I have posted a few times on this thread because I think this question is important. I am "part of the track community" as a former HS & college runner, a father of three track athletes, a supporter/volunteer our HS track teams, and as a paying fan (I actually go to pro meets).
But what we never really agreed on whether this thread is about the pro level meets or the high school track meets? The best answer to the question is totally dependent on the "problem" we are trying to solve.
If it is high school, the problem is that the meets are too long (4-5 hours is standard).
If it is pro level, then the problem is that the elites often seem to dodge each other, leaving most races sort of watered down with only one or two truly top athletes who are really in a position to win. There are +40 meets a year but the pros sort of pick and choose when and were to race. It doesn't feel like the head-to-head competitions happen nearly as often as in other sports (NFL, NBA, F1, etc.).
Do we know which of the two problems we are trying to solve on this thread?
Half of all tv programs is showing them strutting around endd endless slow mo's afterwards
So get rid of the events with most of the best athletes?
For what? ...The biggest downer in the stands at any HS meet is when there are three + heats of 3200s for both boys and girls with some of the participants not breaking 12 min (boys) or 15 minutes (girls)
The equivalent in college and pros is the track 10k. Half hour of meet time only for most of them being a tactical jog fest followed by a "fast" 56 second final lap!
If you want to make things interesting and fun to watch get rid of 3/4 of the heats and make the big meet a qualify only affair. Leave the slow heats to another "jv" meet. Further, for distance events, pull the slowest two or three runners every lap until the bell lap.
....If there is only one running event in track it would be the 800. By far the most exciting to watch or participate in. Fastest race run without lane assignments. Successful athletes range from 46 second 400 guys to 13 minute 5k guys. No way should the 800 ever go away!
110mH: You need at least 1 hurdles event, the 400mH isn't as interesting.
400m: 1 lap, plain and simple!
800m: The border between sprints and distance.
Mile: Most historically significant event and time barrier. Not the 1500m! 4 laps! In early 20th century NOBODY cares about running a 1500m in 3:43, EVERYBODY knows about breaking 4:00 in the mile.
Steeplechase: Very historical and niche
5k: true aerobic event, the 10k is too long and slow, only true fans could pay attention for half an hour
Pole Vault: Most exciting field event, crowd favorite!
High Jump: Who can get highest?
Long Jump: Who can get farthest?
4x400m: Most exciting relay, always last event, fun to watch!
Javelin: Most interesting throwing event, isn't just determined by the "biggest" competitor...
Half of all tv programs is showing them strutting around endd endless slow mo's afterwards
So get rid of the events with most of the best athletes?
For what? ...The biggest downer in the stands at any HS meet is when there are three + heats of 3200s for both boys and girls with some of the participants not breaking 12 min (boys) or 15 minutes (girls)
The equivalent in college and pros is the track 10k. Half hour of meet time only for most of them being a tactical jog fest followed by a "fast" 56 second final lap!
If you want to make things interesting and fun to watch get rid of 3/4 of the heats and make the big meet a qualify only affair. Leave the slow heats to another "jv" meet. Further, for distance events, pull the slowest two or three runners every lap until the bell lap.
....If there is only one running event in track it would be the 800. By far the most exciting to watch or participate in. Fastest race run without lane assignments. Successful athletes range from 46 second 400 guys to 13 minute 5k guys. No way should the 800 ever go away!
But we weren't asked for one, we were asked for 12. Strangely, perhaps, if it were one, the 800 might win (although probably not if were democratic - 100, 400, and mile would probably all easily beat it).
But if we're talking a roughly 12-event constraint, then your 46-second 800 guy can run the 400 and your 13-minute 800 guy can run the mile and/or 5000.
800 loses. Just like the 200 (easily), 400H, hammer, steeplechase (easily), and triple jump (easily).
And at the TOP of the loser list should be the flat 3,000. Where did that even come from? Sexist Cold War version of the 5,000, cuz the little ladies couldn't handle 5K? Not twice a mile. Not long enough to give distance folks more equalization with the milers. I guess it's twice a 1,500, which counts as doubling a silly distance. And when you put in in a meet WITH a mile and/or 5000 ??? That should be illegal. Felony, perhaps.
110mH: You need at least 1 hurdles event, the 400mH isn't as interesting.
400m: 1 lap, plain and simple!
800m: The border between sprints and distance.
Mile: Most historically significant event and time barrier. Not the 1500m! 4 laps! In early 20th century NOBODY cares about running a 1500m in 3:43, EVERYBODY knows about breaking 4:00 in the mile.
Steeplechase: Very historical and niche
5k: true aerobic event, the 10k is too long and slow, only true fans could pay attention for half an hour
Pole Vault: Most exciting field event, crowd favorite!
High Jump: Who can get highest?
Long Jump: Who can get farthest?
4x400m: Most exciting relay, always last event, fun to watch!
