Ritz out of World Cross to Run US 8k Champs Instead

whoa, thats some dollar dollar bills.

That's where the $25 goes to for all those cookie cutter 4m races in CP. So Ritz can puss out of worlds - way to promote American distance running.

on a pot and kettle note - I am looking to run that 8k race too!

Message:

Hey, don't fault our guys too much. Bekele isn't running World XC either..

If this isnt the dumbest posting ever! Any guesses why Bek doesnt have to run XC ever in his life?? Are you saying Ritz and co. have the same excuses?

stop being an apologist for weakness. No wonder we are a joke as a distance running nation.

Yeah, Beks not running so Culpepper shouldnt either. Clueless.

We can all sit on here and complain about how some of our best runners aren't going to worlds, or we can look at it as it is now and figure out how new opportunities can be created here. So our top runners aren't going over to Kenya...oh well. I would venture to say that even if we sent our all-star team over there, that no American media source would even be there to cover the event except for Mike Sandrock. Furthermore, even if all those guys decided to run, and they earned a third place trophy (which would be the best they would finish), does anyone outside of our LetsRun community even care? Nope! Americans like winners, they like watching the race on TV and seeing the results unfold. Neither the US winning or the race being on TV are realistic, so the general sporting public won't care. Plus, even if they did trophy, USATF wouldn't do much to hype it up, as their hype machine seems to be dying or dead.

Now onto reality. Some of our best stars are running road races in the U.S. Ritz, Goucher, Torres and Abdi are running the 8K. That is huge. It is in NYC, the media center of America and their is decent money involved. If NYRR is going their job properly then they should be promoting the heck out of this event and the stars that are going to run there. Having four or more of our top athletes in NYC is a great chance to promote the sport in the U.S. Then we have Meb, Deena, Hall and other running the 15K. Again, another chance to promote our stars in the U.S. One of the main reasons why our sport is not nearly as popular in the U.S. as other sports is because all of our top athletes leave after U.S. Nationals and go run their fastest times of the year overseas, where none of our reporters are covering it and we can't even watch the events on TV, and often times the internet. It is like our stars going into hiding for the majority of the competitive season. The way I see the 8K and 15K champs are that they are great opportunities to market the sport. Will they be marketed properly...maybe, but at least there is a chance they will be. NYRR does a lot better job or promoting the sport than USATF.

Would it be great to see our "A" team (minus Teg, Webb, Cabada, Hall and Meb of course since they didn't run) take on Kenya and other top nations in the heartland of where the best distance runners come from? You bet. But they aren't, and while it stinks, it also offers some opportunities to advance the sport in the U.S. by marketing our stars in a major media market and give some of the up and comers, who one day might beat Goucher, Ritz, etc. the chance to gain some valuable experience and see parts of the world they would never have a chance to see.

As an American runner, I am much more motivated watching our guys duel it out on American soil in front of my own eyes, chasing a record and preparing for the marathon trials than hearing about how they placed in some XC race in Kenya, where outcome is so often determined by variables outside of fitness. XC is not nearly as interesting as track. Wait, quick question, why isn't anyone ripping on Hall for not even bothering to run the trials? He is so wring off world cross that he didn't even bother trying to make the team.

NYRR hurt American world teams wrote:

The NYRR Road runners who are "bringing back American Distance Running" do a great job of killing the USA teams by enticing US runners to come to their bad timed events. They are going to kill the 2007 US World Marathon Team by having a fall trials and now they are robbing the world XC team. Thanks i am glad the 8k will have another top runner. Good job NYRR

that's an interesting way to spin it, but the bottom line is there is no excuse not to compete in Kenya. travel is not an argument, especially considering the olympics is in Bejing, not a hop skip and a jump now is it? USATF should somehow penalize the top 3 at Nationals who decide AFTER the race to not go to Worlds. It is a National championship organized in order to decide the team for Worlds. This isn't NCAA's, where the teams compete for basic pride. It's a qualifying competition.

Ritz is being misguided. I hate to say it, as I know some believe this already, but now it seems clear to me that his coach or his agent or whoever surrounds him in making these decisions - has influenced him improperly. He has passed up a once in a lifetime opportunity.

you're on crack wrote:

As an American runner, I am much more motivated watching our guys duel it out on American soil in front of my own eyes, chasing a record and preparing for the marathon trials than hearing about how they placed in some XC race in Kenya, where outcome is so often determined by variables outside of fitness. XC is not nearly as interesting as track.

Wait, quick question, why isn't anyone ripping on Hall for not even bothering to run the trials? He is so wring off world cross that he didn't even bother trying to make the team.

Where to begin...

1) It's not "some XC race"; it is the World Championships.

2) Ryan has his big debut in April. He's being smart and staying focused on London.

Wejo,

Great comparison. USATF XC Prize Money should only be given to those joining the team going to the World XC Championship. That mitigates opportunities to turn a National Championship/USA Team qualifier into a "Cut and Run 12K" as it apparently has become w/all our top athletes abandoning our country. USATF should underscore the Race Title ...."Serious XC Athletes Only."

