Is there really a concern that someone will run a 3:52 mile here and 3:37 en route, not hit 3:35.50 in the 14 month window and then place top three at the US Trials but be denied a spot on the Olympic team?
That's the fear, that's the complaint, right?
There's a 1500 in New York next week.
They can set up a race on the June 16th weekend.
Also, It can be done at the Trials.
There was Oxy, Doha, Hengelo, Rabat, Swarthmore, all of 2011.
Don't know why the B heat at Pre should be a 1500.
I didn't necessarily mean pick another race that day. He has had a long time to get the standard and the responsibility should not fall on the pre organizers.
Also, if Webb needs a 1500 meter race one day, can't he make a phone call or two to make it happen?
Might as well change the "international mile" to the "international 1500m" because let's face it, pretty much every year you'll either have the olympics or worlds where guys will need to run the "A" standard time to either make it to the olympics or to worlds. maybe during a non-championship year you could have the "international mile" back, but i feel as though that would be pointless.
While pissing rojo off is as admirable a reason as any to run the mile instead of the 1500 Friday night, the real reason is that it's a business decision. Having one distance for two fields gives almost all of the stacking control to the event organizers without an athlete's appearance contingent upon whether they get to choose between the Bowerman Mile or the International 1500m. The meet got enough athletes to fill two fields long before anyone decided who would run in which race. Each of the Americans entered is in the correct event considering where they're at in the season, with the likely exception of Wheating.
Regardless, it's a long season with plenty of opportunities for someone who holds the American record to run a middling time when he knows that the first weekend in June he's obligated to run a mile. That they're accommodating an official 1500m split is more than enough accommodation. Don't worry about Webb looking like a fool kicking down 109 meters early - he'll know long before then he's 5+ seconds off the qualifier anyway.
Call me crazy, but I think it's better when all the top competitors in a race are actually racing the same distance. Here, it's clear that some guys will effectively be racing a 1500 while others are racing a mile. That sucks. You can argue about whether the 1500 or the mile is a better event, but combining them produces the worst of both worlds.
Alternately, we could take this idea to its logical conclusion and just have one "men's distance race" in every meet. Make it a 10k, but have cameras at 1500, mile, 3k, and 5k. Then guys could just race hard to whatever distance they wanted, and jog it in from there. It'd save time, and no more worries about which race to enter, and you could even change your mind en route - feeling crapping at 2k? Kick it in for the 3k. Of course, it would suck for spectators and the sport and actual competition between athletes ... so in that sense it would fit right in with other decisions made by those who run track and field.
52.43 wrote:
I think you're right that it would make more sense, if they let them run a 1500m. But then again the promoters don't have to care for qualifying races. They want to establish a 'tradition' even if it is not long for now with two miles, the 'Bowerman Mile' and the 'International Mile' (funny title!). That was written in the preview for the IAAF by the organisers. Ryan Gregson won two Int. Miles. So, there you have a tradition...
This is a good point. They've done the two miles for a couple of years now, so it's not like this "B" mile is a completely new thing.
Without having read any of the other responses, I'll give you my take.
As as AMERICAN I enjoy standard distances. I am a casual fan of running who is pretty informed about the sport and my non-running fans only know about the MILE. Seriously, if you are not a runner the only race that matters is the mile. End of story.
If races were in miles there would definitely be more draw to the sport. Guaranteed. That is why I support bringing back the mile. The Europeans can go shove their metric bs.
Most races are now 1500m, which is not the way God intended it.
Forget the mile except for special meets...forget the 1500 altogether. You have a 400, 800, so you should have a 1600. For God's sake the track is 400m around why they hell would a race be 1500m?
whattheheck wrote:
Not to mention it is dangerous, and impedes other runners, to have someone essentially "finish" 109 m early. Imagine him leaning over an imaginary line and then slowing down while other athletes are accelerating to the finish? What a complete joke.
Sarcasm? I hope so.
The actual reason that the "b" race is a mile and not a 1500m is so that some of the bigger names will actually run the mile and not the 1500m. In an olympic year when the biggest names in our sport are getting ready for the biggest race of their careers why race a distance that is not in the olympic program? I guarantee that given a choice, most athletes entered in both mile races would prefer a 1500.
just a side note, they have switched ayanhieh soueiman to the bowerman/varsity mile on saturday where he should be.
rojo wrote:
Bring Back The 1,500!!! Can someone tell me one good reason why Friday's mile at Pre shouldn't be a 1,500?
I'm working on our Pre Classic Previwe and this is what I have so written so far. What am I missing? I'm assuming no one at Pre is up at this hour to answer my question so I thought crowd-sourcing it would be the next best thing.
LRC Analysis: If you want to know what is wrong with modern day track and field, this race is the perfect example of what's wrong with the sport. We're all for the "Bring Back The Mile" campaign but in this case, this race should be a 1,500 and not a mile as many of the top American entrants - including US mile record holder Alan Webb - are desperate for the "A" standard of 3:35.50. And he's not the only one. Dorian Ulrey, who ran 3:35.23
in 2009, also needs it as do others.
