Why is the Men's Olympic Trials Marathon on November 2nd, 2007?

Could it be wrote:

Wait it could be the one and only, Toby Tanser!

Leave Toby alone. Trust me, has done more for running than any of you.

oh man not only are you obsessed with NYC you also smoke Toby's pole!

NY sub elite your rantings here are typical drivel from your typical New Yorker. Tell us about the Yankees.....

No need to say anything about the Yankees because everyone knows they are the best franchise in the history of sport. We are used to the best in NY which is why the Olympic trials deserve to be here.

Everbody is on drugs.

CPTC wrote:

"This is on Friday kids"

No it is not - it is on Saturday - and the majority of the posts on this thread are inaccurate drivel.

The released statement has said the weekend of November 2nd, either the Friday or Saturday before the NYC Marathon. Date on USATF says "TBD".

Alan

NY sub elite wrote:

No need to say anything about the Yankees because everyone knows they are the best franchise in the history of sport. We are used to the best in NY which is why the Olympic trials deserve to be here.

Hey, the Yankees are a good example. They buy their teams just like the NYRR bought the Trials. Wonder if Mary sat down with George and asked him for tips?

Maybe you were trying to be funny (failed.)?

Steve Vaitones already explained the facts to you guys but people seem to be incapable of reading and comprehending.

Noone hosts the Olympic Trials to make money - you lose money on it, because of the sponsorship complexities - as Steve explained. Therefore NYRR will spend over a million dollars to present a first class Olympic Trials with only a partial recoup (very small) on those expenses.

Huh, where did you come up with a figure that NYRRC will lose a million dollars while putting on the US Olympic Trials? Can you provide any validity to your comment? It may be possibly but I highly doubt they will lose that much.

The race has an array of sponsors not to mention USA T&F posts the prize money etc.

No you are incorrect. The host pays the prize money through USATF.

And I didn't say they will lose that much - I said it will cost about one million dollars and that they will only recoup a small part of those expenses through sponsorship.

You can't charge an admission fee.

Why does everyone keep talking about how much the race will cost? This entire post was initially about why the timing of this race was bad for the athletes and essentially stating that Boston was a better time for the trials while still providing a great media market for the race.

I dont think anyone thinks NYRRC will make money off this venture. What they hope to gain is more noteriety of being the premiere club in regard to furthering the sport in the US. If you dont beleive this then read how NYRRC club was described on the press release for the trials:

NYRR, the organization behind the world's largest marathon, leading advocate of American long distance running, and organizer of a year-round calendar of races in Central Park, successfully bid to conduct the men's Olympic Trials during the marathon weekend of November 2, 2007. The course is expected to be a criterium-style course in Central Park that will start and finish near Tavern on the Green. It will be the reverse of the loop used when NYRR hosted the USA 8K Championships from 2002 to 2004. Athletes will run the loop five times, with distance added to complete the full 42.195K of the marathon.

"We are honored to be named as host for the 2008 Men's Olympic Marathon Trials," said Mary Wittenberg, President and CEO of New York Road Runners. "At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens we entered the next great era of American marathon running, as we build upon that foundation we look forward to crowning our American superstars on the ultimate stage - New York City."

MY ONLY COMPLAINT IS THIS: How are they the world's largest marathon? Doesnt Chicaog have a bigger field????

When you see the spectacle that Gotham city will put on, you'll understand.

I think they are using the number of finishers as their total.

I don't know if it's a good idea or not but they could charge admission to sit in the bleachers at the finish and set up big screens there. They do that at the marathon and sometimes combine it with breakfast at Tavern on the Green. For the amount of money they'd get for the trials it's probably better from a PR standpoint to just do this for free (minus the breakfast). You could either run back and forth to watch the leaders on the east and west sides or just sit in the bleachers and watch the race on tv and see the finish. It will be a great marathon for spectators.

NY sub elite wrote:

When you see the spectacle that Gotham city will put on, you'll understand.

You are either pulling our leg to get a rabid response or you are one true blue NY asshole. As already stated NYRRC doersn't do this for the cash, they don't do it for the athletes or for usatf. They do it for the power. It is all about control. They may be incompetent and pompous asshioles like sub elite here, but they control the strings on the puppet.

Power over what?

I find it ironic that for years the NYRR was justifiably criticized for not supporting American distance running. Their proposal was accepted and money talks. That's life. It's not going to change anything. The end result will be pick 3 (Meb, Abdi, Sell, Culpepper, KK) advancing, just as it would be anywhere else.

The average NY'er won't give a rats ass but the out-of-town people will flock to the event. Have you ever seen how many people show up to the dreadful pasta dinner and idiotic friendship run? Give them a free rally stick and t-shirt and they're spectating.

Agree with Joseph A. McVeigh. Boston is the optimal solution.

Agreed completely! The trials should always be in small to mid size cities where they can be THE feature event.Hold the mens and womens on the same weekend and truly take over the city.

Former runner wrote:

I was in New York this past weekend and I was not even aware that the half marathon was going on until I came on this website. Running may be important to the NYRRC, but the city is uninterested. New York could care less about the trials. Publicity will be minimal. When I was in Birmingham Alabama to watch the trials, it was the most important thing in the city. Every restraunt and business in the city was aware of it. Do you think that will be the case in New York?

A small city lacks the sophistication to hold a major event like this. The NYRRC will set new standards for the event and I can see the trials becoming a tradition in NY.

NY Sub Elite, your name says it all. Shut the hell up. You clearly are asshole.