USATF is trying to blame the local organizing committee!!?? Give me a break. It's their friggin race--in this case, Max Siegel's. Since Siegel didn't care about anything but $$$ and TV, that's all he got. He certainly doesn't care about marathon runners or race organization or Marathon Trials spirit (which has always been a highlight of the Trials). Instead, he sucks every possible dollar out of the LOC, and then provides no support. Despite the fact that the Trials are USATF's race. Don't lose sight of that. The race belonging to the LOC is the next day's people's marathon. That's their focus, their future, their community, and their profit center. How can anyone blame them for focusing on their own business rather than USATF's business? Houston was remarkable in 2012--all credit to them. And other Trials organizers have performed with varying degrees of energy, organization, funding, and true marathon spirit. But the responsibility for a great and well-run Marathon Trials ultimately rests with USATF. They need to do more. As things stand now, USATF just takes the rights fee, and runs to the bank with it, leaving the LOC high and dry. Then when the Trials have problems, USATF points the finger at them. That's crap. USATF needs to take ownership, and show leadership.