Okay? wrote:
That makes sense since the correlation between being a good Halo player and a good marathoner are about the same as being a good 5k/10k runner and a good marathoner are. If you are going to try and be "cute" or "funny" on a message board, at least have some logic behind your post.
Or maybe it was completely a joke, as it is obvious that such a stretch of logic is not applicable. So obvious that I applaud you for pointing it out for everyone.
It is a phoney way for USATF to say it is aiding the development of long distance running. I have already seen articles claiming "this is the most qualifiers since 1984." If they are going to rate their success of development of marathoning they shouldn't include the 5k and 10k qualifiers.
What they really need is a sliding scale. I agree with the sub-13:40 and sub-28:45 with no marathon, but it should be taken a step further. If you have run between 2:20:01 and and 2:22 (in other words, a "B" qualifier) then you should at least have to have also run a sub-30:30 10K or a sub-14:30 5K to enter the Trials. If you haven't, then you know you're a no-talent mileage whore who has done a good amount of work, rah rah, yippie yah, but has as much of a chance of going to the Games as Mary Wittenberg herself does.
The Trials are about picking Olympians, not a place where 2:27 wankers like the ones who gather here and talk about the best places to run 2:22 this spring can live out their major league wannabe dreams. Face it, the 2:18 guys have little chance of making the Olympic team, let alone 2:21 guys.
How does it undermine the marathon as an event? If you have ever dedicated the majority of your time/training toward gaining a qualifying standard in the marathon, competed in the marathon to achieve that time, then you would understand why it undermines the event.
A 2.22 marathon is not in anyway comparable to a 28:45 10k. They are two distinct events that require distince levels of preparation and effort.
It IS the olympics we're talking about. It's trials to earn a spot on the Olympic team in the marathon. It's a stupid rule. And not only is it a stupid rule, but it's a stupid decision for the likes of Hall or Torres to debut at a trials event, unless of course Mary is paying appearance fees, which seems slightly unethical to me, if that's the case.
Why would Jorge Torres pass up a 30k appearance bonus at Chicago to run a debut in an event he has no experience in? Does anyone else find that strange?