What's the Best Way for LRC to Put Someone on the Starting Line of the Rio Olympics?

Crowdfund a promising American racewalker

Prob a little late for Rio, but you can start or sponsor an Olympic development team. I want to see LRC singlets again.

Have a LRC blue collar runner contest. People get to nominate a runner who truly epitomizes the LRC collective unconscious's notion of what it means to be a "blue collar runner' (i.e. not Nike, no college running pedigree, living pay check to pay check to be able to train, never backs away from racing/competition, etc). Have a contest where people get to vote each week to determine the champion. You could have a tournament style set up where each week two different runners go up against each other in a single elimination tournament. The winner gets a cash prize and has to wear the LRC singlet at the trials.

I think it would be really cool if you guys helped promote/support some person/people, especially women, in a developing country where athletics isn't a huge thing.

The work Lornah Kiplagat has done in Kenya to help young women find some independence through running has been great, and it would be cool if Letsrun could make that happen.

As far as suggestions go, one very talented runner (who may not have the resources she needs) I can think of off the top of my head is Tintu Lukka of India (1:59 800).

Find somebody who is potentially eligible for a small country and fund them to go through whatever citizenship/visa process and fund their olympic trip (so that their small island country, or where ever it ends up being doesn't have to).

Sponsor the Zaqistan Olympic Team.

http://lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2015/10/26/utah-zaqistan-sovereign-nation/

Get more Kenyans to visit LRC?

Gimme a E!

Gimme a D!

What's that spell?

As long as you're not petitioning the IOC to allow charity athletes like many competitors at the Ironman World Championships, I'm on board.

I second (Third? Fourth?) the idea of promoting a female athlete if only one athlete can be assisted. Otherwise, promote a male and a female. Heck, promote a male & a female thrower. It would double as an educational experience for the many distance-only minded folks on the site...

Sponsor Luke Puskedra and make him wear one of your "not rupp-certified" t-shirts. See if NOP talks to you then!

I think you're targeting the wrong year. You're looking at 2016, which is less than a year away from happening. Those athletes need to have their s--- together already.

Look to 2020 instead. You know over the next year or two a few high caliber NCAA athletes are going to graduate and get some crap deal that amounts to shoes and incentives, but no actual money. Some of them are going to be big talents with bright futures who just end up quitting the sport because they aren't in contention for a national title in the next few years, which right now is kind of the minimum requirement to stay in the sport.

Get like 5 of those 22/23 year olds and sponsor them. Sponsor them for 2020. Don't care so much whether they boom or bust, just make sure they are required to blog regularly, do all kinds of press releases for them, and just make their stories real. We'll love them because we have runners to follow for a change and even if a few do terribly it won't have been a wasted investment since you still got regular human feature stories out of it.

Precious Roy wrote:

Have a LRC blue collar runner contest. People get to nominate a runner who truly epitomizes the LRC collective unconscious's notion of what it means to be a "blue collar runner'

And if this were to happen, they'd be blown away by dopers at international meets..

I genuinely believe runners can run elite nationally clean. But, internationally, no podiums is the most likely outcome and the runner "shunned" by NOP/USATF/IAAF.

I'm okay with that. But, an athlete with elite international aspirations will not be okay with that.

That's a nice thought, wejo.

How about a random mediocre runner?

Mediocre people are always ignored.

turtale wrote:

I think it would be really cool if you guys helped promote/support some person/people, especially women, in a developing country where athletics isn't a huge thing.

The work Lornah Kiplagat has done in Kenya to help young women find some independence through running has been great, and it would be cool if Letsrun could make that happen.

As far as suggestions go, one very talented runner (who may not have the resources she needs) I can think of off the top of my head is Tintu Lukka of India (1:59 800).

I think this is a really good idea

I think you help someone do exactly what you did...get JK to coach them. Move them to Flagstaff. Give them the means to go to Phoenix, Sedona, etc. for workouts and to really take advantage of the High-Low training.

One of the things I appreciated growing up with this site was learning about the JK philosophy through your articles, updates, and all of that good stuff. It was fun following the journey.

I'd love to see that.

I do agree though that 2020 might be more realistic?

Simple. I'll hop the fence at the start of the 1500 and, if I make it past security, take off with them. All you have to do is pay for my plane ticket, meet ticket and bail. I'll take care of my pre-jail lodgings. I'll email my contact information.

make a LR tshirt with a Luke P. theme.

Make it simple. Letsrun logo, a quote from the man like "I was ready to give up (...)"

Sign it as

Luke P.,

fastest American, Chicago marathon 2015.

Take whatever percentage you need to pay for material /shipment, give the rest as endorsement to him.

Boom. Letsrun 》》》》 olympics.

I guess the only prerequisite is that which ever promising young athlete you select for this process should have the same blood group as Paula.

call ASAL