Steve Jones on running today

Ebenezer Duggar wrote:

complainer wrote:

The title sponsors wouldn't be there to pony up the money if the masses weren't there as potential consumers of the title sponsor. Do you think TCS would sponsor NYC if it was only 200 or so elite or semi-elites? Ummmm No.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I get that. I knew someone would have to state the obvious.

The fact remains that a lot of people, somewhat understandably but wrongly, think that their entry fees contribute DIRECTLY to the prize purse at races. Look at the budget of any major marathon when you get the chance. The overwhelming fraction of the cash accrued from entry fees cover the cost of having people on the course for ghastly lengths of time so that those people can achieve their dream of finishing a marathon, even if it means having the marathon itself add up to about as many total miles they spent "training" for the event. (Personally I think police should have to work road race traffic detail for free given what useless crooks they are for the most part, but I won't hold my breath.)

complainer wrote:

Most of the large races have gone to lottery systems, not "reaction" times. Also, the influx of 4:45 guys have led to the increase in number of races available. Used to be that you had to travel if you wanted to run a marathon since the choices were very limited. Now there are nearly 1000 marathons in the US to choose from and at least 2 quality marathons in each major city each year.

You should keep in mind that terms like "most," "quality" and "major" have meanings. If you think that those added marathons are the primary targets of the Oprahthoners out there, you haven't spent much time talking to them. They all dream of a coveted Bee Queue or lining up at New York so they can be a part of something they see as meaningful. Great. But because unlike most elites, they care about nonsense like the shape and size of the finisher medal, the style and color of the T-shirt, what genre the music bands at each mile are playing, and whether or not the pre-race stuffathon is gluten-free. See, these are the people who should limit themselves to the 250-person events in burgs like Stinking Cameltoe, Nebraska, because if all they really want is to technically finish a marathon, they can do so without interfering with people who take the damn things seriously.

And sir, please don't tell me that every major city has two or more quality marathons a year. Philly doesn't even have one. What's in Boston other than the one every Patriots Day? San Jose has over a million people now, what's there? Now I ask you.

Ebenezer Duggar wrote:

complainer wrote:

The title sponsors wouldn't be there to pony up the money if the masses weren't there as potential consumers of the title sponsor. Do you think TCS would sponsor NYC if it was only 200 or so elite or semi-elites? Ummmm No.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I get that. I knew someone would have to state the obvious.

The fact remains that a lot of people, somewhat understandably but wrongly, think that their entry fees contribute DIRECTLY to the prize purse at races. Look at the budget of any major marathon when you get the chance. The overwhelming fraction of the cash accrued from entry fees cover the cost of having people on the course for ghastly lengths of time so that those people can achieve their dream of finishing a marathon, even if it means having the marathon itself add up to about as many total miles they spent "training" for the event. (Personally I think police should have to work road race traffic detail for free given what useless crooks they are for the most part, but I won't hold my breath.)

complainer wrote:

Most of the large races have gone to lottery systems, not "reaction" times. Also, the influx of 4:45 guys have led to the increase in number of races available. Used to be that you had to travel if you wanted to run a marathon since the choices were very limited. Now there are nearly 1000 marathons in the US to choose from and at least 2 quality marathons in each major city each year.

You should keep in mind that terms like "most," "quality" and "major" have meanings. If you think that those added marathons are the primary targets of the Oprahthoners out there, you haven't spent much time talking to them. They all dream of a coveted Bee Queue or lining up at New York so they can be a part of something they see as meaningful. Great. But because unlike most elites, they care about nonsense like the shape and size of the finisher medal, the style and color of the T-shirt, what genre the music bands at each mile are playing, and whether or not the pre-race stuffathon is gluten-free. See, these are the people who should limit themselves to the 250-person events in burgs like Stinking Cameltoe, Nebraska, because if all they really want is to technically finish a marathon, they can do so without interfering with people who take the damn things seriously.

And sir, please don't tell me that every major city has two or more quality marathons a year. Philly doesn't even have one. What's in Boston other than the one every Patriots Day? San Jose has over a million people now, what's there? Now I ask you.