US Olympic Marathon Trials Coverage This Year vs Year's Past

On television, I remember very clearly watching Pfitzinger outkick Salazar in 1984, and my memory is that the whole race was shown.

WAIT- WAIT -WAIT!!!!!

What happened to all the coverage the "media capital of the world" was going to bring to the trials??

C'mon New Yorkers, tell us again why it was so important to have the race in NY.

A half hour?? There would have been the same amount of coverage if it was in Fargo in the spring.

We all know about the bloviating rights the NYRRC gets,what else was gained by giving them by the trials if there is so little coverage?

Background thread:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=1409039&page=0

Another long thread with many espousing the benefit of having the trials in NY:http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=1518844&page=0

Sorry

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=1518844&page=0

I guess the other cities were worse.

wejo, you'll note that you inserted "television" into USATF's title for their press release. the release is talking about both TV and internet coverage. i'm guessing that's why record was in quotes. this certainly isn't record coverage on TV - there's basically no way that could occur in a non-olympic track trials year.

gadfsdf wrote:

I guess the other cities were worse.

Don't get me wrong. I can see some advantages of having the Trials in NY. The NYRR have a ton of resources and the new guard has vastly improved the quality of their race after bringing on ING as a sponsor. They have done a lot for US distance running.

But at the same time I along with many others think a spring date is superior. So I thought the main advantage of having the race in the fall instead in NY was media exposure. (And as some have pointed out, you could just as easily have the race in the spring in NY. The fall date and being in conjunction with the NYC Marathon was supposed to bring even more coverage)

But I saw the "record" tv exposure announced and figured I just couldn't let it slide. If some random meet in Fayetville can get an hour of TV coverage, you think the Olympic Trials in NY could get more. I don't think that is an unfair criticism especially when I think a spring date is superior (but i do understand the reasons some people support a fall date).

So I just wish someone would help me fill in the other dates on my mini chart.

I recall seeing Kemp tossing his cookies (or was it Gatorade?) Don't recall if that was live.

Also, I'm pretty sure I remember seeing the NJ trials on TV. Was that in Jersey City?

I definately remember seeing the '84 race in its entirety. But again, that was the heyday of American marathoning.

The race is still months away, hopefully they will iron out live national coverage. As a New Yorker, it would bite if we can't get it national TV.

I watched the '88 trials (Conover win) on TV, but I don't remember many details about the coverage. I believe it was at least an hour show, and had to be national.

I was in Charlotte for the '96 trials, and watched the race on TV after following it in person. I believe (but am not sure) it was local Charlotte TV coverage, but they showed the entire race. I think they did a segment on the race on national TV, but it may have been during the track trials later that year. They showed Kempanian barfing gatorade about 100 times. The '96 and '00 women's trials (Columbia, SC) were also televised, but locally only I believe.

Why didn't this thread start along time ago. Right after they announced the date they also announced the TV coverage. What can we do? Wittenberg doesn't care either. She is getting hers from ING for the huge numbers she gets to the line to run 4+ hours. Not the 100 or so that will toe the line on Saturday.

I still think there is hope that they can do better. I just remembered that this total joke of a race, the Runner's Classic, got 1 hour of tv on CBS this past year:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=1649959

Surely USATF and the NYRR with their resources can do better.

I think the 1984 trials marathon was televised, since I seem to remember watching Pfitz coming back on Salazar and outkicking him. (It was shocking to see an American, especially a second-tier guy, come back on Salazar after being passed.)

I still have a videotape of the 1988 trials marathon, which was covered live on national network television (ABC, maybe?), from start to finish.

Although I ran in the 1992 trials marathon, I don't remember much about the television coverage that year. I have a vague recollection of a condensed television program of the event.

On the women's side, I believe the 1984 trials marathon was covered live on national network television. (I remember the excitement about 16-year-old Cathy Schiro, who was in the running for the team until late in the race.)

I could swear that the 2000 trials marathons for both men and women were covered on national television to some extent, although perhaps not in their entirety.

Although I didn't see it, many people remember television coverage of Bob K.'s vomiting finish in 1996.

wejo wrote:

The greatest collection of American talent ever in the marathon in 1 race.

