if you own a Beagle , American Eskimo or Lab , your instagram followers increase . If you are seen on a horse , or motorcycle , they go down. use the metrics to be more popular .
If you believe everyone is doping than why even watch track at all? I HIGHLY recommend hearing Grant Fisher's response to you on this week LRC podcast or the Elise one.
What does doping have to do with watching? I assume all dope and I love to watch. I live for this sport.
No, they get paid even more to set records and win championships (which is what Elise has done). In order to do both of those things required uninterrupted training for months. You get a lot more from an AR than running some random meet in Tennessee.
Except that there are tons of athletes who race a lot and still perform well on the big stage.
Jakob, Cheruiyot, Hassan, Kipyegon, Muir, Gidey, Obiri, Cheptegai, Kiplimo, etc.
So I took the names of people you cited who "race a lot" as well as a handful of 2021 BTC athletes, namely ones that were healthy all year, and ranked them by number of times they raced in 2021. 2021 BTC gang in italics.
In other words, BTC actually races a pretty normal amount. Less than Ingebritsen (16) or McSweyn (20) who are definitely extreme outliers on one end, but more than some too. I think the issue stems from them often being no shows at most of the smaller meets domestically within the USA while also doing their own meets in covid rather than joining in with other clubs. This creates a perception they race less than they do.
If Cranny and Fisher didn’t get widespread attention for their performances then Nike would not offer a contract. Nike pays them to help make the swoosh widely visible. They could always do infomercials for Nike product while keeping their running completely off the radar if they had the courage of their convictions.
Don’t quite know what to make of your post.
Hopefully those that are commenting have taken the time to listen to Elises pod. I really liked it.
I commend athletes that provide a glimpse into their training and racing life. They don’t have to do it yet they do. Why… simple really, they want to share their experiences in the chance that it might touch someone in a positive way. Sure it’s good for T&F, sure they are professional athletes and it helps the sport and their sponsors. This interview was real, there were no canned responses.
I wish I had the talent, drive, dedication way back when to have been a professional runner for a period in my life and this kind of podcast connects well with running fans.
We have been able to experience many great T&F performances since the beginning of the year. Elise showed true grit in the way she ran the 10k. Many other athletes have done great things for themselves and have entertained us. These kinds of interviews let us better understand the road they travel and that they are human beings with doubt, emotions, desires and lofty goals.
For those that did listen to Elises interview, she and Grant Fisher dedicated their 10k races and their prize winnings to Katie Meyer the Stanford university soccer player who recently died. Both Crannys and Fishers podcasts talked about the pain and togetherness that the Stanford community has been going through. Incredibly heartfelt.
i won't listen to her interview, but I listened to Grant. What he said made sense. Basically the system is broken, and is not made to grow the sport for fans. The contracts incentivize runners to run fast times and win medals, so that is how they program everything.
If there was some kid of league, like in tennis or golf, where runners were incentivized to go to this meet and that meet, it might be different.
If Cranny and Fisher didn’t get widespread attention for their performances then Nike would not offer a contract. Nike pays them to help make the swoosh widely visible. They could always do infomercials for Nike product while keeping their running completely off the radar if they had the courage of their convictions.
Don’t quite know what to make of your post.
Hopefully those that are commenting have taken the time to listen to Elises pod. I really liked it.
I commend athletes that provide a glimpse into their training and racing life. They don’t have to do it yet they do. Why… simple really, they want to share their experiences in the chance that it might touch someone in a positive way. Sure it’s good for T&F, sure they are professional athletes and it helps the sport and their sponsors. This interview was real, there were no canned responses.
I wish I had the talent, drive, dedication way back when to have been a professional runner for a period in my life and this kind of podcast connects well with running fans.
We have been able to experience many great T&F performances since the beginning of the year. Elise showed true grit in the way she ran the 10k. Many other athletes have done great things for themselves and have entertained us. These kinds of interviews let us better understand the road they travel and that they are human beings with doubt, emotions, desires and lofty goals.
For those that did listen to Elises interview, she and Grant Fisher dedicated their 10k races and their prize winnings to Katie Meyer the Stanford university soccer player who recently died. Both Crannys and Fishers podcasts talked about the pain and togetherness that the Stanford community has been going through. Incredibly heartfelt.
I was responding to the OP, if that was a misrepresentation of what was stated or intended in the pod that’s on the OP. Just engaging in the discussion here, I don’t care what’s in the pod as I will never add to the download numbers.
Except that there are tons of athletes who race a lot and still perform well on the big stage.
Jakob, Cheruiyot, Hassan, Kipyegon, Muir, Gidey, Obiri, Cheptegai, Kiplimo, etc.
So I took the names of people you cited who "race a lot" as well as a handful of 2021 BTC athletes, namely ones that were healthy all year, and ranked them by number of times they raced in 2021. 2021 BTC gang in italics.
