Mick Byrne on USATF Not Filling 5000m Field: "Someone in USA Track and Field is not doing their job, it's that simple."

Not sure if this was brought up, but the issue with the 10k/5k double haunts every meet, since it is an easy double entry to walk away from after the 10k. If one runs lousy in the 10k, he or she comes back, if they make it, they scratch from the 5k.

Solution. Run the 5k first and then run the 10k as the last event of the meet. That way the real competitors for each event will show up. If you scratch from the 5k, you are out of the meet. Seems like a just way to ensure fair competition and keep the fields filled.

Here's part of the Lindgren story, and I suggested, the only way to move the USATF off the mark of lazy ineptitude is for a major professional coach or athlete to state unequivocally the need for reasonable and unequivocal standards.From Sports Illustrated:Lindgren enrolled at Washington State in 1965, and was at once caught up in the war between the NCAA and the Amateur Athletic Union. The colleges developed the most athletes. But the AAU governed international competition for all U.S. track athletes, and allowed the NCAA no role in this. The NCAA, determined to break the AAU's grip, ordered all its athletes out of AAU races, on pain of losing their scholarships and collegiate eligibility.Lindgren defied the NCAA boycott and ran the 1965 AAU six-mile in San Diego. When he and Mills raced to a shared world-record 27:11.6, he was a hero again, and those of us who had knuckled under to the NCAA had a lesson in courage.At Congressional hearings on the NCAA-AAU feud two months later. Lindgren said his decision to run had been one of conscience. "I just remembered why I was a runner," he said. "That was to be the best representative I could be. So it was wrong to be forced to choose between my country and my school." He kept his scholarship. And now he was a moral front-runner as well.

Dan Lilot wrote:

uh_no wrote:

why would sal care one bit? his athletes get in....

Puskedra would've been the next guy to get in after Darling, and he wanted to run.

Or just run the 5k and the 10k on the same day. Within reason run all of the trails for distance events early in the meet and finish the meet with finals. If the 1,500, steeple and 5k and 10k finals are all on the last day that's great. At the least have them back to back days. If people want to watch finals they can fill the stadium that day. USATF has to take into consideration that the meet is about the runners and the people in the stands. The selection for the Worlds or Olympics will work itself out. As seen on TV barely anyone goes to the meets...unless you are a track geek no one cares which is sad.

They need to run USATF and the meets like a business and put the fans at or near the priority of the athletes because it's not currently working the way they are doing it today.

How many people work for USATF?

If they can't figure out how to fill the stadium, or figure out the size of the field for each event, maybe their staff should be cut in half!?!?

Extremely Disappointing Leadership!

I was at the Kenyan trials last summer at Nyayo Stadium and was surprised to see an older, overweight, barefoot runner take the line of the 5K. I took a ton of pics of this guy because I thought he was crashing the race. Turns out he is an Army officer who has run in the Kenyan trials (though usually in the 10K but since that was in Portland, he ran the 5K) for the past several Olympics. Why? Because it gets the crowd going.

I am not claiming that the college kids wanting in are for amusement purposes, but if the Kenyans can make room to entertain the people when they have arguably (or maybe not so) the most competitive 5K trials on the planet (I know of 4 13:10 runners personally that wasn't allowed to compete there), why cant USATF make room for runners who are looking for a stepping stone for improvement? It increases their exposure making it more likely they can find some sponsorship which will allow them to train and improve over a longer period of time. It allows them to see how a championship race like that is run, tactics, prep, etc so that when they become 13:15 guys, they are better prepared to compete for a slot on the US team.

By the way, the old guy in the trials ran mid 15 for the 5K.

Simple wrote:

How many people work for USATF?

If they can't figure out how to fill the stadium, or figure out the size of the field for each event, maybe their staff should be cut in half!?!?

Extremely Disappointing Leadership!

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It not a numbers game of how many people are employed its the quality of the people and leadership. You have supporting committees LDR etc that are worthless. Athletes are apathetic as they do not get involved to demand rule changes and help set and define structure.

This will pass and nothing will happen as there is not a point person in charge.

Where are the so called powers to be and committee heads that could have helped at this years championships ? They are hanging out in the hospitality area vs talking with coaches and athletes to have a pulse.

It would be helpful is someone here knows who is responsible party at USATF call them out and demand an answer of what happened and what will be done going forward.

CoachX wrote:

Why cant USATF make room for runners who are looking for a stepping stone for improvement? It increases their exposure making it more likely they can find some sponsorship which will allow them to train and improve over a longer period of time. It allows them to see how a championship race like that is run, tactics, prep, etc so that when they become 13:15 guys, they are better prepared to compete for a slot on the US team.

I have written the USATF many times and I encourage you all yo as well. But the truth is those in power have no concern with development or increasing the exposure of our sport. They view these races as qualifying for worlds. An elite race that these runners are not worthy to run. They care little about viewership, but about choosing the top 3. If that means a race of 9 or 7 or 5... So be it.

The reality is this is a national championship and the field should be filled. Like the marathon they feel only 5-10 have an outside shot and would be content with a marathon field of that size.

But there are elitest out there who like the smaller field. I do not. I wished had someone who thought of the sport. We are now about on the same realm as water polo.

Darling and CO. weren't DIVERSE. If they would have been black or midgets from Guam they'd have been let in immediately.