Does anyone still use that word?

that the women get a head start? I'm mean the goal is to reach the goal, not the women. Am I right? Or do you get to keep the first woman you reach? ;)

I never would have heard about this if Tracy hadn't whined about it. Life is too short to spend it carping about every juvenile stunt pulled by idiots. Tracy, I'd read you more often if this kind of thing didn't command so much of your attention.

Watch me skirt-chase video and this is not about pole dance women who sashay along course in skirt while men drool and chase them with hard gashooshlank in shorts. Women look like runners and men look like runners and they just have different start time. That be said, no like Svutlana idea of different start time as if women need advantage to compete with men. No like me ladies tee either.

For sure skirt-chase is immature and tasteless, but if remove all immature and tasteless from life, Svutlana have nothing for do except adult and tasteful things that maybe ward off dementia, but are absolute no fun one bit!

The professional race at the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon used to have men & women competing against each other with the women getting a certain number of minutes in head start as an 'equalizer'. While it was gimicky, the equalizer and the good prize money attached to the race made it a popular stop on the pro circuit.

Despite the stuck in the 'Mad Men' era name of the new series, I'd probably enter one of the skirt chaser races if the series came through my town. Because it's actually pretty interesting to try out a new concept with the same old 5K courses through random urban neighborhoods that are common on the local race circuit, and the guys who make up the local run community are gentlemen with enough of a sense of humor to make the experience fun without it becoming degrading for either gender involved.

And heck, the skirt concept is a lot tamer than what passes for costumes at a lot of Halloween costume runs.

Or does the race supply them with the means to thwack their target upside the head to better facilitate dragging her back to the cave?

Although I would never ever wear anything called a "sport skirt," and even though it is just a co-ed race which gives women a head-start, the idea of it as a chase would motivate me to run faster. It's a psychological trick, everyone runs faster when they think they're being chased (except in horror movies).

Tracy writes about fun things, I get so sick of reading comments complaining about it. Here, let's see how you like it: I read this blog entry, thought it was fun, clicked on the comments, and it wasn't to read your whining.

speaking as a runner, I have to say, it's nice to see actual *running* being promoted, vs. the 'events' many races have become, clogged with fundraising walkers.

And speaking from experience - the running skirt is GREAT. Comfortable and attractive. I love mine and am glad to see they've made the leap to serious running - I just ran a 50K and counted 4 women wearing them.

I personally found the race concept amusing but maybe because I actually have a chance at keeping ahead of the man-pack and winning some money. The race will attract men runners, and my personal experience has been that men who've worked hard to race well have nothing but admiration for women who have worked hard and race equally well.

This seems like an updated Lupercalia on some levels. I am still unclear what is bothering T C-F. Is it the profit motive of the clothing manufacturer to promote such races and co-opt the human sexdrive? If I understand correctly, there are men, who are the chasers, and women, who are the pursued, in this type of race. In the end everybody's heart is pumping and muscles are worked out. I am having a difficult time understanding the element that deserves concern or scorn.

I agree with you. If the women don't mind being chased, then what's the big deal? Would it kill Tracy to occasionally write: "Nothing bothered me today"?

You'd read Tracy more often if she didn't write about things like this?

But you're reading about this. Why are you reading her now? Do you use dice to decide when to read her?

("1 out of 6, lately, but if her subject matter improves I'll push it to 2 out of 6....")

Not every post can be a doctoral thesis. Some of these things are funny. And some of them represent the tip of the iceberg concerning people's attitudes. (And some don't.) If you're bored, read something else.

You could have variations. You could also have some of the women chase some of the men, but only the ones who aren't chasing them.

Give them some dialog, throw in an ass and some fairies, and you've got A Midsummer Night's Dream. Instant Shakespeare. Fancy that.

You could divide up the men into two opposing factions and have the women agree not to let themselves be caught until the two factions make peace. Put them in period costume and you have the Lysistrata.

It should be apparent what the problem is with these kinds of events. It's all been done before.

...Svutlana is my favorite letter writer.

Well, you're right at least to admit it's all pretty harmless, and as far as being "immature," most outdoor fun is "immature" in some way or other. And, yeah, they are trying to promote a product, namely a skirt or "sport skirt," and so giving the event a name with "Skirt" in it only makes sense.

It seems like the concept is a good way to get (in particular) young male runners who might otherwise not bother to enter a race promoting a feminine garment to sign up and take part in the fun.

"Girls vs. Boys" as an angle has worked for Survivor, Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen, and The Apprentice, not to mention I Love Lucy, so why not milk it to sell clothes; the battle of the sexes is just an eternal enticement.

For the last couple of years the famous 7.6 mile Bay-to-Breakers race in San Francisco has done the same thing in racing terms, starting off the elite women runners several minutes ahead of the elite males (it's called "the equalizer"), in order to give the women a chance to finish first--and in 2007 an African woman did just that, hanging on to finish the course a minute or so ahead of the elite male racers who were pounding after her.

The main use of this article for me, paradoxically, has been to alert me to the existence of this company and its Sport Skirt; I am already thinking of buying some.