He only recently signed a contract with ASICS... presumably a fairly cheap one. I gather he'll be asking to re-negotiate!
I must say, it's great to see ASICS supporting so many Aussie athletes recently... Buchanan, Batt-Doyle, Pompeani, Boudin, etc.
Predominantly due to the fact that Adam Didyk has a connection via ASICS, which provides opportunities for less prominent/established athletes to get a deal/some support. To my knowledge that's how many of them started out. Bideau/MTC traditionally was Nike, but now has a bit of everything (NB, Puma) thrown in.
I must say, it's great to see ASICS supporting so many Aussie athletes recently... Buchanan, Batt-Doyle, Pompeani, Boudin, etc.
Predominantly due to the fact that Adam Didyk has a connection via ASICS, which provides opportunities for less prominent/established athletes to get a deal/some support. To my knowledge that's how many of them started out. Bideau/MTC traditionally was Nike, but now has a bit of everything (NB, Puma) thrown in.
Didyk's Team Tempo is partnered with ASICs.
But even in Victoria, we're seeing ASICS sponsor Buchanan, Weightman, Edwards,
My theory on why we Americans suck at the marathon is because we let guys running 2:09-2:14 be "pro runners" for a decade and there is no real financial incentive for our runners to actually improve. If a 2:12 guy is able to live comfortable enough to just be a runner, he is not hungry enough to improve. A 2:08 Kenyan marathoner is a NOBODY and a 2:08 American marathoner gets treated like they are hot sh!t in the U.S. Maybe if we stopped giving multiple contracts to guys who are total scrubs on the international scene, we'd get guys to actually run 2:02-2:04. And I'm not impressed by the whole "top 10 at the Olympics" for American runners because those fields are elite, but not deep at all.
My theory on why we Americans suck at the marathon is because we let guys running 2:09-2:14 be "pro runners" for a decade and there is no real financial incentive for our runners to actually improve. If a 2:12 guy is able to live comfortable enough to just be a runner, he is not hungry enough to improve. A 2:08 Kenyan marathoner is a NOBODY and a 2:08 American marathoner gets treated like they are hot sh!t in the U.S. Maybe if we stopped giving multiple contracts to guys who are total scrubs on the international scene, we'd get guys to actually run 2:02-2:04. And I'm not impressed by the whole "top 10 at the Olympics" for American runners because those fields are elite, but not deep at all.
Why would “we” stop 2:09-2:14 marathoners from running? They aren’t making much money and they aren’t the problem, anyway. The problem is that the U.S. has few runners capable of being world class at the distance, and maybe only Fisher and Young. Even Mantz, at 27:25, isn’t talented enough.
My theory on why we Americans suck at the marathon is because we let guys running 2:09-2:14 be "pro runners" for a decade and there is no real financial incentive for our runners to actually improve. If a 2:12 guy is able to live comfortable enough to just be a runner, he is not hungry enough to improve. A 2:08 Kenyan marathoner is a NOBODY and a 2:08 American marathoner gets treated like they are hot sh!t in the U.S. Maybe if we stopped giving multiple contracts to guys who are total scrubs on the international scene, we'd get guys to actually run 2:02-2:04. And I'm not impressed by the whole "top 10 at the Olympics" for American runners because those fields are elite, but not deep at all.
The issue here is that performance isn't the only marketable metric in use. Brands want performers who can get notice, whether through traditional media in placing well at big races or through attention-getting on socials. Running a 2:09 or better at a race almost nobody sees or reads about, like CIM or The Marathon Project, doesn't garner the eyeballs to effectively market the brand and its product.
My theory on why we Americans suck at the marathon is because we let guys running 2:09-2:14 be "pro runners" for a decade and there is no real financial incentive for our runners to actually improve. If a 2:12 guy is able to live comfortable enough to just be a runner, he is not hungry enough to improve. A 2:08 Kenyan marathoner is a NOBODY and a 2:08 American marathoner gets treated like they are hot sh!t in the U.S. Maybe if we stopped giving multiple contracts to guys who are total scrubs on the international scene, we'd get guys to actually run 2:02-2:04. And I'm not impressed by the whole "top 10 at the Olympics" for American runners because those fields are elite, but not deep at all.
