When is USATF going to announce when and where the Oly Trials marathon is going to be held??????????????????????????????

If that was a decision. Yes, I'm happy.

beikoku tamashi wrote:

If that was a decision. Yes, I'm happy.

I'd be happy because it would confirm my belief that Finke, Estes, and Latimer don't know whether to shit or wind their watch.

What is wrong with Akron? If they hold it in the spring of 2008 as opposed to the fall of 2007 then it is a better option.

If New York hosts the trials in the fall of 2007 then we will know that USATF has been bought. I have not talked with one coach that prefers the fall. Meb and Culpepper and Sell all told me that they would prefer a Spring race. I specificly asked that question in Boston this year. Coach Hanson (I don't know them apart) and Coach Larsen both said that New York would be great but a Spring trial is much better than fall. I have since talked with Coach Sev who also supports a spring date. So that brings the question, WHO WANTS IT IN THE FALL? Mary Wittenberg.

The USOC has down sized their board from over a 100 people to less than a dozen. This was done in order to make these processes easier. We had no conflicts in Birmingham or St. Louis in 2004. As a matter of fact it produced 2 Olympic Medals and a better showing than any other country in the world. Now Latimer, Finke and Estes are in charge. They want the trials in New York and have been openly vocal over the issue. New York has a reputation of not protecting their sponsors. This is a scary scenario to USOC. Now we are all waiting for the legal minds to try to sort this out. This scenario would not be an issue if it involved any other marathon.

I have participated in the last 3 trials and I offered my opinion to Mr. Latimer who told me that he already had athlete input. I later learned that it was retired guys that Mr. Latimer sees as friends. In any case, New York would be a huge mistake for several reasons.

1. Fall will enable track guys to mess with the system.

2. Poor representation at WC in 2007.

3. Some athletes may want to run Beijing in 2007 (October) to familiarize themselves with China. New York would not enable this.

4. Many young runners need the extra six months for qualifying.

Sell and Briney would not have had qualifiers in 2004 and they were the highlight of the trials.

I like the delay because the longer it goes the more ridiculous New York becomes. It almost has to be a spring marathon at this late date.

Betting Woman wrote:

NY backs out because of the crap. -Men

Boston backs out for the same reason. -Women

Akron here we come! In spring (but no perks. media or money)

Everyone happy now!

Akron is putting up a lot of money. I don't think the NY bid had any more money than Akron for the athletes but someone correct me if I'm wrong. Akron has a $1 million guarantee:

You are right. It is just that USATF wants the NY trip.

My feelings exactly. You can be standing 1/10 mi. from Central Park and no one would even know there was a race going on....which would be the case for the trials race. And, while we're on it....what about teevee? Another year we'll get the last 9 seconds of the men finishing on NBC during a break in a football game? Or will we see the highlights on the NYRRC's 2 a.m. local show on MSG?

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What is the justification here to host the trials around the same time of a major race? It does nothing for the sport. The trials will be clouded by the larger more popular races. already people are saying, "2 days before the REAL race on another course." So why even have it in Boston or New York? Our trials are second fiddle to the larger, slower speciticle that the general masses enjoy more. This is a huge marketing mistake for our sport and will backfire. You heard it here first...So if you can't mix sponsors money and it needs to be a seperate race on a seperate day, can someone please give me the reasons to host this race 2 days before the larger, more popular race?

the marathon trials should be near the same time as the rest of the trials. its the same situation as the 2004 US trials, when someone who got the standard a year prior to the US trials had the right to go, even though another athlete had broken the A standard that year, and may have been left out.

first of all the US olympic selection process is bullshit. its like Bolota Asmeron said, if they wanna name the team off paper, screw the trials just have a fun national competition.

someone getting the standard in 2007 might not mean shit in 2008. its a year before the olympic finals.

i've been searching all over the usatf site and haven't found anything. very frustrating, b/c my coach and i are trying to decide if this is a reasonable goal to shoot for, and if so, i need to begin training for a trials qualifier.

any new info?

suck it wrote:

the marathon trials should be near the same time as the rest of the trials. its the same situation as the 2004 US trials, when someone who got the standard a year prior to the US trials had the right to go, even though another athlete had broken the A standard that year, and may have been left out.

first of all the US olympic selection process is bullshit. its like Bolota Asmeron said, if they wanna name the team off paper, screw the trials just have a fun national competition.

someone getting the standard in 2007 might not mean shit in 2008. its a year before the olympic finals.

How is the selection process BS? To me it is the fairest system there is. You finish top 3 and have the "A" standard (not set by the US) and you go. No favoritism involved.

The location of the trials is messy, but how the team gets selected is as fair as can be.

No news is bad NEWS for the athletes trying to set up their race program.

Maybe the team has already been selected - no need for the trials!!!

I was invited to New York on Monday for an announcement regarding the Olympic Trials. Details to follow.

After reading that Runner's World article Wejo posted, I kinda want Akron. They had a lot of good points.

Who invited you?

Where were you invited to go in NYC, 2 Washington Street, 9 East 89 St,17 East 79 St, 192 East 75 Street??

What city agency if any, has issued you media passes in the past?

Are you on the Media List of the NYRRC? Millrose? NYTrackWriters?NYSC?,RISC?,Dept Parks & Rec?

What time is this meeting/

thanks

the place where everyone wants to run.......OREGON. and i'm not a Duck fan, just that it seems to be the home of track and field in america......another great place would be Franklin Field -- home of the Penn Relays

I feel left out we didn't get invited. I actually could go to NYC on Monday too.

Weldon,

Give Mary a call. Your pro Akron/anti Fall marathon probably put you out of the loop.

Every one should come to NY on Monday-we'll follow media nobody around for a while then we'll stop and have some coalfired brick oven pie a glass or two of red wine and enjoy a day in the city sun.BTW I looked at Mike B's "BE AT"list for Monday and no noticable mention of running related meetings.