Reebok Games - Men's Masters Mile - Does Anyone Care?

haha, YO wrote:

This whole idea of "Look at me, I'm the only one of my college team who still runs" is so stupid. Who cares? Good for you for sticking it out but you don't deserve to compete anymore when it becomes a great thing to break 5 for the mile as a man.

I don't think they're racing so that people will look at them. They want to see how fast they can go. They want people to race. So they race people of the same age. Its for the same reason they run road races. There is no "deserve" here.

A few months ago I was at one of the Boston University All-Comer's Mini Meets and in one of the 200 meter heats there was this really old guy (like 60+ maybe 70) and a really young kid (probably 7 to 10 years old). The heat came down to those two, neck and neck and they really went at it. Neither one of them cared about the age of the other. They just wanted to race so it came down to the wire. The whole crowd got into it.

Afterwards they shook hands like any two people who had raced and walked away. It was kinda cool to watch actually.

This is embarrassing. Do you even realize who some of these men in the mile are and what they have accomplished over the years?

The real question is - If the Millrose games were broadcast live, why could ESPN not take a few hours to do the same for this meet?

Average_Joe wrote:

A few months ago I was at one of the Boston University All-Comer's Mini Meets and in one of the 200 meter heats there was this really old guy (like 60+ maybe 70) and a really young kid (probably 7 to 10 years old). The heat came down to those two, neck and neck and they really went at it. Neither one of them cared about the age of the other. They just wanted to race so it came down to the wire. The whole crowd got into it.

That sounds like the kind of race you would see at a f***ing circus. Sounds dumb.

haha, YO wrote:

That sounds like the kind of race you would see at a f***ing circus. Sounds dumb.

Possibly, but the people there didn't think so. Practically everyone in the building was cheering them on, including the seriously fast runners waiting for the next event.

When you get older yourself, you are in for a surprise.

Keep in mind that the Men's 5000 was won by a "masters runner." But Bernard's not running in any age-group races.

The fastest runner in the mens masters mile was 20 seconds behind the slowest in the main event. They simply don't belong there, and there are lots of high school, college, and struggling post-collegiates who deserve the exposure a lot more. The race director doesn't need such events to sell tickets, as the event sells out just about every year.

The only reason the masters are in there instead some others faster and more deserving is a few old farts with big mouths, just like some you see in this thread.

Coach D wrote:

Keep in mind that the Men's 5000 was won by a "masters runner." But Bernard's not running in any age-group races.

The fastest runner in the mens masters mile was 20 seconds behind the slowest in the main event. They simply don't belong there, and there are lots of high school, college, and struggling post-collegiates who deserve the exposure a lot more. The race director doesn't need such events to sell tickets, as the event sells out just about every year.

The only reason the masters are in there instead some others faster and more deserving is a few old farts with big mouths, just like some you see in this thread.

Yes ... "old farts with big mouths" ... mirror, meet big mouth.

How many master runners, can run under a 4:24 mile?

You know whats funny is these younger college douche bags on here dont understand that these masters arent competing against the "elites" or even against their past performances. They race because they enjoy the competition. There are no illusions that these guys believe they can hammer a 4:04 mile again(which the winner has run in his college days). Do they belong in meets like this? Absolutely. People do come and watch these races because they are exciting. Whether there are 2 eight year olds battling down the homestretch or 2 80 yr olds, its about competing and pushing our bodies to the extreme. Full time jobs, marriage, kids, etc factor in also. I think its pretty impressive that a 40 yr old can run the equivalent of 4 67 sec quarters when 99% of most can not jog down the street. (that goes for a lot 0f 20 and 30 yr olds too.) In summary, OP you are wrong. I challenge you to post your times and my $ would be placed on Teague any day of the week head to head. Wait, your injured again right? Sick with the flu? GOt bumped? I bet your one of those douches that say they could have run XYZ if......

Original poster here. I'll respond (and take the hit). First, funny you should ask about the winner of the race being faster than me. I'm nothing special...a mediocre D III runner and my mile PR is 4:25. So, not only would the winner likely challenge me now, but clearly I'd be nowhere near him at his younger age. Kudos to him. Its cool. I am impressed. Especially keeping it up this long. I hope I'm in that good shape at that age. I just don't appreciate it as a spectator sport, especially in a meet like Reebok with the other guys are just at so much more of an elite level. Maybe I'll appreciate it more in 20 years.

in all honesty wrote:

I just don't appreciate it as a spectator sport, especially in a meet like Reebok with the other guys are just at so much more of an elite level. Maybe I'll appreciate it more in 20 years.

