Very few, if any, runners would get bonus money for a team cross country medal. Sponsors generally only care about track, not cross country.
Maybe if there was a modern day equivalent of Pat Porter who was famous for cross country. But no pros like that exist in the US now.
Thanks, that is what I assumed.
If there is no financial incentive, I don't blame the athletes.
and isn't it sad that this is what running has become. Where's the love? When they started running was it about making money? How much were they paid in HS but kept coming back?
It’s a silly, imaginary, strawman thing to instigate clickbait. The OP whines, yet I wonder how often he and his brother raced at even USA XC, let alone Worlds. Junk opinions like this is why pro runners have stripped these clowns off their “pro journalist” cards.
If there is no financial incentive, I don't blame the athletes.
and isn't it sad that this is what running has become. Where's the love? When they started running was it about making money? How much were they paid in HS but kept coming back?
Just like all of us, professional runners have bills to pay and so they are trying to make money.
Do we do our jobs for free? No, we don't. Then why should we expect pro runners to do things that don't make them money?
I'd like to see them run cross country but I can understand why many of them don't do it.
Most of these runners "trying to get their 10k qualifiers" a.) will NEVER make national team for a World Athletics Championship event and b.) are missing an chance to get a qualifier through top 15 finish at World Cross. Also, if the US were to send their "A" teams," there is a good chance of going home with a MEDAL (in the team race), something that is completely out of reach for any current US 10k runner on the track (outside of maybe Grant Fischer).
Pros should run World Cross, an actual WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP event where one can earn/wear the USA jersey, legitimately compete for prestigious hardware, and earn a 10k qualifier in the process. I doubt most pros will look back on their career and be glad they instead ran in a meet no one paid attention to (outside of a dozen or so running dorks) because they hoped to earn a qualifier to an event they most likely didn't end up earning a spot for.
Unless they have financial (dis)incentives in their sponsorship contracts, I don't why top US athletes throw away these opportunities to do something incredibly special.
and isn't it sad that this is what running has become. Where's the love? When they started running was it about making money? How much were they paid in HS but kept coming back?
Just like all of us, professional runners have bills to pay and so they are trying to make money.
Do we do our jobs for free? No, we don't. Then why should we expect pro runners to do things that don't make them money?
I'd like to see them run cross country but I can understand why many of them don't do it.
Some of us are close to doing our jobs for free. Some are willing to do what's needed for their job even if that part of the job isn't paid. Take coaches or teachers for those examples. If you have the love then you are willing to do what it takes regardless on if that portion of the job is paid or not. I would say most of us on here run for free.
You just have to wait in line to pay a fee at USATF. It's not exactly marked, but you know you're in the right spot when you find the Marathon Trials Host Committee people waiting to pay their "fees."
Pros should run World Cross, an actual WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP event where one can earn/wear the USA jersey, legitimately compete for prestigious hardware
As a side note, I was at Champs XC on Saturday and I asked 6 of the kids if they were going to try to make the u20 world xc team. None of them even knew about it.
When I explained it to them, that they would get a free trip and get to represent the USA, they all said they weren't interested. They all wanted to focus on indoor track.
Representing the USA in international xc just doesn't seem to be a popular thing to do. Most runners have other priorities.
Most of these runners "trying to get their 10k qualifiers" a.) will NEVER make national team for a World Athletics Championship event and b.) are missing an chance to get a qualifier through top 15 finish at World Cross. Also, if the US were to send their "A" teams," there is a good chance of going home with a MEDAL (in the team race), something that is completely out of reach for any current US 10k runner on the track (outside of maybe Grant Fischer).
Pros should run World Cross, an actual WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP event where one can earn/wear the USA jersey, legitimately compete for prestigious hardware, and earn a 10k qualifier in the process. I doubt most pros will look back on their career and be glad they instead ran in a meet no one paid attention to (outside of a dozen or so running dorks) because they hoped to earn a qualifier to an event they most likely didn't end up earning a spot for.
Unless they have financial (dis)incentives in their sponsorship contracts, I don't why top US athletes throw away these opportunities to do something incredibly special.
