All kids are walk-ons at the Ivies. You remain very confised about how track and field recruiting works. The Harvard coach isn't sending out hundreds of letters to runners like football coaches do to 4 star and 5 star players. Track and Field coaches look look through the thousands of emails, questionnaires, texts, calls, etc. that they receive. They respond to kids who are fast enough for their program if they have openings. Thousands of elite kids don't approach the Ivies becuase they know that they will receive a partial scholarship at other schools or they know that they will pay significantly less at their P4 state school or other good private school. This isn't complicated. Distance runners are on average great students. Many of them would qualify for the Ivies if coming in through the athletics route. But their parents tell them to pursue other schools. Even if wealthy, why would a fast runner not start with Duke, Michigan, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Stanford who can give a scholarship? And if upper middle class, an instate kid is going to be way more interested to attend Virginia or Wisconsin or Florida or Oregon with and academic and athletic discount bring proce to almosst nothing rather than getting a discount at an Ivy and being left with $60K per year of cost.