Ritz will be racing for "Top American Honors" - he just went down the slippery slope, and he ain't coming back. Once you take a bite of the "Top American" fruit, instead of racing against the best in the world, you are done.
I thought that "cross" was his event?
It is time to cast your admiration toward others, Dathan has shown his true colors.
Open Comment to Ritz:
Good luck racing your Torres' buddies and pi$$ing away your talent.
Wejo don\'t know wrote:
Wejo - You\'re entitled to your opinions, but perhaps you should check your facts a bit more before accusing athletes of chasing money instead of running World XC.
The New York Road Runners don\'t pay appearance fees for the USATF 8K.
I\'ve said money is only part of the equation. But the runners also probably have shoe bonuses for US road championships that pay better than say running great at Worlds and finishing 25th.
We had this discussion before about the NYRR paying appearance money at the 8k. The NYRR have paid appearance fees in the past for the 8k championships (these message boards don\'t go back quite far enought) but from an Apr 6, 2002 article on Meb Keflezighi in the San Diego Tribune:
\"Keflezighi, the San Diego High alum and American track record holder at 10,000 meters, was strongly pursued by the New York Road Runners Club to race at today\'s USA Men\'s 8K Championships in Central Park.
Keflezighi said he was offered an appearance fee close to the $5,000 winner\'s purse. The race also offers a $25,000 winner\'s bonus for breaking Alberto Salazar\'s American 8K record of 22:04, set in 1981.\"
I think it is a fair assumption to assume they still are paying appearance fees. If not, they donate significant money to the US training groupas and I believe Brad Hudson\'s group. Maybe you want to consider that an indirect appearance fee if the actual direct process has stopped. But the cheapest way to guarantee a compelling race is with appearance fees. I think USATF should prevent appearance fees from being paid at US champs.
and from the same article:
\"Murphy was critical of USA Track & Field for scheduling the 8K national championships the same weekend as the Carlsbad 5000.\"
I think we\'re all greatful for the money the NYRR are putting into the sport but USATF just needs to make them schedule things a bit better.
as for:
wejo wrote:
I\'ve heard from at least 5 credible sources that Ritz got well into 6 figures (yes more than $100,000) to run NY.
I think this should end any Ritz-bashing. You just can\'t turn that down.[/quote]
I\'m talking about the marathon of course.
Did anyone ever consider the following:
I am saving myself for Zurich
or how about this one, i was planning to run zurich, but i heard about a new local 5k near where i live, so rather than risking jet lag i opted for the local 5k.
If the majority of the top runners at boulder XC trials didn't plan to go to XC worlds, can the alternates still go?
Lets say only 3 people in the top 20 plan to go, can runners who finished 21,22,23rd still go?
Yeah, maybe Browne and Abdi still have a chance.
Isn't the county jail on Valmont?
Valmont Insider wrote:
Just got the new Running Times. Nice American Flag patch, jerkface.
this topic reminds me of what was said at the end of the 5000 meters. "If its predetermined going into the race, why the hell do they run it."
personally, i think it is gay that the top guns opt out for other races, but im not one of them so what am i to say.
plenty of fat shit americans go to kenya for the safaris every year and our best distance runners can't go to the best distance running country in the world for one event?
granted, it's not in el doret, but the site is a popular tourist destination right now. and kenya's not all that dangerous for the tourists. that terrorism b.s. is inconsiderable. dangers in places like kenya are primarily from car accidents and malaria.
Running the World's in Africa is a bad thing for Americans if they don't want to ruin the rest of their season. It hurt Rodgers in 1975
F.Y.I. - I am a cyclist so my opinion could be a little skewed in the minds of runners.
I follow both professional cycling and running. In cycling, the Tour De France IS EVERYTHING! It is more prestigous than the World Championships or Olympics. It is the running equivalent to the Olympics or a World Championship. In cycling, there are big contracts and more sponsorship dollars than in running. Only a handful of cyclist have success in the Tour De France. The rest are just happy to be a part of the race and hope to finish. So why do the rest still participate? Why not enter a smaller race and have a greater chance for success? They participate because they want to compete at the highest level of competition; even if they finish last they still take pride in the fact that they competed, and also the sponsors LOVE the exposure.
So, why is it different with U.S. running? Why wouldn't a top level American runner jump at the chance to participate on the world's biggest stage for cross country. Why wouldn't their sponsors also want that?
In my opinion, qualifying for and participating in a world championship event is more prestigous than a good result and a nice paycheck in a domestic race. But that does not seem to agree with the masses so maybe I really am a crazy cyclist.
Even though there has been great success recently within U.S. distance running, you still have to compete against the best to become the best! Why miss a great opportunity like the World XC Championships?
amen
giddy wrote:
A friend of mine refused to take malaria pills while in Accra, Ghana because they weren't "natural" and she got cerebral malaria and died a horrible death. My friend was a beautiful person but she made one dumb mistake and it proved to be fatal.
http://www.digihitch.com/tribute/kinga
thank you for posting this link about kinga
In reply to "having been to Kenya" I never said these things don't happen in the US. I actually said that indeed they do. Please read the following
http://allafrica.com/stories/200702161105.html
Kiplagat fears running in her country of birth! You may feel the risk is worth it but Ritz and many others don't. If I were the Culpeppers I would not go and would never take my children. The risk of going to a third world country for a cross country race is not worth it for many Americans, me included and that is nothing against you or your beliefs.
The top 5 women's finishers in Boulder are blowing off Worlds, too.
Discuss.
Add in that Kastor is willing to travel to Japan before Boston for an ekiden but not willing to go to try and win a medal at Worlds. What's up with that?
Discuss.
she commited long before to the ekiden. you want to fly halfway across the world TWICE and prepare for a marathon? that is asking too much of anyone Deena is running on an extremely competitive US womens team if you haven't seen the roster. So she is representing the US and travelling a long way to do so, with not a whole lot of monetary reward. Try again loser.
In other sports the top stars do not show. Cycling often has its most famous riders skip worlds on the road.
People have to feed their families and the money making window is pretty small.
Too bad Deena is bailing too. I remember reading about her getting a bee in her throat at the start one year at World XC and still finishing top 12!
Sounds like they are all on the avoid the one race bandwagon.
I read Kastor and Goucher weren't going, but I'm surprised to hear that Fleshman isn't going since she's going to be participating in some track meets in Australia the first two weeks of March.