I respect your theory, but I respectfully disagree. Even as you may be right for a few runners, nobody out there who’s running a 2:12 and eking out a living or working a less than desirable job to support their training is not also trying to get much faster. Unless 2:12 is the absolute ceiling, nobody running that fast isn’t also trying to get under 2:10 or 2:09 or 2:08. Now, if what you are saying is that a Conner Mantz may be capable of a 2:05-2:06 but is incentivized through Boston and NYC paydays to not otherwise chase the really fast, elusive time at a course like Valencia, then I could probably agree with you.
One of the reasons we may have a dearth of elite marathon runners is we wait too long to go to the marathon. Grant Fisher is a perfect example. Dude probably has 2:05 or faster chops, but he’s our best 5000/10,000 meter specialist at the moment, and he is very well paid and Olympic decorated, so why would he move up? On the other hand, he’s going to be 28 in the spring. Is he not going to run a marathon until he’s in his 30s as it appears? I’d like to see some really fast 5000/10,000 guys who will never be Olympic medalists move up at age 22. Why wait?
My theory on why we Americans suck at the marathon is because we let guys running 2:09-2:14 be "pro runners" for a decade and there is no real financial incentive for our runners to actually improve. If a 2:12 guy is able to live comfortable enough to just be a runner, he is not hungry enough to improve. A 2:08 Kenyan marathoner is a NOBODY and a 2:08 American marathoner gets treated like they are hot sh!t in the U.S. Maybe if we stopped giving multiple contracts to guys who are total scrubs on the international scene, we'd get guys to actually run 2:02-2:04. And I'm not impressed by the whole "top 10 at the Olympics" for American runners because those fields are elite, but not deep at all.
I respect your theory, but I respectfully disagree. Even as you may be right for a few runners, nobody out there who’s running a 2:12 and eking out a living or working a less than desirable job to support their training is not also trying to get much faster. Unless 2:12 is the absolute ceiling, nobody running that fast isn’t also trying to get under 2:10 or 2:09 or 2:08. Now, if what you are saying is that a Conner Mantz may be capable of a 2:05-2:06 but is incentivized through Boston and NYC paydays to not otherwise chase the really fast, elusive time at a course like Valencia, then I could probably agree with you.
One of the reasons we may have a dearth of elite marathon runners is we wait too long to go to the marathon. Grant Fisher is a perfect example. Dude probably has 2:05 or faster chops, but he’s our best 5000/10,000 meter specialist at the moment, and he is very well paid and Olympic decorated, so why would he move up? On the other hand, he’s going to be 28 in the spring. Is he not going to run a marathon until he’s in his 30s as it appears? I’d like to see some really fast 5000/10,000 guys who will never be Olympic medalists move up at age 22. Why wait?
People forget that Frank Shorter moved (in part) to the marathon at 23.
I respect your theory, but I respectfully disagree. Even as you may be right for a few runners, nobody out there who’s running a 2:12 and eking out a living or working a less than desirable job to support their training is not also trying to get much faster. Unless 2:12 is the absolute ceiling, nobody running that fast isn’t also trying to get under 2:10 or 2:09 or 2:08. Now, if what you are saying is that a Conner Mantz may be capable of a 2:05-2:06 but is incentivized through Boston and NYC paydays to not otherwise chase the really fast, elusive time at a course like Valencia, then I could probably agree with you.
One of the reasons we may have a dearth of elite marathon runners is we wait too long to go to the marathon. Grant Fisher is a perfect example. Dude probably has 2:05 or faster chops, but he’s our best 5000/10,000 meter specialist at the moment, and he is very well paid and Olympic decorated, so why would he move up? On the other hand, he’s going to be 28 in the spring. Is he not going to run a marathon until he’s in his 30s as it appears? I’d like to see some really fast 5000/10,000 guys who will never be Olympic medalists move up at age 22. Why wait?
People forget that Frank Shorter moved (in part) to the marathon at 23.
An important part of your post is "in part." He never got away from the track and always had a speed edge over most of his competitors.
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