Javelin: Most interesting throwing event, isn't just determined by the "biggest" competitor...
Just FYI, Kovacs and Crouser are ripping your head off, too.
So get rid of the events with most of the best athletes?
For what? ...The biggest downer in the stands at any HS meet is when there are three + heats of 3200s for both boys and girls with some of the participants not breaking 12 min (boys) or 15 minutes (girls)
The equivalent in college and pros is the track 10k. Half hour of meet time only for most of them being a tactical jog fest followed by a "fast" 56 second final lap!
If you want to make things interesting and fun to watch get rid of 3/4 of the heats and make the big meet a qualify only affair. Leave the slow heats to another "jv" meet. Further, for distance events, pull the slowest two or three runners every lap until the bell lap.
....If there is only one running event in track it would be the 800. By far the most exciting to watch or participate in. Fastest race run without lane assignments. Successful athletes range from 46 second 400 guys to 13 minute 5k guys. No way should the 800 ever go away!
But we weren't asked for one, we were asked for 12. Strangely, perhaps, if it were one, the 800 might win (although probably not if were democratic - 100, 400, and mile would probably all easily beat it).
But if we're talking a roughly 12-event constraint, then your 46-second 800 guy can run the 400 and your 13-minute 800 guy can run the mile and/or 5000.
800 loses. Just like the 200 (easily), 400H, hammer, steeplechase (easily), and triple jump (easily).
And at the TOP of the loser list should be the flat 3,000. Where did that even come from? Sexist Cold War version of the 5,000, cuz the little ladies couldn't handle 5K? Not twice a mile. Not long enough to give distance folks more equalization with the milers. I guess it's twice a 1,500, which counts as doubling a silly distance. And when you put in in a meet WITH a mile and/or 5000 ??? That should be illegal. Felony, perhaps.
Twelve = 1,4,8,16,1h,4h,lj,hj,pv,shot,disc,4x4.
Steeple, 5k & 10k athletes move from track to XC and road. LRC folks can have their little moment of giddyness by themselves at these distance events and keep the more athletic athletes on the track
We all know there are too many TF events. We need to cut it down and make it a more enjoyable experience for viewers. The rule is no matter what there is a multi. You can only include the events you kept in this multi but you don't need to include them all.
100✅ This one is obvious, right?
100h/110h✅ Also pretty obvious.
200❌ An in between distance and afterthought.
400 ✅ One lap, simple and fast.
400h ❌ It's the triple jump of hurdle events.
800 ❌ Not different enough from 400 or 1500.
1500✅ Perfect blend of speed and strategy.
3000S✅ This is exciting with the barriers.
5000❌ You can't have the 5k AND 10k and we need a true test of endurance prowess.
10000✅ A true test of endurance
4x100✅ Pure adrenaline
4x400✅ Also pure adrenaline
SP✅ Pure test of brute strength
Discus❌ Just not exciting to me.
Javelin✅ Pretty much the coolest field event
Hammer❌ Like discus but more spinning? Meh.
TJ❌ Why jump three times? What a weird event.
LJ✅ Simple concept and pure.
HJ✅ Also a simple concept for viewers and pure.
PV❌ Why do you need a pole to high jump?
Multi✅ Figuring out the best athlete in the world is always exciting.
The "new multis" will just be all the events I decided to keep except the 10000, steeple, and relays. So just 8 events... The Octathlon? Nobody wants to see those dudes try to complete a 10k in 45 minutes.
Great thread topic. I'll go:
100 - Pretty straightforward, world's fastest man or woman
110H/100 - Hurdles are high enough to provide variation from the 100
400 - One lap who can run the fastest. There is minor overlap with the 100 and 800 but not enough to scrap
800 - Shortest race run in lanes, exciting spectacle and when it comes down to it as much as 400 runners and 1500 runners are occasionally competitive...the specialists win
1500 - Speed and strength, good TV event
3000S - Barriers/water jumps add enough variety, main issue has always been field strength
10,000 - True endurance test, good time to go split-screen with field events
LJ - Simple, easy to watch
HJ - see LJ
Shot Put - strong, athletic man wins
Pole Vault - I see the arguments against but seeing someone fly this high in the air is exciting for fans
the best thing track and field at the collegiate level did was adding distance carnivals.
I think they should expand on this idea because
someone who like sprints - wants to see sprint events and usually not distance events
someone who like distance events - wants to see distance events
someone who like field events - wants to see field events
HS - solution is what Ruxton Towers XC said - not do all events every meet
College - solution is distance carnivals expanded to also have sprint carnivals and throw
Pro - time to blow this whole thing up and try some new things (maybe series meets, not run every event every meet, in competition incentives - like who ever is leading at certain point gets some cash, even dropping the last 2 runners each lap in distance events might be fun to watch and keep them from being jog-fests.)
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