If he achieves his goal and he does get his 5 minutes of fame - what is your problem with this? The plus side is that it promotes the sport and that can only be a good thing? -
You could argue that the media attention raises the awareness of the sport to an uneducated population who would never have an interest in the sport had it not been for Alex's attempt... as opposed to detracting from the real understanding??
[quote]No no no no no wrote:
Thats not my point, my point is the guys who achieve the best times and who excell in their chosen field should get more credit and more support/publicity than a chancer with no chance. quote]
then it is up to those individuals to promote themselves more effectively. Has Pete Riley got a website? Does Dan Robinson go around giving motivational talks about he made the jump from jogger to international athlete? Has Huw Lobb written a humourous tale of his life as a half-decent runner who once beat a horse in a race up the side of a mountain?
as a slight aside agents need to focus on more than just getting their athletes into races - they need to help to raise their profile.
You are his "Coach" or part of his management team?
I really must doubt your credentials if you really are advising this guy that to drop to a 2:15 marathon when he can only run a 36:00 10km right now, is somehow a realistic goal.
The time scale to make those sorts of improvements is just way off. In my opinion he needs at least an additional year to get into 2:15 shape, assuming he has the basic talent level to get there at all.
I am impressed with his improvements so far but I mean a really talented guy would be runnning a 36:00 10km off a couple of weeks training.
Of course his aim of 2:15 is paper thin. If he was aiming for 2:25 then as a documentary it would be of little interest and would not have created this furious debate on the forum. If you read what he is saying and take you eyes of the asphalt you might get a better understanding.
“My aim has always been to make a documentary about Marathon running and to show how hard it is to get to the top of the profession but with a little bit of talent you can go a very long way. To achieve this end I need to run a 2:30 marathon to gain the necessary investment to make the documentary and for people to take me seriously. In a sport where first timers and world record holders line up together I want to explore the dedication, desire and talent needed to get to the top, the massive decline in top marathon runners in the country, the emergence of the African nations and how far the average guy can get with a bit of talent intertwined in the narrative and to give some perspective of the gap between average runner and elite.”
What he has done so well is to create interest and market the project so he can be in a position to make the documentary on Marathon running. It is ludicrous that the very people who he has the intentions of featuring are the ones that bite the hardest. This guy is obviously passionate about running and has found a way that he can pursue his passion. If he gets anywhere near 2:15 it would be a remarkable achievement but it’s not really the point. I say good luck to him. If he makes his target for Paris I’m in!
Give the guy a chance, let him find out for himself if he is good enough or not. Maybe he has the chance of achieving something that you never will, because you get up at 4.30 to 'get the days mileage' in does this make you a better person than him? Are you a martyr to the running cause? Maybe you should nominate yourself for an award.
Time will tell if Alex reaches his goal - good on him for trying, he has the opportunity, time and motivation to attempt to achieve it, maybe it is because of people like you with elitist and arrogant self perceptions that running has limited publicity and difficulty in attracting talent. Let him have a crack at it, you only live once.
Im sure many people particularly young children i.e. the future of your sport, will find his story inspirational, surely that is enough whatever the outcome.
The guy is a complete joke he doesnt have a clue and is undermining marathon runners and runners alike. In my opinion he will not get even close to 2:30 let alone 2:15.
Have a look at these lists and look at some of the top names who have ran well on all surfaces. Look how many have run sub 2:15 in recent years.
http://www.athleticsdata.com/rankings/rankinglist.aspx?event=Mar&year=2002&agegroup=ALL&sex=O
http://www.athleticsdata.com/rankings/rankinglist.aspx?event=Mar&year=2003&agegroup=ALL&sex=O
http://www.athleticsdata.com/rankings/rankinglist.aspx?event=Mar&year=2004&agegroup=ALL&sex=O
http://www.athleticsdata.com/rankings/rankinglist.aspx?event=Mar&year=2005&agegroup=ALL&sex=O
http://www.athleticsdata.com/rankings/rankinglist.aspx?event=Mar&year=2006&agegroup=ALL&sex=O
good luck to the guy, obviously very naive to think running a few miles will get you anywehere in a hurry because everyone and their brother dreams of making the Olympics.
