It's been a surprise to me to see a number of regulars here who think the IAAF cutting the 5,000 meters from the diamond league meets is a good idea.
Please help me to understand how catering to someone that finds a race like the 5,000 boring by eliminating it helps our sport. I don't think you will make a fan out of that person or make them any more likely to watch on TV or attend a track meet by keeping the race distances short.
It will irreparably harm the sport, literally 100,000s people know there 5k times, even in imperial system America, they got on board with the 5k race and millions participate annually, now there told forget the 5k learn your 3k time thats the future....
Mr Obvious wrote:
It will irreparably harm the sport, literally 100,000s people know there 5k times, even in imperial system America, they got on board with the 5k race and millions participate annually, now there told forget the 5k learn your 3k time thats the future....
Letsrun posters (or gals/guys in the coffee shops, pubs and tea houses) said the same thing in 1909 when five miles XC was dropped from Olympics. I believe every 5000m Olympic gold medalist since 1960 was also capable of earning a medal in 3000m or Marathon. As long as 3000m is added, this will be exciting! Forget four minute mile as badge of honor. The new badge of honor: sub-7:30 3000m.
they said the ... wrote:
Letsrun posters (or gals/guys in the coffee shops, pubs and tea houses) said the same thing in 1909 when five miles XC was dropped from Olympics. I believe every 5000m Olympic gold medalist since 1960 was also capable of earning a medal in 3000m or Marathon. As long as 3000m is added, this will be exciting! Forget four minute mile as badge of honor. The new badge of honor: sub-7:30 3000m.
Letsrun posters from 1909?
Every Olympic gold medalist since 1960 was capable of earning a medal in the 3000 or the Marathon?
Diamond league mile? Olympic mile?
Time for rehab guy
I think they should replace the 3200 in high school with the 5,000. They already run the 5k in xc. This would separate the real distance runners from the mid distance runners more.
The 5000 isn’t going way. It’s a stupid comment. Has the mile gone away? It’s never been a Diamond League event.
Mr Obvious wrote:
It will irreparably harm the sport, literally 100,000s people know there 5k times, even in imperial system America, they got on board with the 5k race and millions participate annually
The race these people have participated in is the 5K road race, not the 5,000 meters. Ditto for the 10K. At the recreational level there are a lot of 5K's and 10K's but there are very few at the elite level where the prize money is enough to attract the elite runners. My hope is that a byproduct of this change will be an increase of big prize money 5K and 10K road races. If that happens then we will watch the best of the best duke it out at these races. To the purist it is a different race compared to the track race but to Joe Public they are the same. If these races turn out to be 5 - 1K laps of the city center the crowds watching could be very large indeed. That would be good for the sponsors and hence good for the sport.
The half marathon has surged in popularity among the elite because there are now many events with sizable prize money available. However, I have never heard of a half marathon track race. Basically the divide between track and road used to be 10,000M / 1/2 marathon. Now it will be 3,000M / 5K. It may take some getting used to but I suspect the next generation of runners and fans will see nothing wrong with it.
Hfhfhfhh wrote:
The 5000 isn’t going way. It’s a stupid comment. Has the mile gone away? It’s never been a Diamond League event.
There will be far fewer chances to qualify for the 5000 at the Olympics. Eliminating the 5000 at the Olympics is next.
The 1500 is very close to the mile in distance and strategy. Not so with the 3000 and the 5000.
Far from a stupid comment. Look in the mirror.
Hfhfhfhh wrote:
The 5000 isn’t going way. It’s a stupid comment. Has the mile gone away? It’s never been a Diamond League event.
The mile certainly went away as very few americans even know what time they could run the mile in, however, the 1500m exists which is at least a reasonable substitute for the serious athlete.
Reality distance running is the biggest potential market in all of Athletics, repeated short term thinking has destroyed so much potential earning power for distance runners. The half marathon has made a small level of popularity organically only because of massive demand despite every effort to keep it down, I am sure the same will go for the 5k. sad really
Consolidating "redundant" races would do a lot of good:
* Shorter meets
* More competitive races
jamin wrote:
Consolidating "redundant" races would do a lot of good:
* Shorter meets
* More competitive races
How would changing the 5000 to the 3000 be a consolidation of races?
otter wrote:
jamin wrote:
Consolidating "redundant" races would do a lot of good:
* Shorter meets
* More competitive races
How would changing the 5000 to the 3000 be a consolidation of races?