In other words, BTC actually races a pretty normal amount. Less than Ingebritsen (16) or McSweyn (20) who are definitely extreme outliers on one end, but more than some too. I think the issue stems from them often being no shows at most of the smaller meets domestically within the USA while also doing their own meets in covid rather than joining in with other clubs. This creates a perception they race less than they do.
Looking at just Fisher's results from 2021, I'd say 5 of the 13 races were basically BTC time trials, and two others were heats (at US champs and Olympics). So we're down to 6 races of any substance
So I took the names of people you cited who "race a lot" as well as a handful of 2021 BTC athletes, namely ones that were healthy all year, and ranked them by number of times they raced in 2021. 2021 BTC gang in italics.
In other words, BTC actually races a pretty normal amount. Less than Ingebritsen (16) or McSweyn (20) who are definitely extreme outliers on one end, but more than some too. I think the issue stems from them often being no shows at most of the smaller meets domestically within the USA while also doing their own meets in covid rather than joining in with other clubs. This creates a perception they race less than they do.
Looking at just Fisher's results from 2021, I'd say 5 of the 13 races were basically BTC time trials, and two others were heats (at US champs and Olympics). So we're down to 6 races of any substance
During Covid dude. Jeez, what does it take? Turn that frown upside down.
These athletes wanted to race, they wanted to train like normal, they wanted to travel but 2021 wasn’t normal times.
I applauded BTC when they set up time trials with team mates whom they new didn’t have Covid due to frequently being tested. They could have not done that.
Damed if you do damed if you don’t by a few posters on Letsrun that continue their agenda to put down those that do while they sit back do nothing but criticize.
Looking at just Fisher's results from 2021, I'd say 5 of the 13 races were basically BTC time trials, and two others were heats (at US champs and Olympics). So we're down to 6 races of any substance
During Covid dude. Jeez, what does it take? Turn that frown upside down.
These athletes wanted to race, they wanted to train like normal, they wanted to travel but 2021 wasn’t normal times.
I applauded BTC when they set up time trials with team mates whom they new didn’t have Covid due to frequently being tested. They could have not done that.
Damed if you do damed if you don’t by a few posters on Letsrun that continue their agenda to put down those that do while they sit back do nothing but criticize.
All fair points. I was responding to the poster who says that athletes need months of uninterrupted training to run great times. So I pointed out that it was not true because there are many athletes who run great times at diamond leagues.
I also want to point out that BTC doesn't race a lot of DL races even during non covid years. I remembered Frerichs skipping the DL finals in 2019 to prepare for Worlds.
So I took the names of people you cited who "race a lot" as well as a handful of 2021 BTC athletes, namely ones that were healthy all year, and ranked them by number of times they raced in 2021. 2021 BTC gang in italics.
In other words, BTC actually races a pretty normal amount. Less than Ingebritsen (16) or McSweyn (20) who are definitely extreme outliers on one end, but more than some too. I think the issue stems from them often being no shows at most of the smaller meets domestically within the USA while also doing their own meets in covid rather than joining in with other clubs. This creates a perception they race less than they do.
Looking at just Fisher's results from 2021, I'd say 5 of the 13 races were basically BTC time trials, and two others were heats (at US champs and Olympics). So we're down to 6 races of any substance
Okay, so they have to be "races of substance" now? Well if we are chucking out races that mean nothing, Cheptegei raced a nothing April 1500m in Uganda, a road 5km in February, and we aren't counting semi-finals so scratch the Olympic semis, and now he's down to 4-5 races "of substance." All those athletes on that list above have "junk races" so to speak that aren't much to look at.
"5 of the races were basically BTC time trials" - what? BTC hosted one meet in 2021 - the Prickly Pear (stupid name) Invitational, where they invited teams like Tinman, NB Boston, Team Boss, Haas group etc. to race in Phoenix since they were all in Flag at the same time. PTF, Sound Running/The Track Meet are independently organized and between them had literally hundreds of other athletes across a bunch of disciplines competing. If BTC dominate an event doesn't make it a BTC only time trial.
It's very easy (and fair) to dislike BTC over the Houlihan crap, but it's amazing the amount of effort people will go to make up additional reasons to be angry at them like this.
I also want to point out that BTC doesn't race a lot of DL races even during non covid years. I remembered Frerichs skipping the DL finals in 2019 to prepare for Worlds.
Cross out "BTC and replace it with "American based distance athletes."
In 2021 - only 18 US/Canadians (both genders) in events 800 and up, scored DL points. The lionshare of these points were at Prefontaine. The only athletes to compete at 3 or more meets were Josette Norris, Kate Grace, Marco Arop, and Hillary Bor. 2/4 didn't make Tokyo and were able to center their post Trials seasons around DL performance. Bor skipped the DL final. Of the other 14 athletes, 5 were BTC athletes.
