Ended up being a deeper race yesterday. 35th pl at McKirdy was 2:17:51. 35th pl at Chicago was 2:19:43.
Hard to say as how many of those would have raced Chicago if they didn’t know about this race? It’s like comparing Payton Jordan to a Sound Running meet - You are just redistributing elite/sub-elites around.
Ended up being a deeper race yesterday. 35th pl at McKirdy was 2:17:51. 35th pl at Chicago was 2:19:43.
Hard to say as how many of those would have raced Chicago if they didn’t know about this race? It’s like comparing Payton Jordan to a Sound Running meet - You are just redistributing elite/sub-elites around.
I mean yeah, we could come up with hypotheticals all day long. Point is more sub-2:18 guys decided this race over Chicago, whatever the reason
The Men's U.S. OTQ...a racket packed with delusional joggers running 2:18's to get anything stamped with the word Olympic to satisfy their egos when the top woman of the world can easily beat them. Have you no sense of shame? Get rid of this farce of a race.
The Men's U.S. OTQ...a racket packed with delusional joggers running 2:18's to get anything stamped with the word Olympic to satisfy their egos when the top woman of the world can easily beat them. Have you no sense of shame? Get rid of this farce of a race.
Dude is probably a doctor of chiropractic. Stamping that doctor tag whenever possible
It’s an endless debate. What does it take to coach? Is it a degree? Certain certifications? Personal experience? High level experience? Varied experience? All of these? Most of these? I guess the aforementioned can help guide people correctly and prevent ridiculous guidance or potentially injuring others but it doesn’t guarantee it.
Back around 1980 the school where I was a professor (Buffalo State, D3) decided to have a women's track team. The first year would be at the club level. The only problem was they had no coach (the men's coach wanted no part of it). I don't know how the Athletic Dep't knew that I was a runner, but they did -- so they came to me and asked if I'd be the coach. I had a student who had coaching experience and he said he'd help as much as he could, so I signed on. No uniforms (they wore basketball kit), no shoe allowances, the men's coach tried everything he could be keep us off the track, I had to tell the field events people they were on their own, same for the hurdlers and sprinters, but I was able to do some good with the middle distance runners. We lost every meet (including one with two D1 opponents) but would have won one except that my single miler didn't show. The season was considered a success anyway, so the next year they managed to hire a real coach. It was really interesting and I did my best, and I get to say truthfully that I was a D3 track coach. This is said with a chuckle.
And on to the other topic. Again, I think it was '80 or '81, Boston had dropped the 30-30 qualifying time to 2:50 (from 3). Nobody in my running gang had qualified (although we had all qualified at the 3 hour level) so I put on what we called the "Last Chance Marathon," in March, on the last possible weekend for qualifying. It was sanctioned, the course was certified, and it was at Delaware Park, in Buffalo, about 14 loops. We put out a table for self-service drinks. A guy from the local timing group (I think it might have been the famous Bob Ivory) came over with a Chronomix. The field was about a dozen guys and one woman. Only one person got under 2:50 and it wasn't me but, as above, I get to say, with a chuckle, that I finished 4th overall in a marathon and led it for about ten miles.
McKirdy is the least qualified coach in the country. Check out this interview about how he got started coaching and how he started his company. He's a con artist.
"How did you get into coaching? I found myself volunteering at a local high school during one of the darkest moments of my life. I reached out to my old coach and asked if I could help out and he said, “of course.” Through my pain I found joy. When did you launch McKirdy Trained and what was the impetus behind starting the company? Oddly enough, I was in another dark place mentally. I was out of work, depressed, anxious…and really hurting emotionally. But I still had bills to pay. So I reached out to a few folks locally who I thought might want guidance. I was a personal trainer for 13 years. I had coached athletes of all ability at that point. I figured I could give this a shot. That was late fall of 2015…January 6th, 2016 was our first official day as a business, me and 10-15 athletes."
If you offer your services to enough people (for free) eventually you'll get lucky with a few. He has zero qualifications but his cheapest coaching option is $129 PER MONTH w/ a 12 month minimum!! He's making a killing off of hobby joggers then offers free meet entry and travel to a few decent athletes and they are happy to wear his uniform to get their meet expenses paid.
Hmm, his marathoner in Budapest was the only one in either field to PR... and he got 4th. His athletes also consistently PR and several athletes he's worked with have resurrected their careers.
You're probably right though, because he didn't go the traditional route that must mean he is an idiot.
Was at the race to support several friends racing it. A lot of young, recently graduated folks without marks that either got denied from races like Chicago or Berlin or didn't know to register as early as those races require. Those big races make it very difficult for young talented athletes without agents or experience to get in and, while they put on great top-notch shows, they aren't conducive for the "on the cusp" athletes that McKirdy served here.
