In an effort to ensure safety and security at the Boston Marathon on Monday, the Boston Athletic Association will be reinforcing the rule forbidding unregistered runners, known as “bandit runners,” from participating in this year’s race.
Boston Marathon bandit runners have avoided the rules for decades. However, after the 2013 Marathon bombings, officials have increased security measures, which include banning bandit runners, prohibiting backpacks and adding security checkpoints, according to a BAA spokesperson.
The Gold Coast's 'Bum Crack Bandit', who made headlines when she flashed her backside during a robbery, has been sentenced to six years jail for shooting a man in a drug deal gone wrong. Provided to YouTube by TuneCore Dirt Track Bandit Bone Feather Moon's on Fire ℗ 2018 LEX Music Group Released on: 2018-01-26 Auto-generated by YouTube.
“We are aware that many people want to participate in some way in this year’s Boston Marathon as a display of support, but we ask that those who are not official participants to refrain from entering the course for the safety of the runners and themselves,” BAA marathon policy stated on its website.
Jill Geer, chief public affairs officer for the USA Track and Field Association, said in a Wednesday email that she encourages people to run in the marathon by paying their fees and contributing to the costs of the event.
“USATF encourages the passion Americans have developed for road racing,” she said. “Bandit running, however, could be likened to jumping a turnstyle or sneaking into a ballgame or a movie theater. Entry fees from runners help cover logistical costs from road closures to police assistance, on-course hydration stations and race planning, as well as ‘goodies’ such as post-race food, t-shirts and other benefits.”
Bandit running groups, such as the Boston College Campus School Volunteers and the Red Snakes from the Kaji Aso Studio, run the marathon to raise funds and show support for individual causes or, as is the case for the Red Snakes, they run as bandits out of tradition.
Kate Finnegan, the administrator for the Kaji Aso Studio, has been running the Boston Marathon for over 30 years. Although Finnegan said she is upset that the Red Snakes will not be allowed to enter the marathon, she said she understands the reasoning behind the ban.
“I got stopped at mile 21 last year,” she said. “Most of the past six years I’ve been walking it, but still, it’s such an important part of my life, so it was a bit hard to let that go.”
The Red Snakes, a group of art teachers and students from the studio, have run in the marathon for four decades, Finnegan said. Running behind the registered marathon runners, the group would pass out hand-stenciled certificates to runners who were still running after the finish line had been dismantled.
“It’s a sad time because something really has changed, and part of the long history of the marathon has always been the sense of every person, the connectedness … the sense of appreciation of life,” she said. “But I do understand the difficulty that the BAA is facing with their concerns, and I do want to respect that.”
Despite the stigma of the running community against bandits, Finnegan said in the 38 marathons the group had participated in, the runners and volunteers have always treated the group with respect during the race.
“We’re not trying to interrupt the runners who are running for the time,” she said. “I’ve always been polite to all the runners, and all the runners have always been polite to me. There’s a real feeling of being together among all the runners.”
Several residents said despite the reinforcement in rules, they expect to see bandit runners participating in the marathon, just as they have every other year.
Prashant Bhattarai, 35, of Allston, said bandit running belittles the hard work and months of training of the marathon’s registered runners.
“It’s not fair because people train a whole year for the marathon,” he said. “People without registering can’t just come in. Officers need to find out the vulnerable areas where it might be easier for people to get in, but some people might get in anyways.”
Pawel Mikolajczyk, 23, of Allston, said bandit runners will run, regardless of whether or not they are forbidden from doing so.
“It would be kind of hard to block off an entire 23 miles,” she said. “People are going to take that as a challenge. It’s a rational security measure, but I don’t know if it’s going to be effective in stopping anybody from actually bandit running.”
David Lewis, 24, of Brighton, said that bandit running is not something that should be condemned, but he understands why officials want to reinforce the rule.
“Personally, last year I was going to run as a non-registered runner,” he said. “Be it good luck or bad luck, I was not able to run, but I still cheered on people who I knew were running. The forbidding of people who are not registered hasn’t played well against some people, but would they rather enjoy the event and have to suffer one or two extra security measures, or would they rather risk somebody who is willing to or wants to hurt individuals?”
The principle of each one of these mini-expansions is to make the game play one Bandit.
A new story is told each time, since every expansion offers a specific purpose and new actions for the Bandit played by the game.
That Bandit may win, and in that case, all the players loose the game. Thus you need to work together against this “bot”. But do not forget that there is only one winner at the end: the richest Bandit, of course.
Each one of these expansions can be used with the base game Colt Express only. They are not compatible with each other, nor with any other expansions.
What if your opponents are not only your friends but also the game itself…
The Gold Digger
Streets of rage 3 for mac. Belle has always had a thing with jewels. Beware she may charm you to pinch yours…
Belle moves always towards the place where there are the most jewels.
She makes all the other Bandits move towards her location and steals a Jewel to each of them.
Even the Marshal has a crush on Belle. She can stay at the same place where he is, without fleeing nor getting shot.
Contents
- 8 Action cards
- 6 Poisoned Arrow cards
- 6 Antidote tokens
The one who makes your life a misery
Cheyenne moves faster than anyone, and when she steals money, she takes a Purse from all the other Bandits.
Train Bandit Cracked
Cheyenne has swapped her Colt for a bow. Beware, she’s a better shot with her arrows, especially as they are poisoned…
If you are shot with a Poisoned Arrow, you cannot win anymore, unless you get an Antidote before the end of the game.
Contents
- 8 Action cards
- 5 Dynamite tokens
- 12 Ejection tokens
The man with a dynamite
Django shoots everything in sight. He can target several Bandits at once, and then give several Bullets in one Fire.
Django has always had a soft spot for Dynamite. He erratically drops sticks of dynamite in Cars.
He is able to make them explode all at once. Terratech for mac. Thus all the Bandits who are in the wrong place at the wrong time are ejected.
If he succeeds in ejecting every Bandit from the train at least once, Django wins the game.
Matériel
- 8 Action cards
- 1 Doc’s Respect card
- 6 Special Bullet cards
- 6 Stake tokens
- 1 Purse token
The Poker player
To get Doc’s respect is not easy: you need to reach him (through a fire or a punch). But if you are able to do it, you will make all decisions in Doc’s place… until another Bandit gets his Respect.
Doc is also a crack poker player. If he drags you in a poker game, you may win or loose a lot….
Thanks to the stacks he is used to win, Doc can easily be the richest Bandit. He is not called the smartest one for no reason.
Nothing but the suitcase!
Ghost has always dreamed of getting this valuable suitcase! But he is sharp as a tack, he might get his way…
Ghost always moves towards the special suitcase.
When Ghost shoots, he hits all the Bandits in the line of sight and makes them loose the special suitcase, if they have it.
If, at the end of the game, Ghost has the special suitcase in his possession, he automatically wins the game.
Contents
Train Bandit Crackhead
- 8 Action cards
- 6 Bullet cards
- 6 Wanted tokens
The enemy of my enemy
Tuco does not want to meet the Marshal, his former friend against whom he bears a grudge.
If you manage to make the Marshal and Tuco meet, you earn a $500 bonus.
Tuco takes it out on his opponents, but shooting everybody in line of sight. He has 2 full magazines.
Tuco’s loot at the end of the game is of $250 per bullet he has shot.