i doubt you'll do very well. how about you just lead the first 5k-10k while wearing crocs and then drop out after that. you'll be more noticeable that way. if you lead the marathon for the first half, you'll just be another guy trying to be on camera who will be forgotten after you drop off the lead pack
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Should I lead the first half of Olympic Trials then drop?
Other Running Related Topic
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Go for it.
I don’t know why anyone thinks it’s being disrespectful, the lead pack would probably be grateful for the pacing.
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Still_a_hobby_jogger wrote:
If I run the first half all out, I would either be in the lead or at least the lead pack. Then I could drop out or suffer miserably in the second half. Might catch a second wind and run with the women who start 10 minutes later.
Rarely have I ever read anything so beta.
This is so weak.
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Still_a_hobby_jogger wrote:
Qualified with a 2:16:XX PR. This will be my first and last trials. Doesn’t seem like there will be a shot to PR in Orlando. For men, there might be 200 guys in the race. If I run the first half all out, I would either be in the lead or at least the lead pack. Then I could drop out or suffer miserably in the second half. Might catch a second wind and run with the women who start 10 minutes later. Would be hilarious and would also get some TV time. Could rip off my USATF eligible singlet to reveal a LetsRun singlet 10 miles in. Would be a cooler story to talk about with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, and it would be fun to run with the very best in the US. Or is it cooler to place as well as I can and try for top 100 or top 50? Would I regret not trying my best to place as well as I can?
What would you do in my situation?
Discus
Brian schrader and Luke puskedra both did this to some extent last trials and both dnf’d lol do what you want man, I think it’d be cool and maybe you have the race of your life and qual 😆
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I'm interested if you can be up by 60+ seconds at 5K.
Do it big or don't do it at all.
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My best friend and I used to joke about doing this when we were still high school dreamers who were never going to sniff the trials.
Then my friend ended up qualifying for the trials 3 or 4 times but he never did it because he was good enough to be a dark horse and had to try to make the team.
I say go for it, but make your time at the front last as long as possible and do some rockstar things up there. Maybe put beer in your bottles at the water stations and get smashed, then when you've had enough, puke and pass out at the front.
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One of my old running buddies actually did this back in the 1980 trials; he led for about 17 miles before giving up the lead. He got a bit of notoriety from this and made a decent career running 2:1x marathons in costume and such. His stunt at the trials even got him a mention in the book "Again to Carthage" the second sequel to "Once a Runner". I say go for it - have some fun!
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davethecanuck wrote:
One of my old running buddies actually did this back in the 1980 trials; he led for about 17 miles before giving up the lead. He got a bit of notoriety from this and made a decent career running 2:1x marathons in costume and such. His stunt at the trials even got him a mention in the book "Again to Carthage" the second sequel to "Once a Runner". I say go for it - have some fun!
I’m intrigued, liked those books. Who was it? Any articles to link to?
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Dankfarts wrote:
B. Shrader did this at the 2020 trials. Minute lead at half then dnf. Maybe he thought it was cool. No one seemed to really care though.
i skimmed through the 2020 trials and watched it. he was the lead from approximately the 3 mile mark all the way until the 16 mile mark. the commentators seemed to care. they were being professional and talking about how sometimes you just gotta go for it even though they knew his chances were extremely slim since he was just a 2:13 guy. he got more recognition than pretty much anyone aside from the very top guys.
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You could do one of these before you're ready to drop out - gives a nice excuse
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Clown show wrote:
Still_a_hobby_jogger wrote:
Qualified with a 2:16:XX PR. This will be my first and last trials. Doesn’t seem like there will be a shot to PR in Orlando. For men, there might be 200 guys in the race. If I run the first half all out, I would either be in the lead or at least the lead pack. Then I could drop out or suffer miserably in the second half. Might catch a second wind and run with the women who start 10 minutes later. Would be hilarious and would also get some TV time. Could rip off my USATF eligible singlet to reveal a LetsRun singlet 10 miles in. Would be a cooler story to talk about with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, and it would be fun to run with the very best in the US. Or is it cooler to place as well as I can and try for top 100 or top 50? Would I regret not trying my best to place as well as I can?
What would you do in my situation?
Discus
I find it hard to believe a person with the discipline to run 2:16 would be willing to play the fool at the trials. You could have skipped the training and just streaked the first mile as a bandit.
Provided he streaks in a letsrun T, that is a fantastic idea.
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We Ride at Dwad wrote:
davethecanuck wrote:
One of my old running buddies actually did this back in the 1980 trials; he led for about 17 miles before giving up the lead. He got a bit of notoriety from this and made a decent career running 2:1x marathons in costume and such. His stunt at the trials even got him a mention in the book "Again to Carthage" the second sequel to "Once a Runner". I say go for it - have some fun!
I’m intrigued, liked those books. Who was it? Any articles to link to?
His name is Gary Fanelli () and he continued on as a solid runner into his senior years. I twice used him as a pacer to set PRs when he was ~60.40 -
If you led more than half of the race, you make a pretty good case for the best performance.
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RossiCheated wrote:
Go big or go home devastated wrote:
The purists will say run your best race and take pride in finishing the best place you can.
Your true friends will tell you to roll the dice, lead the first half on rocket fuel pace and be that douchey white guy who wears a Kenyan singlet. If/when you drop out, make it dramatic. Do it before the chase pack gets to you so it doesn’t look like you outdid yourself, got caught, and just gave up. Have a limo waiting for you at a predetermined location, steeplechase leap over a course barrier, dive straight into the getaway car, and don’t post a single run on Strava until January 13th, 2025 when Shelby Houlihan’s doping ban expires. The more questions your dropout produces the better.
I like this idea.
But one question is, if you decide to go all out for the first half, how do you maximize television time?
If you are down the road from the lead pack by any margin, I think they are going to know that you are going to fade badly and will only show you on occasion, as a reminder that you are out there. Most of the coverage will be on the "real" leaders.
Would it be better to just run at the pointy end of the lead pack, maybe a few feet off the front? Get absorbed into the group, then pop out again and pull ahead a few feet, stay there... rinse, wash, repeat?
You might have to "start slow and build" in order to gain meaningful TV air time. Many people sprint the first mile and then dropout. You do not want to run with them if you can help it.
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If the TV coverage is as abysmal as the last Olympic trials marathon, they probably won't even show you.
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So us fans who are watching the race stream get to watch some doorknob way out in front instead of watching the race develop with the actual favorites. Thanks. No thanks.
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epicbrah wrote:
You should smuggle a cigar, cigarette and/or blunt with you during the race. When you get to the point you're ready to drop, light that s*** up looking straight in the camera. Take a big hit and then go viral.
This please. This. I would pay you $500 to do this. You’d become famous. Maybe the tonight show appearance, get some good tail for a bit because of views on Tiktok. Please
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Still_a_hobby_jogger wrote:
Could rip off my USATF eligible singlet to reveal a LetsRun singlet 10 miles in.
For free? Hell no. Maybe for a few thousand. I could think of many other companies I'd rather be associated with before letsrun, but that's just me.
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Our world is over-saturated with phony ass media clowns. The last thing we need is another one. It would be so much better if you try to accomplish something that is "real".
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