Of course they train together at times, that’s how groups work. But the entire system still has to be built around the priority athlete. If Parker Wolfe and the core of the group are Nike, then the training calendar, race selection, peaking schedule, and long-term development plan are naturally going to be optimized for them first. That’s literally the job of a Nike-backed coach, to get Nike athletes to perform when it matters. Nico being Adidas automatically puts him on a parallel track, he can benefit from the environment, but the system isn’t truly being engineered around his championship needs. You can’t tailor one program perfectly for two athletes with different sponsors, race targets, and incentive structures at the same time. One of them is always the priority.
Somewhat decent imagination. You could fool somebody who doesn’t know any better, but not me. I am certain that you have no idea what you are talking about.
Parker Wolfe is the size and weight of an australopithecine and has a huge advantage over normal-sized humans when it comes to slip sliding around in the mud at that pace.
Tall people with normal, fluid running form, like Graham Blanks, are at a big disadvantage on a rough course. It jinks up their form and they get worn out.
I could be wrong, but I would guess that Nico and others like Blanks who ran at the World Championships have just started training again in the last couple months, whereas Parker has built steadily thus far since graduating. Very strong performances from Nico and Blanks in this context, and obviously fantastic race from Parker showing his progress in the last year.
Bro, that’s just not how pro running works. This isn’t the NFL or the NBA where the league pays everyone and it’s all even. Pro running is a shoe deal league. Nike, Adidas, Hoka, UA that’s where the money comes from. So once Smith is getting paid by Nike, the whole setup is always gonna lean Nike. That’s just reality. There’s no such thing as neutral at that level. The workouts, the race plans, who gets protected it’s gonna favor the brand writing the checks. It might not be intentional, but Nico isn’t a Nike guy, it’s kinda backwards. Either he’s helping Nike dudes get better so they can turn around and beat him, or he’s in a system that’s not fully built for him. Either way, it’s weird. At this level, your coach and your shoe deal gotta match unless the shoe company isn’t writing the coaches pay check.
Why would Nike care about Nico? They don’t. Nike is loyal to the Swoosh, not to some Adidas athlete training in their ecosystem. An Adidas guy in a Nike group is like a visiting team using the home locker room, everything is still set up for the home team to win. The workouts, the priorities, all favor Nike athletes. Nico only matters to Nike if he somehow helps Nike. Otherwise, he’s just improving the competition.
One of the dumber posts on a message board full of truly dumb men.
Ya let's judge a runner based on a December race where the only goal is to qualify which they do, after a long season including a World Championship. Losing to runner, who was injured prior and had more time to get into peak fitness.....
Nico probably and he should of chilled for like a month after worlds.
Ya let's judge a runner based on a December race where the only goal is to qualify which they do, after a long season including a World Championship. Losing to runner, who was injured prior and had more time to get into peak fitness.....
Nico probably and he should of chilled for like a month after worlds.
People defending Nico are missing the point, the criticism is actually coming from people who think he’s America’s next great distance talent and want him to succeed. That’s exactly why this situation is so crazy to see. Training in a Nike-based group does not benefit Nico one bit, it benefits the Nike athletes more than it benefits him. Mike Smith is not paid to make Nico Young great, he’s paid to make Nike athletes great. That’s just reality. So when Parker beats Nico, the Nike camp is thrilled. There is literally no one in that setup whose job depends on Nico outperforming Parker. Mike Smith made the choice to leave NAU and coach Nike pros, and that’s completely fine, but Nico now needs to make a hard decision about what’s best for his career. If he stays, he’s going to keep getting sharpened into a better version of Parker, Strand, and whoever the next Nike guy is, instead of being built to beat them. Mike has already shown that his post NAU guys can go on to be world champions elsewhere. Nico needs to do the same. It’ll be hard, but if he stays, this pattern isn’t changing. I’m not this obsessed Nico fan, but smarter enough to see the writing on the wall.
People defending Nico are missing the point, the criticism is actually coming from people who think he’s America’s next great distance talent and want him to succeed. That’s exactly why this situation is so crazy to see. Training in a Nike-based group does not benefit Nico one bit, it benefits the Nike athletes more than it benefits him. Mike Smith is not paid to make Nico Young great, he’s paid to make Nike athletes great. That’s just reality. So when Parker beats Nico, the Nike camp is thrilled. There is literally no one in that setup whose job depends on Nico outperforming Parker. Mike Smith made the choice to leave NAU and coach Nike pros, and that’s completely fine, but Nico now needs to make a hard decision about what’s best for his career. If he stays, he’s going to keep getting sharpened into a better version of Parker, Strand, and whoever the next Nike guy is, instead of being built to beat them. Mike has already shown that his post NAU guys can go on to be world champions elsewhere. Nico needs to do the same. It’ll be hard, but if he stays, this pattern isn’t changing. I’m not this obsessed Nico fan, but smarter enough to see the writing on the wall.
wouldn’t call him a Nike punching bag off one race. But if this keeps happening once track season starts, then the alarm bells are real
Ya let's judge a runner based on a December race where the only goal is to qualify which they do, after a long season including a World Championship. Losing to runner, who was injured prior and had more time to get into peak fitness.....
Nico probably and he should of chilled for like a month after worlds.
But didn’t Wolfe run the 5th avenue mile in Sep?
Yes , so Parker has the same set up as Nico, just more of a “Nike” set up. Big difference.
Totally agree, Nike is pure evil. Plus their shoes feel terrible, arch is horrible. It's very strange why so many people support Nike. Saucony is much superior in comfort (eg Endorphin Pro). Vaporfly feels horrible on the arch, and heel feels like you're sinking into a torture chamber of discomfort. But athletes get paid to wear their uncomfortable shoes, and clones of society must wear what pro athletes wear so the cycle continues.
So we are just jumping into serious accusations based on one race?
This was their first race after training together, so I’m not overreacting to it, but definitely concerned. If this keeps happening in the spring, then yeah, it’s absolutely time to worry if you’re Nico or a Nico fan. I’ll also admit the setup is strange. On paper it clearly favors the Nike men more than it favors Nico. The proof will come once track season starts.
Totally agree, Nike is pure evil. Plus their shoes feel terrible, arch is horrible. It's very strange why so many people support Nike. Saucony is much superior in comfort (eg Endorphin Pro). Vaporfly feels horrible on the arch, and heel feels like you're sinking into a torture chamber of discomfort. But athletes get paid to wear their uncomfortable shoes, and clones of society must wear what pro athletes wear so the cycle continues.
Saucony is almost out of business and make terrible products