What did World Relays teach us about promoting track and field?

Much more basic than that, although all those things help.

-Team Sport vs. Individual

-There was something to root for.

Like the Olympics, a nationalistic pride in watching the USA vs. the World.Good Guys vs. Bad Guys. White hats vs. Black Hats. A successful formula as old as the sport itself.

- Teams easily identified.

In other major individual meets/events, there a literally a dozen athletes all dressed in the same uniforms, homogenizing and making it impossible for the occasional fan to pick a favorite.

- Times are irrelevant. Racing is everything.

Although there were some excellent times (even WR's). The Racing was exciting and built excitement during each leg.

Agreed with the OP and the second post.

The commentating by Larry Rawlingson and Carrol Lewis has become tiresome with catering to the uninterested viewers rather than exhibit expert knowledge like most other sports.

The most captivating part of the race may have been the finish, where big fireworks went off. It reminded me of how Tampa Bay shoots the cannon for TDs. Part of sport entertainment is theatrical, like a Lambeu Leap or LeBron blowing chalk dust in the air. Even Usain made the most of his brand by doing the Bolt Point at the end.

The promoters were keen on creating organic energy and it showed on camera.

Forgot about the fireworks. Those were awesome.

Probably not out of the budget of something like Adidas Grand Prix or Pre. Maybe doable at Drake? Oxy? Flotrack thing?

When promoting to an American audience it is far more marketable if the Americans are winning more often than not.

The introductions were awesome. Would love to see that at the bigger meets.

Throat-slash once/meet

Keep bringing inexperienced Kenyans who go out too fast.

Kalashnikov wrote:

Keep bringing inexperienced Kenyans who go out too fast.

I've been thinking that every high profile event should have some sort of all-comers mile or 3k. Maybe not in the main program, but something to get more fans out. Dad runs a season best 5:43 in the 55+ heat, and the family hangs around for a few more hours. Discounted ticket price or something

Would help fill the seats with people worth accommodating.

Kalashnikov wrote:

Throat-slash once/meet

Keep bringing inexperienced Kenyans who go out too fast.

^^This.

also what was up with those weak ass fireworks? I want 10x those and semi-pro cheerleaders baby!

it taught us that the usa loves relays and no one else really cares about them, outwith the olympic events competition was pretty sparse, it also taught us that early may suits the us athletes perfectly due to the collegiate system while most of the other athletes are not at peak form. it basically gives the usa another chance to tell us how great they are in events that no-one else gives a shit about, i imagine a fit jamacia/ gb with the a team will give them a more significant challenge later on in the year when it actually matters (not one of the gb teams had more than two of their normal starters in it and it was the best athletes that were missing - that being said the usa still has a better team in the 4 olympic realy events than gb)

robo2 wrote:

it also taught us that early may suits the us athletes perfectly due to the collegiate system while most of the other athletes are not at peak form.

Were the USA teams chock-a-block with college and yust out of college runners?

PS I can not find the Nation of Borlee on a map.

It was great coverage but I'd rather they cut away from longer races to show long interviews with runner's about their deprived childhoods and their struggles to make it as a professional athlete.

fireworks aren't that answer. that immediately becomes old and there is a ceaseless struggle to get people excited by going over the top. I had the misfortune to go to a WNBA game about a decade ago. To mask the absence of excitement and sparse crowds, they blasted music and blinded us with light shows. It made it a miserable experience. Focus on the game and you will not go wrong.

A lot of interesting points about why this meet worked.but guess what? World cross has all these things and we think it's dying. I agree with the other poster. The key to an exiting track event is to have USA dominate.

1. Commentating was great. I don't like the idea that we have to speak to the "casual" track fan. NFL doesn't do that. They don't explain the rules the whole time. Some girls I know don't get the NFL rules but they still like to watch and slowly catch on and learn. Track can be the same way. There's not much to explain.

2. Atmosphere was great. The Bahamas knows how to put on a meet. They love track there.

3. Team aspect is cool and interesting. Helps with the casual track fan not knowing all the athletes names/abilities. They can root for their favorite country.

4. It was short and to the point. Only 5 events for each gender.

5. Intros were awesome. Fireworks were awesome. Award presentation immediately after the race was awesome.

6. Interesting to note, there's no place for field events or hurdles. I wonder if they can be incorporated at some point? Or is it better to leave them out.

"Wednesday Night Track, 8 teams, 8 events in 8 cities".

No world class elites but MLS prospered when top US players pursued careers in Europe.

Teams could be based in track hotbeds where there are no major league franchises to compete with.

The relay concept does not transfer well to field events. The results are not immediately visible to the fan in the stands but are a function of paperwork adding up individual distances or heights to get the winner.

This is my favorite track meet to go to in the World. Let's face it, most track meets are pretty boring. A race goes, there's a ton of dead time, they have another race.

Now granted I'm not a fan at meets and usually am shuffling between interviews but at World Relays the fans are cheering the entire time and/or the band is playing. It is never quite. So even though most of the races were blowouts, I always felt entertained.

Then they have the pre-race introductions and the fireworks for people to feel they are at something important. I hope this is done for finals at Worlds.

I went to an NBA game 4 years ago for the first time in a decade, I couldn't believe how loud it was. Some of the excitement is "fake" but it rubs off on the fans.

The announcers I think were the World feed goes so that would be the same. When I hear those announcers, usually I think it is a step down from Tim Hutchings.

But they didn't have fireworks or cool intros or a rabid crowd at World Cross. They have that at World Relays. For me it is the best in person track meet because of the crowd. I 'm not sure at all how that comes across on TV. I'll try and rewatch the Universal Broadcast.

The team concept is easier to follow. But when you say Good Guys vs Bad Guys are you meaning USA Good Guys? I said beforehand I didn't feel Americans had to root for Team USA. Personally I'm a fan of Usain Bolt and with the drug usage of the US team was rooting for Bolt on the anchor. It is sport and two teams were competing against one another.

So I swapped the "good guys" vs "bad guys" on that one but understand the sentiment.

wejo wrote:

But they didn't have fireworks or cool intros or a rabid crowd at World Cross.

That would take a while.

Wejo wrote:

"The team concept is easier to follow. But when you say Good Guys vs Bad Guys are you meaning USA Good Guys? I said beforehand I didn't feel Americans had to root for Team USA. Personally I'm a fan of Usain Bolt and with the drug usage of the US team was rooting for Bolt on the anchor. It is sport and two teams were competing against one another.

So I swapped the "good guys" vs "bad guys" on that one but understand the sentiment."

What I meant was that an "average" non-track fan can immediately have an emotional connection to an event and who they want to win if they can identify with one of the participants. Essentially, the team concept again. If there was a newly invented Sports League and one of the teams had New York on the jersey/singlet and the other had Boston, you have automatically created 'fans' with an emotional connection, even if they don't understand the sport. Instead of Good Guys vs. Bad Guys I should have said My Team vs. Their Team.