Runners planning to juggle their way through the New York Marathon were disappointed this week when they found out they wouldn't be allowed to run with their bean bags.
According to a story in the New York Times, "jogglers," were banned from the race, a move which which drew concern from as far away as Afghanistan and Africa.
"I understand there have to be security rules," Canadian joggler Michal Kapral, who hoped to improve on his world-record joggling time of 2 hours, 50 minutes, 12 seconds, told the Times, "but this seems like it's crossed a line where it gets to be intrusive, and maybe less about real security than about rules that end up stopping us from having fun.
"But what I'm really disappointed about is the kids. They love to watch me joggle."
Kapral, a serious runner even without his bean bags, has a top marathon time of 2:30:40, and he once won a marathon outright while joggling. He finished Sunday's marathon with idle hands and an unofficial time of 2:51:38.
Chris Weiler, a spokesman for New York Road Runners, confirmed the new policy in an email to the Times: "In consultation with N.Y.P.D., our guidelines changed following the Boston Marathon bombing and running with props was prohibited."
Among other items banned from the course were sleeping bags, pets, mace and drones.
Knitting needles were also forbidden, meaning a world record held by David Babcock of Warrensburg, Mo., for the longest scarf knit during a marathon (12 feet), was safe, at least for the moment.
Good news, though. Running in an Elvis costume is still OK.
Tell-all
Steve Williams, Tiger Woods' former caddie, is publishing an autobiography, Out of the Rough, and an excerpt was published online by a New Zealand newspaper Sunday.
In it, Williams, who quit as Woods' caddie in 2009 in the wake of the golfer's infidelity scandal, documents Woods' bad temper and his attempts to deal with it.
"Tiger listened to what I had to say, the air was cleared and we got on with it," Williams wrote. "His goal was to be the best player in history and my goal was to keep working as best I could to help make that happen."
Williams also claims he often felt mistreated by the 14-time major winner.
"One thing that really p* me off was how he would flippantly toss a club in the general direction of the bag, expecting me to go over and pick it up," Williams wrote. "I felt uneasy about bending down to pick up his discarded club -- it was like I was his slave."
A man has to draw the line somewhere.
They said it ...
• San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich, when asked how his team managed to sign All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge to a four-year, $80 million contract: "I was there. I was involved. I spoke. I begged. I got on my knees. I offered my children. Things like that."
• Omaha World-Herald columnist Brad Dickson, via Twitter, on Miami's eight-lateral kick return Saturday against Duke: "Miami players who counted all 8 laterals will receive 3 credits in math."
• Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh, to Detroit ABC affiliate, on the game plan he devised for his children on Halloween: "I advised them to get two costumes, to be go-getters. You can hit the neighborhood in one costume -- and better to jog and run from house to house, then you can get more candy than anybody else. Then come home make a quick change into the second costume and go hit those same houses again."
Sports quiz
What was Tiger Woods' first PGA Tour victory?
Answer
Tiger won the Las Vegas Invitational on Oct. 6, 1996, beating Davis Love III in a playoff.
Sports on 11/02/2015