', please. It wasn't a road race, it wasn't a sport, it was barely a film.
Secondly, I agree my title probably is a little misleading as the idea is conciderably different from a demolition derby, this is not a last man standing idea but in fact a race, so apologies on that front.
I hear what <shapu> is saying about the points system, however, I feel this would take away from the purity of the sport and turn it into a cross between ice skating and what passes for professional boxing these days.
I disagree with: //Any violence seen in distance races will not increase with "no holds barred."// <l3lackEyedAngels> I think the violence certainly would increase but I agree it would remain quite subtle in most cases, but in one on one finishes for example, there would always be the strategic option of completely taking someone out. Also I dont think the competitors would be split between people who can fight and people who can run. Much more likely there would be triathlon types who are all rounders.
Plus I dont see this as a 'rollerball' type indoor thing on a banked arena, although I'm sure this would be an unavoidable spin off. I see this 'on the cobbles' as it were. Think the London marathon... run by psycopaths.-- etherman, Jun 01 2004 //Rugby's about thirty men and only one ball//
Presumably <david_scothern> thats rugby league, which really is an idiots sport. hard idiots true... but idiots none the less.
Suddenly I feel I cold wind blowing from the North.-- etherman, Jun 01 2004 eh? union is 15 per side = 30, but you're right, league has more 'bosh' factor.-- badgers, Jun 01 2004 you're right badger, i read thirteen. apologies.-- etherman, Jun 01 2004 Okay, this is what I thought of when I saw the title: A muddy field. A bunch of men running around and into each other, dressed head to toe in protective gear. The gear is a soft metal, like aluminum. The joints are close fitting. Collisions bend the metal, and the joints start to fail. Soon there are many contestants hobbling, some with arms frozen in odd positions, some lying on their backs, now unable to get up, or unable to move at all. The last man standing—he’s the winner.-- ldischler, Jun 01 2004 Unless he can't catch the guy in front of him. Speed is still a big factor here.-- yabba do yabba dabba, Jun 01 2004 ok, i've changed the title because as cool as <ldischler> idea sounds... it isn't this idea. although i recommend his posts it up coz it'll get my bread.
yes, speed is much more important in my concept, as is the feel of the open road. fight or flight is the name of the game. now.-- etherman, Jun 01 2004 [ether] Will do.-- ldischler, Jun 01 2004 you're right yabba, done.-- etherman, Sep 01 2004 [-]--->[+]-- yabba do yabba dabba, Sep 01 2004 cheers yabba.-- etherman, Sep 01 2004 at least now the fight-or-flighters have a reason to punch looney brits who interfere, in the nose!-- django, Sep 01 2004 they've never really needed an excuse round my neck of the woods.-- etherman, Mar 30 2005 random, halfbakery