The fact is, the Diamond League schedule is extremely European centric. Americans have a brutal battle at trials to make teams, and it makes no sense for them to fly trans-Atlantic to race a DL before trials, and post worlds or Olympics a lot of athletes are burnt out and shut down their seasons.
This year will be the same; Pre is May 27th (Eugene) and US Champs June 23-25th (Eugene) 4 Diamond Leagues and 5 WA Gold Level Meets. It makes absolutely zero sense for any US athlete fly to Europe and then back again immediately with spots on the line. Stockholm is the 30th of June, so between US trials and Worlds, so makes no sense for US to do that either unless you missed the team. So that's 4 DLs that are pointless for Stateside athletes, plus the two random ones in China that no one wants to go to, that's 6 pointless DLs from a US point of view.
So say you're a W5000m runner; well unfortunately for you Pre 2022 doesn't have a DL scoring 5000m for women. Post worlds, neither do Monaco or Brussels. So if you want to make Zurich, you have to hope that you absolutely crush Lausanne's 3000m because realistically that's your only logistically feasible shot to qualify.
If only there were some type of league where the track athletes could compete weekly - that’s genius. Maybe it could be on TV and they could have prize money and a championship meet based on who scored the most points in their events? And have it take place in cities all over the world! Yeah, that’s the ticket. They would need to have a cool name for it though. Golden league maybe? Or what’s better than gold - diamonds! They should call it Diamond League.
The fact is, the Diamond League schedule is extremely European centric. Americans have a brutal battle at trials to make teams, and it makes no sense for them to fly trans-Atlantic to race a DL before trials, and post worlds or Olympics a lot of athletes are burnt out and shut down their seasons.
As it stands, it's a dumb system.
Which is why there has been an increase the past two years in the number of quality meets being put on in the United States, so US athletes don't have to fly to Europe to race against good competition.
I realize that many of the new meets started because of Covid travel restriction issues, but these US meets will continue even post-Covid which is good for the US athletes.
There are now some very good new meets in California, Washington, Oregon, Texas, and Florida that didn't exist a few years ago.
Truth is, all current BTC members are on hypo-thyroid meds.
Thyriod meds increase mitochondria population density and efficacy.
Which means you literally don’t get tired when performing aerobic based work for prolonged periods as mitochondria are the respiration and energy power house of our cells. This is basic endurance biology and physiology 101.
Letsrun journalist / mods please ask “Coach Flanagan” about BTC’s Boston Thyroid doctor she sends everyone to for hypo-thyroid diagnosis and prescriptions.
Why the BTC mass exoduses last few years?… Athletes wanting to run clean did not appreciate the pressures from BTC Asst. “Coaches” about the necessity to get on their “Thyroid Program.”
I’m sure this post will be deleted, but remember, it took 7+ years to bring down NOP when it was very clear to those in the know that that program was running dirty.
Oh yeah, BTC is definitely doping. Not even a question. I commend those who left.
Let’s also get something straight. BTC time trials are not entertaining. I don’t know how many American records they’ve set where it’s been exclusively their runners in some lowkey meet with ppv streaming. I saw the headline about grant running 12:53 and couldn’t have cared less because it doesn’t mean anything. His time exists in a vacuum.
This is what is killing the sport. You have the best athletes in our country who are 1. Secretive and 2. Doping.
Not to mention runners in general are the losers of sport. Think of all the lame kids on your high school xc team that were nerds or otherwise lame kids that no one cared about.
there’s such a stigma in this sport that you just need to eat sleep run repeat. It’s so incredibly boring. There’s no culture, no fun, no excitement.
You think NFL players don’t enjoy a beer on the weekends after a game? Have you heard the stories about NHL players doing blow? James Harden in strip clubs.
the stigma of no fun distance running needs to end. That’s why no one likes this sport and it well never gain popularity the way it is today.
Looking at just Fisher's results from 2021, I'd say 5 of the 13 races were basically BTC time trials, and two others were heats (at US champs and Olympics). So we're down to 6 races of any substance
During Covid dude. Jeez, what does it take? Turn that frown upside down.
These athletes wanted to race, they wanted to train like normal, they wanted to travel but 2021 wasn’t normal times.
I applauded BTC when they set up time trials with team mates whom they new didn’t have Covid due to frequently being tested. They could have not done that.
Damed if you do damed if you don’t by a few posters on Letsrun that continue their agenda to put down those that do while they sit back do nothing but criticize.
Covid is such a lame excuse for not racing. You realize the Diamond League didn’t just disappear last year right? It’s not unreasonable to expect the best team in North America to actually mix it up with the rest of the world from time to time. Imagine how dumb it would be if someone like Barega only ran a few time trials in Ethiopia every year.
The BTC bias is way too strong on these boards. They are everything people claim to hate about NOP.
Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win a LetsRun t-shirt.Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win one of 10 LetsRun t-shirts.