Taylor and Huddle getting rejected by Chicago

We’re giving appearance fees to people well past their prime because they are nice? Mollys great. Nobody’s denying that. Zero reason to give her an appearance fee for a marathon right now though.

I’d honestly be more curious to see what Ryan Hall could do in a marathon right now. Give him $20k to see if he can break 3 while being jacked. Would garner much more attention

And Galen Rupp qualified for the 2016 Olympic Marathon trials (with a pretty quick half-marathon) about nine weeks before the trials, then won the trials easily. Indeed, a number of runners have qualified for the Olympic marathon itself within eleven weeks of the Games and then medaled or run very well at the Games. Although many people don't think it's ideal, eleven weeks is plenty of time to run a reasonably hard marathon, recover, and run a better marathon. In fact, the better the runner, the easier it is to run a qualifier (or a team selection race) shortly before the target race. There are reasons that many good runners choose to limit themselves to one or two marathons a year, but those reasons generally have almost nothing to do with length of recovery following marathons.

If they really want us to run they could have registered just like everybody else and to run. No reason they only run if they're invited or paid.

I think their appearance at NYC is about more than fast times just as the NYC marathon is not about fast times. NY is the everyman’s race, just like Boston is supposed to be for those who qualified. In NY we keep the finish line open all night and you can come back well into the night to see people with MS or whatever disability finishing. These two women are new moms and the draw is that they are racing. Yes we want them to do well but they are not going to win but that is not the point.

A half marathon before the marathon. trials isn’t comparable Cochise. Longer efforts take longer to recover from and then build up and race again. Half wouldn’t hurt a pro marathoner 9 weeks out.

But they are too slow!

Right - and she now also has that 'After Midnight' gig.

Think you're underestimating Huddle's 111k IG followers & how relatable she is to a lot of female runners. I'm sure she had well-attended speaking engagements before the race & will have something afterwards. Huge NYT piece on her. There are a ton of reasons to pay her to come race a major. Another one of those reasons is her running credentials/giving her the chance to run close to her past fitness. She's just on the comeback trail. She hasn't had enough time pass to run times up to your standards. That's the point. She's coming back from non-existent maternity leave.

Molly Huddle is 39 years old. Her career is over, there is no “comeback trail.”

They're Moms!

Right, so Keira D’Amato’s comeback trail wasn’t a comeback at age 37? 🙃 The reason why women are running better than ever well into their 40’s is they’ve learned not to listen to sh*t takes like this.

2:29 and 2:32 on the hilly NYC course is slow?? what gender are you and what’s your best at NYC?

8th & 9th, 2:29 & 2:32 in a 2:27 race. Both ran with the leaders for 20 miles. You can still set PBs in the marathon or make an Olympic team at their age/with their talent. Why can't people just be happy for other people. There is a comeback trail. These women aren't done. Idc what the fields looked like in NYC. The place/time on that course indicate good fitness. Can contend at the Trials.

This isn't about "being happy for other people." Nobody is rooting against either of them. You're acting as though fans, with no personal connection to either runner, have an obligation to be supportive as though they're our friends or family. If Molly or Taylor were my sister, I would say to them exactly what you're saying. But they're not.

The question is whether there is any reason to think that either of them are contenders. The answer to that is a resounding no. Even when they were at their best, they would've at most had an outside shot at making the team. Molly has never been as good at the marathon as her 10k and other road times would indicate, and Taylor's best performances, while solid, don't hold up against what the best American women today are capable of doing. And now, they're no longer at their best. Their performances this weekend were mediocre, even taking the course into account.

Does that mean they CAN'T make the team or CAN'T still run PRs? Of course not. I'd be thrilled to be wrong. But it's perfectly rational to predict that they won't, and recognizing that doesn't make someone a jerk.

I still don't think the marathon is Molly's best event. But she does well enough to get a pay day, and hope she can have a good showing at the Trials.

Kellyn's best chance was probably 2016, but the trials can have a wild card spot so you never know what will happen.

They are both pushing 40 and haven't run a marathon in years. They are both pros which means the organizers are gonna have to pay their way and probably an appearance fees. Pros don't race for nothing. From the organizer's point of view, there's not much to be gained by inviting them. It'll cost money and Huddle and Taylor won't provide much value even if it's just announcing they will be in the field.

Trials Qualifiers

Sisson, Seidel, and Saina

Keira can’t handle the heat

Hall to busy crying about starting time

Bates too much talk not enough show

You asked the question, and I answered it accurately. But if you're asking whether anyone ran a marathon within eleven weeks before making the team, the first who comes to my mind is Benji Durden, who finished sixth in the 1980 Boston Marathon, then finished second in the U.S. Olympic trials marathon less than five weeks later.