I think this would be a great idea. The entry fee would be about $10,000, to help cover the costs of running the event for a few dozen runners. Plus, no annoying fans cheering on the sidelines. Great idea!
Fukuoka discontinued as it was. Whatever they're calling the "Fukuoka marathon" is just a generalist hobby jogger run (first come first served, faster than 6 hrs 45 min...).
OP: your best hope is the McKirdy micro-marathon, sorry. You should have run The Marathon Project that one time in 2020, because it wasn't economically sensible to replicate.
Olympic Trials. If your American, we already have one.
And maybe not for long, with little to no viable bids for the event anymore. Plus the uncertainty of top 3 at the event being qualified to go to the Olympics. Throwing a bone to people way outside OT qualification isn't a great strategy with limited resources for the domestic scene.
Tokyo 2:32, London 2:38, Berlin 2:45, New York 2:53, Boston 2:55, Chicago 2:55
(Unless old or not male)
To be clear, I meant the only way in is qualifying.
Times aren’t elite but they’re quick enough to stop the nonsense of hobbyjoggers going to insane lengths (flights around the world, raising money for charities they don’t care about, and running races down mountains) to get their 6 stars (or 9 stars).
I hate the fact that finishing all the majors is considered a real accomplishment when all you have to do is throw a bunch of money at it. A race with no way in but to run a time that most people can’t without good training and slightly above average talent would put an end to the foolishness.
this is letsrun...where every OP has a marathon PB of 2:03:45 or better....that's why every world class runner is slow douchey here....get it right broseefus
A training buddy and I were talking about and adjacent topic recently - is there scope for a few marathons to band together and form a competitor to the majors with a slightly less mass approach. Probably not the most commercially sensible decision an RD could make.
e.g. Valencia + Fukuoka + CIM + Copenhagen
But why? What's the point? All the good marathons (including those you mentioned) already sell out. Which also argues against the idea that the Majors' ability to attract top elites = more interest by everyday runners. Maybe there is more interest in the Majors, but what does it matter if, as an RD, your race in Sacramento or Duluth already sells out? If the WMM ceased to exist and there were no more 6-star medals, I don't think it would be any easier to get into any of them.
Tokyo 2:32, London 2:38, Berlin 2:45, New York 2:53, Boston 2:55, Chicago 2:55
(Unless old or not male)
To be clear, I meant the only way in is qualifying.
Times aren’t elite but they’re quick enough to stop the nonsense of hobbyjoggers going to insane lengths (flights around the world, raising money for charities they don’t care about, and running races down mountains) to get their 6 stars (or 9 stars).
I hate the fact that finishing all the majors is considered a real accomplishment when all you have to do is throw a bunch of money at it. A race with no way in but to run a time that most people can’t without good training and slightly above average talent would put an end to the foolishness.
LOL. This has nothing to do with running and everything to do with your poor little psyche. Ask yourself why you care so much about other people acting like the 6 stars is a "real accomplishment." The "foolishness" of other people enjoying something and being happy with themselves—ask yourself why this makes you so mad, why you care so much about the lives of others. That is where the real solution is—not in faster qualifying times.
it would be cool to put it in Kenya or Ethiopia. And nice to have a goal time between a BQ and the U.S. Olympic trials.
I would comp entries for Africans too
What is the point of this? I honestly don't understand. You can generally run with your preferred pace group at almost any marathon already, and especially the majors. What's the point of your proposed super niche marathon?
I know some track clubs that have created events like this. They're not popular and they generally only last a few years at most.
In the 90s I tried to enter Fukuoka, and (as a non-Japanese) was told that unless I was an Olympic medalist or comparable, I (mid-2:20s) was not welcome. It was not an open race then, and with a 2:27 open male qualifier, isn't really one today either. Japan has had a number of relatively closed fast marathons over the years, especially for women.
I hear you OP. Once a BQ becomes easy & an OTQ isn't realistic you can feel a bit stuck but there are so many good marathons to race. You can shoot for elite standards at local marathons or just race as an elite at those races because they often times have standards like that. Tokyo has a fast qualifying time. You can shoot for top-100 at each domestic major or just go for place at those races & see what you can do. Look at Berlin now. Sub-2:30 gets you just inside the top-300. Plenty of marathons with serious depth at these kinds of times. McKirdy provides an opportunity to race like an elite & give yourself a chance to find out what you can do with personal fluid stations. They have two options this spring: sub-2:25/2:45 or sub-3:15 (says this race has a sub-2:30 pacer). You can try a hard (hot and/or hilly) marathon where time doesn't really matter. You can try a trail race and/or an ultra. You can do a triathlon. So many ways to stay engaged in the sport.
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.
I hear you OP. Once a BQ becomes easy & an OTQ isn't realistic you can feel a bit stuck but there are so many good marathons to race. You can shoot for elite standards at local marathons or just race as an elite at those races because they often times have standards like that. Tokyo has a fast qualifying time. You can shoot for top-100 at each domestic major or just go for place at those races & see what you can do. Look at Berlin now. Sub-2:30 gets you just inside the top-300. Plenty of marathons with serious depth at these kinds of times. McKirdy provides an opportunity to race like an elite & give yourself a chance to find out what you can do with personal fluid stations. They have two options this spring: sub-2:25/2:45 or sub-3:15 (says this race has a sub-2:30 pacer). You can try a hard (hot and/or hilly) marathon where time doesn't really matter. You can try a trail race and/or an ultra. You can do a triathlon. So many ways to stay engaged in the sport.
Yeah I agree with this. I’m currently a bit under 2:30 and my next step is just trying to qualify for marathons through elite standards. I’m from the UK and 2:25-2:30 seems to get you free entry to most marathons here (excluding London obviously), though I’m aiming for free entry for Manchester which requires a sub 2:24. Anything past this point is just a step too far at this moment in time
Its a racket. We into pay the city cops overtime at $400,000/year and 5 Star Hotel Rooms for 5 days and the money comes from charging $200 entry fees to hobby joggers. Now do you see how it works.
OP: your best hope is the McKirdy micro-marathon, sorry. You should have run The Marathon Project that one time in 2020, because it wasn't economically sensible to replicate.
Ben Rosario is announcing a new business venture tomorrow. Could it be a new Marathon Project type series/event?
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