We merged two threads on the same topic and combined the thread titles although the first thread wasn't posed as a question. It was posted as statement: "Put a fork in Joe Klecker"
Klecker 8th place in 1:01:34 at the USATF half marathon champs. There’s no way you can spin this result. Absolutely terrible outcome. What does he do now? Given his size, I’d predict he’ll only be worse in the Marathon. Doesn’t have the kick or ability to be a contender on the track. Where does he go from here? Or I guess the better question is, how much are sponsors willing to pay him on his next contract? Luckily for him, I’m guessing he has a few years left. I wouldn’t give him more than $80k/year when his contract is up
Doubtful that he’s making $80k even right now without bonus.
There are people making more than $80k right now who have never made an olympic team. He's an Olympian. Clayton Young didn't run great either, but I don't think anyone is doubting he can be a contender for US teams in the marathon the next few years. Let's wait and see how Klecker does in his not yet announced fall marathon. If he runs a 2:10 or faster on a fall major marathon course that is not flat then I don't think you put a fork in him yet. A consistent low 61:00-61:30 guy can reasonably go sub 2:10, and maybe those two halves weren't his ceiling yet.
I believe that OAC employees are also paid in company stock. Look at how ONON has done- it's not unreasonable to believe that athlete net worth could have doubled or tripled from initial contract signing dates.
Basically this. ON thinks long term with athletes, Klecker basically helped to set up the way ON teams are structured. (US, Europe, Aus) If he desires, he can stay with them for a career in management after he retires from racing. ON still growing like crazy, so stock will continue to rise.
If I recall right, Klecker also planned on going to dental school after his pro phase.
We will see, but no change with ON anytime soon. They are really pleased with how OAC has turned out.
He’s going to be fine, not an ideal start to the half but he has a few more years left in the tank.
I would love to see some more 10ks from our guy but I’m not going to root against him.
He turns 29 this fall, probably too old to do the 10k the next Olympic cycle.
I will say this though. He trained very hard in HS, hard at CU, been grinding for a while as a pro. Probably won’t see any massive leaps in performance
Agreed. He just needs to strike while the iron is hot.
He’s had a long of years of doing the developmental aerobic and neuromuscular stuff. I’d like to see him do more of the Mantz stuff, where he just crushes workouts at pace.
He doesn’t need to overtrain or anything in this respect like that in order to get results, he just needs to run workouts where he will respond respectice to the distance of the race he’s training for
He’s going to be fine, not an ideal start to the half but he has a few more years left in the tank.
I would love to see some more 10ks from our guy but I’m not going to root against him.
He turns 29 this fall, probably too old to do the 10k the next Olympic cycle.
I will say this though. He trained very hard in HS, hard at CU, been grinding for a while as a pro. Probably won’t see any massive leaps in performance
Agreed. He just needs to strike while the iron is hot.
He’s had a long of years of doing the developmental aerobic and neuromuscular stuff. I’d like to see him do more of the Mantz stuff, where he just crushes workouts at pace.
He doesn’t need to overtrain or anything in this respect like that in order to get results, he just needs to run workouts where he will respond respectice to the distance of the race he’s training for
Doubtful that he’s making $80k even right now without bonus.
There are people making more than $80k right now who have never made an olympic team. He's an Olympian. Clayton Young didn't run great either, but I don't think anyone is doubting he can be a contender for US teams in the marathon the next few years. Let's wait and see how Klecker does in his not yet announced fall marathon. If he runs a 2:10 or faster on a fall major marathon course that is not flat then I don't think you put a fork in him yet. A consistent low 61:00-61:30 guy can reasonably go sub 2:10, and maybe those two halves weren't his ceiling yet.
A woman ran a 2:09. This isn't 2008 anymore. 2:10 will leave you 2 miles behind the men's winner of a fast major.
2:10 is considered sub elite now at the marathon level for men. It's not competitive in anyway, shape or form.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
Clayton Young made an Olympic team in the marathon last year. Why would we be putting him out to pasture? Or are you just equating two runners who have made wildly different claims while putting up wildly different results over the past two years?
First off, their results aren't wildly different over the past two years. Clayton's 2024 marathon wasn't too much better than Klecker's 2023 10k. Calling that "wildly" different is comically hyperbolic at best. My post was rhetorical. Idiots on this board (eg you) dismiss results that aren't perfect and assign too much meaning to the recent data point. Klecker has made competitive US teams and hit difficult world standards within the past 24 months. He's been struggling with injuries. Maybe he gets worse from here, but the level of butthurt extrapolation is embarassing.
And that was his 12th grade year, and his 5k PR that year was a minute faster than junior year. He was at least a minute faster every year in high school
Clayton Young made an Olympic team in the marathon last year. Why would we be putting him out to pasture? Or are you just equating two runners who have made wildly different claims while putting up wildly different results over the past two years?
First off, their results aren't wildly different over the past two years. Clayton's 2024 marathon wasn't too much better than Klecker's 2023 10k. Calling that "wildly" different is comically hyperbolic at best. My post was rhetorical. Idiots on this board (eg you) dismiss results that aren't perfect and assign too much meaning to the recent data point. Klecker has made competitive US teams and hit difficult world standards within the past 24 months. He's been struggling with injuries. Maybe he gets worse from here, but the level of butthurt extrapolation is embarassing.