I would argue that we should go the opposite way: throw away the 3000 in favor of the 5000. It's the same dang race.
jamin wrote:
otter wrote:
How would changing the 5000 to the 3000 be a consolidation of races?
I would argue that we should go the opposite way: throw away the 3000 in favor of the 5000. It's the same dang race.
That's what it is now. Are you ok?
Up until this change it has been 3000SC and 5000. They are not redundant, or even close to being the same race.
Yeah, actually. 5K & 10K should be road race or xc distances. The majority of track fans aren't sitting through these races with sustained interest at meets. It's a schedule lag at almost any meet at any level. You have to improve the spectator experience to remain relevant and profitable as a pro sport with so much competition today.
Evan Jogger wrote:
Yeah, actually. 5K & 10K should be road race or xc distances. The majority of track fans aren't sitting through these races with sustained interest at meets. It's a schedule lag at almost any meet at any level. You have to improve the spectator experience to remain relevant and profitable as a pro sport with so much competition today.
* Eliminate 3k, 3k steeple and 10k
* Keep 5k
* Put up to 60 per heat in 5k
Raddison wrote:
Mr Obvious wrote:
It will irreparably harm the sport, literally 100,000s people know there 5k times, even in imperial system America, they got on board with the 5k race and millions participate annually
The race these people have participated in is the 5K road race, not the 5,000 meters. Ditto for the 10K. At the recreational level there are a lot of 5K's and 10K's but there are very few at the elite level where the prize money is enough to attract the elite runners. My hope is that a byproduct of this change will be an increase of big prize money 5K and 10K road races. If that happens then we will watch the best of the best duke it out at these races. To the purist it is a different race compared to the track race but to Joe Public they are the same. If these races turn out to be 5 - 1K laps of the city center the crowds watching could be very large indeed. That would be good for the sponsors and hence good for the sport.
The half marathon has surged in popularity among the elite because there are now many events with sizable prize money available. However, I have never heard of a half marathon track race. Basically the divide between track and road used to be 10,000M / 1/2 marathon. Now it will be 3,000M / 5K. It may take some getting used to but I suspect the next generation of runners and fans will see nothing wrong with it.
Nobody is going to watch 5km or 10km on the road. If people think track is boring they will be asleep watching road races as it cannot to be televised as well no obvious visual indicators like 400m to go etc
Silver lining:
The 3000m WR might get broken
exrunner wrote:
Silver lining:
The 3000m WR might get broken
And no one will know or care.
I often have to explain to sports-informed people how many laps are in an 800m race.
say no to drugs wrote:
they said the ... wrote:
Letsrun posters (or gals/guys in the coffee shops, pubs and tea houses) said the same thing in 1909 when five miles XC was dropped from Olympics. I believe every 5000m Olympic gold medalist since 1960 was also capable of earning a medal in 3000m or Marathon. As long as 3000m is added, this will be exciting! Forget four minute mile as badge of honor. The new badge of honor: sub-7:30 3000m.
Letsrun posters from 1909?
Every Olympic gold medalist since 1960 was capable of earning a medal in the 3000 or the Marathon?
Diamond league mile? Olympic mile?
Time for rehab guy
Go easy. You're the only one who got bent out of shape regarding letsrun & 1909. I meant to state every Olympic 5000m gold medalist since 1960 ... 3000m or Marathon. It was implied since OP posted about 5000m. I didn't mention the mile.
Am I living in the twilight zone? The Boston Marathon weather was terrible!
Is there a rule against attaching a helium balloon to yourself while running a road race?
How rare is it to run a sub 5 minute mile AND bench press 225?
Move over Mark Coogan, Rojo and John Kellogg share their 3 favorite mile workouts
Mark Coogan says that if you could only do 3 workouts as a 1500m runner you should do these
Matt Choi was drinking beer halfway through the Boston Marathon