Sorry, dude.  You're DQ'd!

The new USAT newsletter had a link to their "updated" rules - with the new instruction as to wetsuits, etc.  So, as I'm perusing them, I noticed on the run portion that they specifically state:

6.1 Permitted Conduct. A participant must run or walk the entire portion of the run course. Except for reasons of safety and when no advantage is gained, all runners shall follow and remain within the prescribed course. A participant who gains forward progress by crawling or otherwise violates this Section shall be disqualified.

So, that got me thinking whether or not the same rule applies to the ITU.  Sure enough.  As plain as day, they say:

The competitor: 

1) May run or walk
2) May not crawl

They also go on to say that you can not run with a bare torso  (seriously, these people have no sense of fun at all.)

But, here's my point.  Arguably the most infamous Ironman finish was in 1997 where Sian Welch and Wendy Ingraham do everything in their power to finish and duke it out by crawling to the finish line.  According to today's rules, they would have been disqualified.  As far as safety goes, I understand wanting everyone to be trained to a point where they don't have to crawl, but if you pull a hamstring with 300 meters to go - you can't gut it out and crawl yourself to finish?

Sigh.  I'm joking about my training plan.  But some of the best stories in sports are those that defy the odds and push themselves to achieve when everyone else would have quit.  I'm not a proponent of crawling, I just think that as long as you're making forward progress without assistance, I don't care if you're doing the worm to get there.   Thoughts?