Meanwhile McKirdy opened the door to anyone with a chance at qualifying, charged less than almost any other marathon out there, and provided bottle support and pacing. All the while, my guess is he MIGHT have broke even, and more likely lost money to set up what was the most accessible quality OTQ attempt course in the country this year.
Oh, but I forgot he wants to get paid to coach (like nearly every other American coach) so yea, F that guy I guess?
I was there - ran in the 10k after. Watching the wave of guys cross was unreal. The course was flat as a pancake and had a tangent line the whole way. Lots of energy and emotion at the finish for the Full, for the men and women. The lead women's race was incredible...She crossed the line and was ecstatic - This was a really neat event, i hope they grow it into a great qualifier for years to come. Id highly recommend it to anyone looking to OT qualify OR run a 10k on a really fast course!
Does anyone have any video of the finishes? Be cool to see.
Many, many examples but the biggest thing most don't like about James McKirdy is his absolutely willingness to try and directly approach other coach's runners and with the intention to try and steal them with lies and false promises (especially if they are semi-elite or better); his insane desire to latch on to any elite or famous runners or coaches that will endure him and then try and suck any blood possible from that remote relationship; his earnest desire to stretch, bend or break the truth if he thinks it'll give him more fame or notoriety, his willingness and desire to take credit for things he didn't do or had little to no involvement in. Basically he will say whatever he thinks he could to benefit from a situation, regardless of if it's true or not. His moral compass seems broken and has been for a long time. Sad but often guys like that get ahead for a while, until people learn.
Many, many examples but the biggest thing most don't like about James McKirdy is his absolutely willingness to try and directly approach other coach's runners and with the intention to try and steal them with lies and false promises (especially if they are semi-elite or better); his insane desire to latch on to any elite or famous runners or coaches that will endure him and then try and suck any blood possible from that remote relationship; his earnest desire to stretch, bend or break the truth if he thinks it'll give him more fame or notoriety, his willingness and desire to take credit for things he didn't do or had little to no involvement in. Basically he will say whatever he thinks he could to benefit from a situation, regardless of if it's true or not. His moral compass seems broken and has been for a long time. Sad but often guys like that get ahead for a while, until people learn.
In 2015, James Mckirdy was hired at Fleet Feet West Hartford. He was hired based on his athletic, and coaching accolades; most of which proved to be false. In a Fleet Feet newsletter it was documented that James was a qualifier for the decathlon at the US Olympic Trials. His claim is simply untrue. The 7600 point qualifying standard at that time is a very elite performance in which no results can be found of James performing close to. Shortly after these falsehoods were brought to light, Mckirdy left Fleet Feet. Mckirdy would go on to continue his lies till he grew his business enough to where he does not need to make such claims as qualifying for the Olympic Trials anymore (or maybe he still does).
The claim that McKirdy made is deceitful and dishonorable, particularly to those who work hard to genuinely qualify for competition. It seriously misleads athletes who place a great deal of trust and faith in the judgment and integrity of those who coach, and compete. While great coaches can possess only modest histories as athletes (Joe Vigil, etc.), it's their integrity that brings success in their relationships with athletes. The unfairness of athletic fraud often negatively affects the number of professional opportunities to athletes with honest resumes looking to work in the field, and/or qualify for races. It's similar to PED users and age-cheats taking undeserving honors from those that truly accomplished what they say.
Many, many examples but the biggest thing most don't like about James McKirdy is his absolutely willingness to try and directly approach other coach's runners and with the intention to try and steal them with lies and false promises (especially if they are semi-elite or better); his insane desire to latch on to any elite or famous runners or coaches that will endure him and then try and suck any blood possible from that remote relationship; his earnest desire to stretch, bend or break the truth if he thinks it'll give him more fame or notoriety, his willingness and desire to take credit for things he didn't do or had little to no involvement in. Basically he will say whatever he thinks he could to benefit from a situation, regardless of if it's true or not. His moral compass seems broken and has been for a long time. Sad but often guys like that get ahead for a while, until people learn.
In 2015, James Mckirdy was hired at Fleet Feet West Hartford. He was hired based on his athletic, and coaching accolades; most of which proved to be false. In a Fleet Feet newsletter it was documented that James was a qualifier for the decathlon at the US Olympic Trials. His claim is simply untrue. The 7600 point qualifying standard at that time is a very elite performance in which no results can be found of James performing close to. Shortly after these falsehoods were brought to light, Mckirdy left Fleet Feet. Mckirdy would go on to continue his lies till he grew his business enough to where he does not need to make such claims as qualifying for the Olympic Trials anymore (or maybe he still does).
The claim that McKirdy made is deceitful and dishonorable, particularly to those who work hard to genuinely qualify for competition. It seriously misleads athletes who place a great deal of trust and faith in the judgment and integrity of those who coach, and compete. While great coaches can possess only modest histories as athletes (Joe Vigil, etc.), it's their integrity that brings success in their relationships with athletes. The unfairness of athletic fraud often negatively affects the number of professional opportunities to athletes with honest resumes looking to work in the field, and/or qualify for races. It's similar to PED users and age-cheats taking undeserving honors from those that truly accomplished what they say.
