Yet another CRAZY idea!

The problem with adding additional events is that it makes it easier for the top athletes to dodge eachother, which makes for less exciting meets.

The idea of having shorter meets might be a good one though. If you did that it's possible that the races might be even more competitive. Maybe you don't start out with a 1 hour meet but you can cut out a few events and get it down to 2 hours. Maybe cutting down the all-day meets is a good idea as well.

I don't remember liking distance relays as a runner or as a coach. It would not hurt to throw another distance event in there. Give out some individual glory to someone who does not ordinarily get it.

Part of the reason they have the distance relays is so that the distance group can actually score points. Especially at a HS level if this had happened when I was in HS the only events left for distance guys would be the 1600 and 3200. And some races didn't even have 3200.

I see your point though, watching a 4 X 1600 really sucked.

"I see your point though, watching a 4 X 1600 really sucked."

Yeah, so although a 4 x 800, DM, SM, or 4 x 1600 is not a bad event, it would be better to have the 600, 1000, 2400, added to the current schedule of events.

That way more guys would have a chance to score points and you would save time in meets! (Perhaps you could nickname the 2400 as the "six lapper.")

You could also consider adding a 2000 meter steeplechase, but that might cause programs to spend extra money. Heaven forbid we do that!

Yes, have the 600, 1000, 2400! those would be some good events to have in the middle of the 400/800, 800/1600, 1600/3200. The short relays are usually fairly exciting because they are close. Why not give a few distance runners the opportunity to think they matter as well?

At the high school level that is especially true. Even the 4 X 800 can get bad. I've seen teams put their fastest guy first just so they could stay competitive in that type of race, then by the third leg they are hopelessly out of it! Why do that to your distance kids and the fans!

That does not have to be true, you can institute rules so that teams must enter their top runners in certain events, or they might only be able to run one event. Some coaches, like myself, would love that rule because you could actually "train" during the season instead of running races all the time.

You could also institute a new rule: An athlete can only run one event. The purpose would be for those teams that want to allow their athletes to "train" during the season. I realize that's becoming a new concept but non-the-less it's a good idea, men.

CIF meet with the 4x800 would like to have a word with you, in four hours or so.

Jed Clampett answered Jim Kiler like this:

They have multiple national competitions for high school kids in track & field and cross country from November to January. How many national cross-country championships do they have now? Four or Five? Our small state has a Pre-State Meet at the beginning of the Track & Field Season. At this meet, where most events have their best season marks until the State Team Section Qualifying Meets. Next is the State Team Track & Field Meet; then they have the Individual Section and State Meets! When does too much become too much?

Extra events solves nothing, instead get rid of the superflous events that already exist.

Destroy:

ALL hurdles. Jumping over stuff is not part of running. Running is not part of jumping over stuff.

All relays except 4x400, because it is the only genuinely exciting event.

The 200m. Almost exactly the same runners as the 100m. Pointless.

The new track meet will be 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 4x400.

Pare field events down to just long jump, high jump, and javelin. If that's not enough, dump the 3 silly throws and add the baseball throw.

Mr. Bad Wigins,

If you were a truly bad athletics competitor you would know that you do not jump the hurdles, you run the hurdles races!

200 in or out? I can't tell.

2000 and 4000 are both too similar to the other events like the 1600 and 3200 to really find them interesting at least in the same meet. 300m would also be too similar to the 400m for me to care.

I do think the 800mH would be really sick and the 60m outdoors as well.