This is completely PATHETIC if none of the top 3 athletes (assuming that all are fit and uninjured) from Boulder go to Mombasa.

Weldon, let's do some research about this.

How many male athletes, from every eligible country, actually TURNED DOWN an offered trip to Mombasa for reasons other than injury?

Why is Culpepper not going? (correct me if I am wrong).

Why is Goucher not going?

Jason

NY runner wrote:

whoa, thats some dollar dollar bills.

That's where the $25 goes to for all those cookie cutter 4m races in CP. So Ritz can puss out of worlds - way to promote American distance running.

on a pot and kettle note - I am looking to run that 8k race too!

You think that is a lot of money? Ritz got 6 figures (yes that means a minimum of $100,000 I heard it was much more) to run the NYC marathon last year. I have no idea what they pay him to run the 8k but subconsciously that could tip the scales for Ritz.

As far as world major marathon's go - NYC is the weakest. Chicago was better this year. Boston last year was an awsome day for American distance running. London has an insane field. Berlin is remarkable.

NYRR is only now has like Chicago establishing three major races. Last year was the first year of the NYC Half and it was successful in its first year. The NYRR didn't do this race last year are they just bringing it back for OT trial hype???? Chicago has the Shamrock 8k, Distance classic half, and a better marathon. They have established these races earlier and better.

They don't call Chicago second city b/c its not as good as NY and as far as football and running they kick our ass. damn it.

There are way more spectators at the NYC marathon, but its not as good quality as the Chicago Marathon. media capital or not. BTW LA is the second media market and the best sports leauge in america doesn't feel compelled to have a team there.

Another point: I have to respect Ryan Hall more for deciding NOT to run nationals, knowing full well that his focus was the London marathon, and therefore would not be taking the opportunity to go to Worlds, if in fact he made the team. Meb made the same professional decision.

Plain and simple - the colorado guys are jackasses. The US XC championships are in colorado giving these guys a huge advantage and they use that advantage simply for the money with no intentions of representing the United States. There is no excuse for these guys not running at the world's. If these guys are looking to win some money, go find a freakin local 10k. These guys may be very fast, but I don't have respect for anyone who would turn down a chance to represent the United States at the freakin' world championships so they can run some road races.

What ever his reasons they are HIS reasons.

All I can say is I would never go to worlds in Kenya. Has anyone read the news lately? The Kenyan athletes aren't safe in Kenya. Female athletes are kidnapped, male athletes are beaten out of their SUVs. True bad things happen here but it is less likely that Ritz will be killed by a terrorist in CO than in Kenya.

It will be 100 degrees and humid. You can't possibly expect the US athletes, most of whom have been running in winter, to jump into that environment and run with the best in the world. It just will not happen. XC is just to get in shape for track and marathon running. The US public doesn't care. The people who follow running would rather see the 8K in NYC and that is a fact.

Well, what a coincidence... Dathan is trying to break an American record and is also being smart, staying focused on the Oly. marathon trials this fall.Oh snap!

Tuone Udaina wrote:

Where to begin...

1) It's not "some XC race"; it is the World Championships.

2) Ryan has his big debut in April. He's being smart and staying focused on London.

It's a sad state when the top runners aren't fighting to be on the World Cross Country Team instead of clamoring to avoid it. World Cross is the premier running event in the world, period. Now that it is only one race it makes even more sense. The ulitmate irony is so many of these guys have progressed through the years running World Cross as part of their year then they forget part of what brought them to where they are. The race in Kenya is probably the best Olympic preparation they could get. The 8km should be for the guys who couldn't make the team.

In my wacked out country they aren't sending any seniors and the juniors have to pay $3,500 each! I guess our great health care system doesn't cover it!

It doesn't matter how much the NYRRC promotes the 8k.

The U.S. viewing public isn't into running, never will be.

The U.S. viewing public has the attention span for the 100m and the up-close and personal bs that goes along with it.

Yeah, there will be an article about it in the NY Slime,

but so what. Do you actually think NBC will show entire heats of the womens 5k from Beijing? I don't think so.

But you do get coverage like that in Europe. I've watched it.

As far as Ritz getting $100k to run the NYC marathon,

until I see the cancelled check, I won't believe it.

The NYRRC doesn't dole out the kind of bread.

I am not as interested in who isn't going as to who is! Does anyone know. USA track site doesn't have it up from what i have seen.

"As an American runner, I am much more motivated watching our guys duel it out on American soil in front of my own eyes, chasing a record and preparing for the marathon trials than hearing about how they placed in some XC race in Kenya, where outcome is so often determined by variables outside of fitness. XC is not nearly as interesting as track."

Jesus...tell me yor kidding..honestly if you were watching a guy run by himself...there is no way in hell you could even tell a 27:30 from a 26:30 ...or whatever..World XC races are frikin battles...the most ive gotten excited about one of our distance runners was when Gouch got 6th in worlds(remmber the guys he beat?)...now hes going to go run an 8k road race...LAME!!!!

Boulder sux

Say Ritz went to worlds and got malaria. His season would be over.