Klecker set himself up for this criticism by talking about the American Record.
When you talk about an AR and drop a turd of a race that's on the athlete. If he's struggling with injuries why would you even set yourself up for failure by talking about a really tough AR?
This post was edited 39 seconds after it was posted.
Klecker set himself up for this criticism by talking about the American Record.
When you talk about an AR and drop a turd of a race that's on the athlete. If he's struggling with injuries why would you even set yourself up for failure by talking about a really tough AR?
The tone of the thread suggests 'he's done and ON will pull his contract.'
Perhaps it should be: 'Why did Klecker fail badly in his half marathon record attempt?'
First off, their results aren't wildly different over the past two years. Clayton's 2024 marathon wasn't too much better than Klecker's 2023 10k. Calling that "wildly" different is comically hyperbolic at best. My post was rhetorical. Idiots on this board (eg you) dismiss results that aren't perfect and assign too much meaning to the recent data point. Klecker has made competitive US teams and hit difficult world standards within the past 24 months. He's been struggling with injuries. Maybe he gets worse from here, but the level of butthurt extrapolation is embarassing.
Klecker set himself up for this criticism by talking about the American Record.
When you talk about an AR and drop a turd of a race that's on the athlete. If he's struggling with injuries why would you even set yourself up for failure by talking about a really tough AR?
Clayton Young made an Olympic team in the marathon last year. Why would we be putting him out to pasture? Or are you just equating two runners who have made wildly different claims while putting up wildly different results over the past two years?
First off, their results aren't wildly different over the past two years. Clayton's 2024 marathon wasn't too much better than Klecker's 2023 10k. Calling that "wildly" different is comically hyperbolic at best. My post was rhetorical. Idiots on this board (eg you) dismiss results that aren't perfect and assign too much meaning to the recent data point. Klecker has made competitive US teams and hit difficult world standards within the past 24 months. He's been struggling with injuries. Maybe he gets worse from here, but the level of butthurt extrapolation is embarassing.
One competed in the Paris Olympics, one did not.
One declared he was chasing an American Record in the half marathon (and failed), one did not (although admittedly also ran poorly).
There is no such thing as a rhetorical post on a message board. The only person butthurt is you, the person mad that people replied to you for making a (poor) point.
Klecker set himself up for this criticism by talking about the American Record.
When you talk about an AR and drop a turd of a race that's on the athlete. If he's struggling with injuries why would you even set yourself up for failure by talking about a really tough AR?
Joe always seems to have a really intense approach to everything. He appears serious and methodical which--don't get me wrong, I think these qualities are beneficial in the sport and needed to excel, but I also wonder if he--and also those he surrounds himself with kind of overdo those qualities and...IDK undervalue other qualities that lead to success. He's not a person who exhibits any joy in the sport, and there are other athletes (who are doing better than him) who do let go and relax. He almost always looks and comes off like he's clenched and walking a tight rope. He's also made these sort of grand statements (the AR in the half--the 10K thing with Woody where he got pissed off, I think he really believed he was going to medal at the Olympics in the 10K) that he's just--not ready for and that adds a lot of pressure. Athletes need to set high goals for themselves, but like--the American Record thing--I'm sorry but you also have to inject some reality to where you are. It was realistic for Connor to think about that--not Joe. That doesn't mean wouldn't ever happen for him but at that moment? No, and then when of course it didn't happen, it looks worse than it was. He actually ran pretty close to what his training, experience and injury rehabilitation projected.
This is of course all observation but he just always presents as kind of tense and at some point that probably does limit performance. I think his support team needs to help him relax--but I also wonder if something about the culture of ON and Dathan inherently promotes these qualities.
I have very similar thoughts. Honestly Sage is also this way: smiles sparingly, always very intense looking, and lately also having some sub-par performances (that aren't bad but they're not overly encouraging either). Having all that stewing in a team environment, not to mention marriage could be difficult... there's no release from it at any point in the day. I also wonder what Dathan is telling him because I don't think Joe is coming up with AR half mara talk on his own; I've got to think it's coming from the coach.
Perhaps a bright spot: Dathan's obviously seeing something that is giving him these kinds of ideas from Klecker in training. We haven't seen it on the race course quite yet but I've got to believe that based on Dathan's own experience as an athlete that his judgment is at least somewhat sound (even if he is a bit biased in favor of his athletes because he wants them to do great things).
The marathon rewards consistency over many years. Almost no one runs an amazing debut.
Hes been hurt so many times over the last few years and was running track races as recently as last March. Its surprisingly so many people think he would have some amazing debut. No consistency in training.
Stay at it another couple years and stay healthy and something will happen.
Cheserek debuted at 1:01:31 in 2021. In 2024 he ran 59:32 and 2:05:24.
Similarly, Connor Mantz debuted at 61 in 2021 and ran 61+ in 22 and 22 before ultimately running 59:17 in 25.