Former D1 wrote:
I don't have social media or follow people on social media, so I don't know what guy you're talking about, but I would say that anyone who doesn't consider running college XC and track as an end in and of itself should probably not do it... Obviously, you try to run as fast as you can and have as much success as you can, but you need to enjoy running and being a part of a team.
I know a few pro runners who are now in their later 40s. Some coach, but even becoming a pro and running on the USA Olympic team is not meaningfully changing your life in a material way. This isn't the NBA where you play for a few years and suddenly have generational wealth.
If success in your life is dependent on "generational wealth", or obtaining any level of "wealth", I feel sorry for you. The "Process" of becoming and being a D-1 runner is where the true "wealth" is earned, and if you believe that becoming a professional athlete and earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team is "meaningless", or doesn't change your life in anyway (including financially), you're misinformed.