You really think that people that can't hit the 10K qualifier on the track, will suddenly be able to get a qualifier by finishing top 15 at World XC? Most guys are just trying to hit the US qualifier, forget the World's qualifying.
Also, nobody cares about getting a team medal at World XC, its just not relevant. Did you know that Bahrain got Bronze at World XC in 2015? Of course not, nobody knows that because it doesn't matter.
So many keyboard warriors here think the athletes should conform their schedule to what they want to see instead of whats best for the athlete. Maybe you should be more upset with the governing bodies that can't figure out a way to incentivize XC racing, because it really makes no financial sense for the vast majority of pro runners.
So many keyboard warriors here think the athletes should conform their schedule to what they want to see instead of whats best for the athlete. Maybe you should be more upset with the governing bodies that can't figure out a way to incentivize XC racing, because it really makes no financial sense for the vast majority of pro runners.
Professional sports are entertainment. That's where the money comes from: people paying to watch the sport or sponsors paying to have their logos in front of people watching the sport.
American athletes would rather run time trials in front of no one and cry poverty than participate in events that the world's best runners are at.
You don't get to make decisions for pro runners rojo.
Come on now Malmo. We can all play this omnipotent game. Let us say that if Rojo does not attend some athletics competition which we shall designate that he loses his journalism card. OK sorry if you spit out your drink over that one.
People are not choosing Soundrunning over World Cross because they are trying to get a WC qualifier. That makes no sense as a 27:20 guy will receive enough points at World Cross that the 27:10 mark is meaningless.
Athletes don’t like Cross and don’t care about a team medal.
Rojo, This thread is a perfect example how out of touch you are with today’s athlete.
You don't get to make decisions for pro runners rojo.
Come on now Malmo. We can all play this omnipotent game. Let us say that if Rojo does not attend some athletics competition which we shall designate that he loses his journalism card. OK sorry if you spit out your drink over that one.
Come on now Malmo. We can all play this omnipotent game. Let us say that if Rojo does not attend some athletics competition which we shall designate that he loses his journalism card. OK sorry if you spit out your drink over that one.
I have no idea what point you're trying to make.
Really? I will walk you through it slowly. Rojo thinks he has the power to tell professional runners where they need to race. You correctly called him on that. This would be like others telling Rojo what competitions he needs to attend and cover.
So many keyboard warriors here think the athletes should conform their schedule to what they want to see instead of whats best for the athlete. Maybe you should be more upset with the governing bodies that can't figure out a way to incentivize XC racing, because it really makes no financial sense for the vast majority of pro runners.
Professional sports are entertainment. That's where the money comes from: people paying to watch the sport or sponsors paying to have their logos in front of people watching the sport.
American athletes would rather run time trials in front of no one and cry poverty than participate in events that the world's best runners are at.
Your post makes zero sense. If sponsors thought World XC was better for their brand, they would have incentivized their athletes to compete in it. But they don't, so athletes optimize their seasons for whats going to get them paid, which is making US finals, US teams and running times on the track. Nobody in America outside of hardcore running fans are even going to be watching World XC anyway, same as the Sound Running invite.
Get over it. Tired of people crying on these forums every single time an athlete doesn't race the exact races they want them to.
Professional sports are entertainment. That's where the money comes from: people paying to watch the sport or sponsors paying to have their logos in front of people watching the sport.
American athletes would rather run time trials in front of no one and cry poverty than participate in events that the world's best runners are at.
Your post makes zero sense. If sponsors thought World XC was better for their brand, they would have incentivized their athletes to compete in it. But they don't, so athletes optimize their seasons for whats going to get them paid, which is making US finals, US teams and running times on the track. Nobody in America outside of hardcore running fans are even going to be watching World XC anyway, same as the Sound Running invite.
Get over it. Tired of people crying on these forums every single time an athlete doesn't race the exact races they want them to.
And that's why professional distance running will continue to flounder in America. Running time trials simply to make it to the US championships, "hitting times" while finishing a half a lap behind the winner...none of these things are entertaining. Racing is entertaining.
In high school, all the distance runners I knew liked cross country better than track. The parents also like XC the best. When they get to college, runners are forced to concentrate on track more and are told that track is more important than XC.
It is our system that is pushing people away from XC, not the wishes of the runners.