Now we have heard from Webb's coach himself, Jason Vigilante, that Webb's plan is to kick it in and go for the "A" at 1,500 as there will be a camera set up there, but that's ridiculous. Apparently he still has to finish the race for it to count.
How comical is that going to look? And what a farce for the fans.
And there already is the historic Bowerman Mile race at the actual Pre Classic meet the next day so there is ZERO reason for this race to be a mile and not a 1,500. Don't tell us it's for the fans as the fans are going to see the American record holder in the event kick it in 109 meters too early.
Seriously, we are at loss as to why this would possibly be a mile and not a 1,500. If you know of a good reason, please email us and we'll add a correction.
In our view, this race should be a 1,500 with everyone who needs the "A" in it. Nike, with it's billions, should just pay one of its young stars a few thousand to rabbitt this and then let them come back the next day. A perfect example is Ayanhleh Souleiman of Djibouti ,who for some reason is in this race and now the Bowerman mile. How a 19-year-old who just ran 3:30.31 last week for 1,500 and is in our estimationa future star isn't in the Bowerman mile is beyond us. Let us repeat, pay the guy a few thousand and let him take Webb all the way to 3:35.50 and then let him come back and run with the Big Boys on Saturday.
To us, the fact that the IAAF even insists on everyone from a country like the US having the "A" when clearly the country has more than tgree guys with the "A" is absurd, but we'll save that rant for another day.
Actual Race Analysis: There are seven Americans with the "A" in the 1,500. Two of them in Russell Brown and Matt Centrowitz are in this race and the other five in Andrew Wheating, Leo Manzano, David Torrence, Lopez Lomong and Bernard Lagat are in the Bowerman mile, so this will be a preview of the Olympic Trials for sure (and we're thinking Lopez Lomong and Bernard Lagat may just do the 5,000 and not do the 1,500 at the Trials).
But this race to us is about three things and three things only.
1. How does World Championships bronze medallist Matt Centrowitz look in his outdoor opener? After a good indoor season, his outdoor campaign has been delayed due to a knee injury and there are only a few weeks until the Trials.
2. Can Alan Webb (or another American) get the "A" time of 3:35.50?
3. How good is 19-year-old Ayanhleh Souleiman?
Cannot have it all , bring back the mile now bring back the 1500, a standard is not as important for one meet for te 1500. If by chance someone makes the team without it , plenty f time to get it post trials. If they are chasing it they probably don't have a chance in hell of getting to the final in London.
Fans outside the fringe know the mile not 1500 , better for the sport as whole.
Post Rome today shows Americans have a ways to go !
You idiots and your "all the non-runners love the mile so that's what it should be". First of all, there are going to be, like, two people who don't know anything about track and field watching this meet. Non-runners don't even know what a good mile time is, they still think breaking 4 makes you world class. It makes no difference if it's a 1500 or mile in regards to "attracting fans". Second, value does not come from the ignorant masses opinions on the sport. If that is what counted, why not include a section where full contact is allowed? I'm sure that would draw in 4 or 5 more spectators. It's ridiculous that it's not a 1500 when you have so many guys who need the A standard so close to the trials.
Also, this "bring back the mile" nonsense needs to end. As if running more mile races is going to suddenly spark renewed public interest in the sport. Face the facts, track and field is not going to be a popular sport in this day and age unless it opens up to gambling or something. Watching distance events requires too much patience and appreciation for subtleties for the average American. Run/follow the sport for your own enjoyment, not for other people who won't ever give a damn.
Breaking 4 in the mile doesn't make you world class?
3:59 mile is what a 3:41?
douglas burke wrote:
just a side note, they have switched ayanhieh soueiman to the bowerman/varsity mile on saturday where he should be.
Thank god.
It was going to get embarrassing when this 19 year-old tore out a 3:46 to win the "B" while Torrence et al finish the Bowerman in 3:55+
o.O wrote:
Breaking 4 in the mile doesn't make you world class?
3:59 mile is what a 3:41?
Correct, breaking 4 in the mile is nothing big these days, unless the athlete is very young. 3:59 equals about 3:42
No one has ever broken 4:00 in a 1600m race
Cannot have it all , bring back the mile now bring back the 1500, a standard is not as important for one meet for te 1500. If by chance someone makes the team without it , plenty f time to get it post trials. If they are chasing it they probably don't have a chance in hell of getting to the final in London.
Fans outside the fringe know the mile not 1500 , better for the sport as whole.
Post Rome today shows Americans have a ways to go !
There won't be plenty of time to get the standard after the trials, the qualifying standard has to be achieved by the end of the trial race. If you haven't got it by then you don't make the team.
I think the race should be changed to the discus throw because we need more qualifiers in that event.