Wejo, your web page is fantastic, and while I certainly admire your enthusiasm I think a statement like that is highly debatable.

That being said, you are absolutely right. I thought that holding the OT marathon in New York would return a significant amount of the media attention to the event, similar to what it was during the 80's (as others have already mentioned). Hopefully some enterprising soul will come up with a full-length web cast.

1980- 1 hr. tape delayed overage on NBC.

1984- Same as 1980. Wm got 60min delayed coverage.

1988- Wm- 30 second highlight during the Leggs 10K, Men live 2.5 coverage on ABC. By far the best to date.

1992- Wm- 30 min tape delayed on ESPN. Men 60 min. tape delayed on NBC.

1996- Wm and Men were interwoven during a 2 hr. tape delayed covereage on NBC. Not oo bad.

2000- OLN tape delayed coverage of both races. NBC butchered it down even more to be shown after OLN showed their's.

2004- NADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Couple questions - is Sell running XC ?, you should mention him. I thought the non traditional date was so our top 3 didn't have to peak for an early spring marathon with the Olympic Marathon being in late summer? The Today Show is pretty main stream USA, if you put it on early saturday afternoon with some college basketball and wide world of sports no one would notice.

I live in NYC and I think NYC is a bad choice. If it was in a smaller town it would be the big deal of the month. It would mean more to that small city and the athletes. Its just like why in NY college sports don't get as much attention as they do in Alabama and high school gets virtually none unlike Indiana and Texas. We got at least 2 pro teams in every sport. Also another running association would get a chance to hold a big race.

The NYRR's strength lies in getting penguins to shell out $25 for cookie cutter races and paying the best international runners to show up and run like typical overpaid overhyped athletes at the NYC marathon.

Meb Keflezighi, Dan Browne, Alan Culpepper

Any more questions?

Charlie Hussle wrote:

O

I WANT TO KNOW OTHER THAN ESTES AND FINKE AND LATIMER (ALL OF WHICH HAVE IT BETTER THAN BEFORE) WHO WAS ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE? In particular give me the name of one athlete that will be running in the trials this year that chose New York? Please do not throw names of retired athletes that are not personally effected by this poor decision.

I suggest if you come on here and post on this thread you get your facts straight.

Meb, Alan and Dan Browne were on an advisory committee, not the final committee:

And read the advantages of the NY bid here:

In reality, sure a lot of people like running in NY. But the main advantages was supposed to be media coverage. Sure there will be some extra local coverage in the biggest local media market in the world. But I think most of us were wanting more national coverage. I'm just saying I think NYC and USATF can do better. I still think they have time to do better. Hopefully this will bring some attention to it.

I still believe the fall date is less than ideal. The way I see it Jorge Torres is the only guy making a debut in NY (assuming this is the case). I don't see why having it in the early spring would prevent a debut from him as well. The debut thing to me seems to be more related to them allowing 10k qualifiers than the date.

One could argue that perhaps guys like Ryan Hall and Ritz who haven't run a lot of marathons are more likely to take a chance in the fall because they'll have more time to prepare for the track in the spring. I don't see it that way and you could on the other side point out that it causes more of a conflict with the 2007 Worlds.

It will be an epic race. It's just too bad it'll get half the national tv coverage as the Runner's Classic 10k. Personally, I'd rather have the race on cable live. Yes that is less of an audience but major sporting events (except for the major marathons in the World minus Boston (or does that make Boston the only Major Marathon in the US?)) are shown on live tv in the US in today's age.

Personally, I think there has to be some exec at NBC who could be convinced that showing an event like this will enhance their Olympic brand and olympic ratings in 2008. Americans understand the olympcis (at least older americans- it may be losing its appeal with younger americans thus the importance of increasing itsawareness) NBC pays a ton of cash for the Olympics. It would make sense they would give a couple of hours of coverage to the Olympic Trials marathon being held in NY to generate some interest for the upcoming olympics.

Not to mention Americans are pretty good at marathon running, the average joe is fascinated by the marathon, plus the drama of people's entire athletic careers being put on the line in 1 day. The ultimate reality show with real drama yet the Runner's Classic gets more national tv coverage.