Yeah, there’s a few of us that run (or used to run, in my case) these marathon events in typical no-lifer fashion – 16 hours a day, 4-6 tables up, shove/fold, no regrets. We’ve made mention on the forums before that these formats are won by the most exploitative players. I even started a thread last year about how exactly to exploit the ring game points at that time.
It is what it is. If people want to no-life for a week at a time to pad their bankroll, let them. But I’m with you, the “best of X” type leaderboards require some modicum of skill and consistent play to do well.