USATF changes 50km worlds team selection criteria 3 months before window closes

Both you and the USATF officials keep repeating that the rules “clearly state” the win needed to be under 3:00 but cannot seem to point to any direct mention of this requirement.

If a rule doesn’t exist, it’s not “clearly stated.” Are you just trolling?

Here’s a fantasy scenario:

You sue the USATF, for let’s say, $3.8 mil. You win a the judge orders Max Seigel to pay the entire amount out of his personal bank account.

Seriously, I hope you’re in and you’ll be notified promptly.

its annoying the rules changed but you can easily run sub-3 any day. But I’m guessing there’s not a lot of 50k’s in Germany or somewhat close by? It seems you could go out for a long run in a ‘race’ any random weekend and run 2:50 or so. In the US it’d be fairly easy, but idk Europe at all.

Also, I’m aware that still wouldn’t be an “auto” but you’d likely have a very very high chance of being selected.

I would recommend that you stop complaining and just wait what happens.

You might get selected, or you might not.

Since you are living in Germany right now use the chance to connect with ultra runners there.
Here is a list of 50k races for next year.

The 50k race in Rodgau 1/28 is a huge event.

ultra.rlt-rodgau.de

Ultramarathon 28.01.2023 – der Countdown läuft! | Ultramarathon | Rodgau-Lauftreff

Holger Assion

Der 23. 50-km-Ultramarathon des RLT Rodgau findet am 28.01.2023 statt. Die Online-Anmeldung ist geöffnet! Wir freuen uns auf Euch!

Open link

Results from last year

I appreciate him complaining; this is a pattern with USATF. Poorly documented standards that they can change on a whim, and often modified too late for anyone to plan off of (unless you're connected).

They need to be called out for it, or they'll keep getting away with mismanaging the sport.

The USATF is horrible, no question about that but complaining will not help.

This is a bad argument. Organizations are made up of people. A lot of people at USATF care deeply about the sport. Those people will respond if athletes (especially visible ones) express dissatisfaction.

You must be a young runner.
Organizations like USATF are highly politicized organizations. I am sure there are some really nice people in there as well but from what I have seen it's a very dysfunctional organization and athletes come last.

Run the races you want to run but don't make yourself dependent on an organization like USATF.

I find the auto-qualification language unclear. It requires you to either interpret a semi-colon as "and" or "or". A semi-colon is inappropriate in this situation, reminiscent of the Founding Fathers punctuating the Constitutional Amendments. USATF needs a technical editor; or maybe this is on purpose (see what I did there?).

Pretty solid case for selection you mean. Automatic selection avoids the needs to make a case, which is his goal, as it's uncertain.

I don't know any of these people or races, but I draft legal documents for a living, and I would never interpret the USATF rule as requiring you run THAT time in THAT race. The main reason is (among many other drafting problems here) it would be very easy to condition the requirement by using "if" -- i.e.,

"The winner of the USATF Championship if such winner breaks 3:00."

Ideally, you'd add a lot more -- especially the part about clearly stating that you're talking about THAT PARTICULAR RACE -- but using "if" instead of "; provided that" more obviously highlights the fact that winning is not sufficient by itself. In general, it's hard to argue (like USATF would here) that a more complicated/unclear sentence means the same thing as a much less complicated/very clear sentence -- especially if you're the party that drafted it.

I don't think any of this is clear, but I think the OP has the better argument from a pure statutory interpretation standpoint. Good luck!

I'm speechless that anybody could have this opinion.

I assume that you and "TheGuardian reader" must have some agenda or are new to competitive running / USATF.

Here is just one of many USATF-specific examples of when complaining about USATF's laziness/neglience/incompetence has, in fact, helped:

letsrun.com

Finally! USATF Ordered to Pick 2019 Pan Am Team According to Its Rules

LetsRun.comJuly 19

It took nearly a month for justice to be served. And it cost LRC $2000, but it was worth it.

Open link

Relating to this thread, OP was absolutely steam-rolled and should not just lie down and take it.

Yeah just accept incompetence and move on.

TheGuardian reader You strike me as the type of person that would rail against the system if something happened to you. Telling someone to wait and see what happens is crap advice because nothing can be done once the team is selected--now is perfectly the time to raise concerns.

In short. Stop being a d***.

Still not sure what you're not comprehending. I'll copy and paste it again:

3. Automatic selection will be given to the first U.S. Male and first U.S. Female at the following races, provided minimum performance standards are met (see 2 above)
2022 Caumsett Park 50K (USATF National 50K Championships), March 6, 2022