So what about the youth relay? Why doesnt that bother you?

haha, YO wrote:

This whole idea of "Look at me, I'm the only one of my college team who still runs" is so stupid. Who cares? Good for you for sticking it out but you don't deserve to compete anymore when it becomes a great thing to break 5 for the mile as a man.

You're right. Likewise, we shouldn't let the pizza-fed American kids compete in the same races as the Africans. They're not even close to being in the same league. And any Americans who do manage to stick with them are disproportionately praised for being the "fastest non-African" in the race.

It's depressing to watch those artless stumpies waddle around the track while the Africans glide by them, lap after lap. I hate the sight of them. They should be doing something they can still be competitive at, like skateboarding or bmx.

And I know the major indoor races have for decades now featured a high school mile race amid the world-class competition, but that's just, like, so stupid.

So how are the top ten master runners in the mile?

So what exactly about any of what you just wrote makes you think that you should get to decide what events are scheduled at a meet like BIG? It's obvious that some people on this thread would rather not have a master's mile. Others of us were interested in it. There were events there that they could have skipped as far as I was concerned but it strikes me as a bit big headed to think the event is going to be tailored to my own tastes. You could have checked the schedule and timed your arrival after the master's mile was done.

Coach D wrote:

Keep in mind that the Men's 5000 was won by a "masters runner." But Bernard's not running in any age-group races.

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I don't think 35 years old is a sensible age to start the masters category. The "Master" runner category is about age not ability. But age is directly related to human athletic ability. There have been a significant number of 35 yr olds running well enough to win world and olympic medals. But among men, I don't know of any runners who have done this at 40 and beyond over the last 40 years or so? The reason is biological, by that age humans can't perform at this level (unaided) after 40 years olds. And cetainly not at 50 yo.

in all honesty wrote:

Original poster here. I'll respond (and take the hit). First, funny you should ask about the winner of the race being faster than me. I'm nothing special...a mediocre D III runner and my mile PR is 4:25. So, not only would the winner likely challenge me now, but clearly I'd be nowhere near him at his younger age. Kudos to him. Its cool. I am impressed. Especially keeping it up this long. I hope I'm in that good shape at that age. I just don't appreciate it as a spectator sport, especially in a meet like Reebok with the other guys are just at so much more of an elite level. Maybe I'll appreciate it more in 20 years.

Since you don't like the masters racing in the Reebok Meet, I'm curious, do you like having the elite women race there?

Your saying, "I just don't appreciate it as a spectator sport" seem bizarre. Is this so unlike saying, I don't appreciate mustard on my hamburger"?

Does anyone want to watch another Ethiopian run a solo race just so the meet manager Mark Wetmore can make more money? What does that have to do with racing? Wetmore continues to undermine US distance running putting on a women's 5000m event with no Americans in it. I would rather watch US "masters" run a mile than watch another afican solo a 5000m. How about another afican letting the pace dawdle in the middle of the race so he could out kick everyone to win. Yawn. At least the Old guys and Galen went for it.

Can Pete and Tony, make the top five in the master mile?

Well, let's just put it this way. I wouldn't want to watch a halftime show that included either Hannah Montana or The Who. Diapers or Depends, its all sh*t to me.

In general track is not a very watchable sport.

I am a huge fan and have been watching track for about 25 years.

I consider myself knowledgeable but if I do not know the competitors it is not interesting watch.

So it is not like the general public is riveted watching the professionals run 3000m or whatever.

There may be more interest watching a 40 year run a 4:29 mile than a professional run 7:40.

I certainly do not see how it detracts from the event.

I watched one of Eamon Coghlan's sub 4 attempts at a professional Mobile meet back in the day. It was great. If you don't have events like the one in the OP it will never lead to the bigger event.

It's track. It's different. To not enjoy is one thing but to complain about it I just don't understand.

The answer is that there are enough people that really enjoy this to have it at the event.