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I have to agree with Arnaud that, while the waddlers can be irritating, it's within their right to do as they do. What is getting a little bothersome, however, is the number of events which fill up, and earlier each year. Some of that owes to an increase in the number of serious runners, but I suspect the charity crowd is the prime culprit.
Singapore (which I'm running) closed for the 1st time ever. Paris - in early April 2006 - closed a full 6 months prior to the event ... I imagine more will go to cut-off times to enter or shorter course times, but Arnaud hit the nail on the head - it's a business and maximimization of profit is the one thing that drives these groups.
When runners stop showing up for these marathons and a field of waddlers toes the line, companies like Nike and adidas are going to wonder if they want to be associated with such an un-hip bunch. When the sponsors bail and attendance falls, then maybe the organizers will think twice about the real nature of these events. Until then, they'll throw open the flood gates...
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