I can second this. You can find the newsletter posting here - almost every claim is false! Imagine having to lie to get a job at a running shoe store.
He has actually tried to claim that he coached ME. He was trying to convince my running friends (who he didn't know were my friends) to pay for his services and he claimed that he had coached me - lying to use my successes to make him seem credible to new potential clients. My friends called him out on it to his face but he wouldn't come clean. He continued to lie about coaching me for about 6 more months to other people.
He got FIRED from Fleet Feet very shortly after he accepted the job. Here he says he was unemployed in late 2015:
I recently sat down with James McKirdy, founder and head coach of McKirdy Trained, to talk about how he got into coaching, why he launched his company, what he looks for when hiring a new coach, and more.
When did you launch McKirdy Trained and what was the impetus behind starting the company? Oddly enough, I was in another dark place mentally. I was out of work, depressed, anxious…and really hurting emotionally. But I still had bills to pay. So I reached out to a few folks locally who I thought might want guidance. I was a personal trainer for 13 years. I had coached athletes of all ability at that point. I figured I could give this a shot. That was late fall of 2015…January 6th, 2016 was our first official day as a business, me and 10-15 athletes.
would you like to elaborate? What is the deal with James McKirdy? The videos of him make him out to be an invested, charismatic guy. He has had some pretty good athlete performances. I guess the thing i would have to say about his training (at least what is on youtube) is it appears incredibly.... orthodox? Normal? Cut and paste? The year of the fall Boston he had an athlete run the exact same 16mi tempo on lake mary road that NAZ elite had run a few days earlier.
In 2015, James Mckirdy was hired at Fleet Feet West Hartford. He was hired based on his athletic, and coaching accolades; most of which proved to be false. In a Fleet Feet newsletter it was documented that James was a qualifier for the decathlon at the US Olympic Trials. His claim is simply untrue. The 7600 point qualifying standard at that time is a very elite performance in which no results can be found of James performing close to. Shortly after these falsehoods were brought to light, Mckirdy left Fleet Feet. Mckirdy would go on to continue his lies till he grew his business enough to where he does not need to make such claims as qualifying for the Olympic Trials anymore (or maybe he still does). The claim that McKirdy made is deceitful and dishonorable, particularly to those who work hard to genuinely qualify for competition. It seriously misleads athletes who place a great deal of trust and faith in the judgment and integrity of those who coach, and compete. While great coaches can possess only modest histories as athletes (Joe Vigil, etc.), it's their integrity that brings success in their relationships with athletes. The unfairness of athletic fraud often negatively affects the number of professional opportunities to athletes with honest resumes looking to work in the field, and/or qualify for races. It's similar to PED users and age-cheats taking undeserving honors from those that truly accomplished what they say.
It’s an endless debate. What does it take to coach? Is it a degree? Certain certifications? Personal experience? High level experience? Varied experience? All of these? Most of these? I guess the aforementioned can help guide people correctly and prevent ridiculous guidance or potentially injuring others but it doesn’t guarantee it.
Back around 1980 the school where I was a professor (Buffalo State, D3) decided to have a women's track team. The first year would be at the club level. The only problem was they had no coach (the men's coach wanted no part of it). I don't know how the Athletic Dep't knew that I was a runner, but they did -- so they came to me and asked if I'd be the coach. I had a student who had coaching experience and he said he'd help as much as he could, so I signed on. No uniforms (they wore basketball kit), no shoe allowances, the men's coach tried everything he could be keep us off the track, I had to tell the field events people they were on their own, same for the hurdlers and sprinters, but I was able to do some good with the middle distance runners. We lost every meet (including one with two D1 opponents) but would have won one except that my single miler didn't show. The season was considered a success anyway, so the next year they managed to hire a real coach. It was really interesting and I did my best, and I get to say truthfully that I was a D3 track coach. This is said with a chuckle.
And on to the other topic. Again, I think it was '80 or '81, Boston had dropped the 30-30 qualifying time to 2:50 (from 3). Nobody in my running gang had qualified (although we had all qualified at the 3 hour level) so I put on what we called the "Last Chance Marathon," in March, on the last possible weekend for qualifying. It was sanctioned, the course was certified, and it was at Delaware Park, in Buffalo, about 14 loops. We put out a table for self-service drinks. A guy from the local timing group (I think it might have been the famous Bob Ivory) came over with a Chronomix. The field was about a dozen guys and one woman. Only one person got under 2:50 and it wasn't me but, as above, I get to say, with a chuckle, that I finished 4th overall in a marathon and led it for about ten miles.
What is a 30-30 qualifying time? I know Boston had changed its standards in the '80s to 2:50 for guys, etc. but not sure what the 30-30 means.
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