running is perhaps one of the sports where the inital improvement is great, but as you strive for those extra few mins the workload has to go up so much more. hence most guys spend 5 years for minimal improvement, injuries etc with the training loads.
if it was just that easy everyone would have run 2.15 and you'd have to run sub 2.10 to make the team and we'd be wiping the floor with the east africans!!!
maybe he meant make the womens team?! I'd still bet emily pidgeon would take him, shes run 30 secs quicker than him round his own club 5k course!!!
pigs will fly wrote:
The guy is a complete joke he doesnt have a clue and is undermining marathon runners and runners alike.
He obvoiusly does have a clue because he used to be a jogger and now he is a good standard club runner. I doubt very much he will make international standard but how is he undermining marathon runners?
No no no no no wrote:
You are totatally wrong:
"Most of the hundreds of people playing football on Hackney Marshes have unreal views on how good they are. The pubs are full of people who know more about football than their team's manager. Letsrun posters don't get to decide what people are allowed to aim for.'
That is sucha stupid statement, it is apples and oranges, running is clear cut, your time is where you are, theer are no hard luck stries like you get in football, 'the scout wasn't there', "I had no service' etc... with running, you run the time, you are in.
Re-read the post. It was about unrealistic expectations being everywhere. It happens in running.
People make excuses in running. Listen to people talking after, or even, before races.
London accepts 45000 people who think they can run a marathon. Usually well less than 35000 finish. What do you think happens to the 10,000? They thought when they entered they'd be able to run a marathon. They didn't - they were wrong. Even illness and injury that cause some of the DNSs of DNFs are usually due to unrealistic training.
Or look at people's splits in a marathon. So many people head off at a pace it's obvious to most of us that they won't sustain.
It's not just novices. Look at track open meeting or BMC entry lists. Target times people put down are often works of fiction or delusion.
But you really think everyone in running is realistic about their abilities?
No no no no no wrote:
Th ONLY reason anyone would be interested in this story is becasue this country is sadly obsessed with nobodies hopeless attempts at being somebodies, see Big Brother, X Factor etc... sadly this diverts press, publicity, money etc... away from the people who should get it, the poeple wwoking their buns off and are truly gifted.
You're interested in what he's doing.
You're posting on it.
And you're still completely missing the point of what he is doing.
He's making a documentary he thinks joe public will relate to.
He's asking for money on the back of that. He's not asking for money on the basis of being more talented or more hard working than Lobb, Riley, Brown et al.
If this documentary gets off the ground it will create attention around who is going for places in Beijing that otherwise will never exist. That increases the potential earning power of everyone else too.
If athletics wants a documentary just on top runners it's up to someone else (UKA, Sport England, Fast Track, or you if you feel so strongly) to make the case for that to the TV companies. Something tells me no-one is going to do that though. But it's not this guy's responsibilty to make up for how badly our sport is marketed. You can't stop him pitching his idea.
All those people in this forum are evidently bitter, average runners who feel belittled by Alex and his drive for his ultimate dream. He may be setting his sights high but if he doesn't achieve the ultimate then he can, with hand on heart, say that he tried. I take inspiration from his endeavour as an average runner myself. Show the guy some respect.
the only thing that ticks me off is people like you who take statements out of their context...i certainly didn't say it make me a better person... and i certainly don't consider myself extraordinary, as i stated, there are guys on here who have much, much, much more extraordinary tales of drive and talent than this guyahh, give the guy a chance... jesus, what a crybaby. what has he done to earn a chance more than anyone else. I AM giving him a chance... how are we not? is it possible he could do it, sure maybe as possible as a hundred other runners in england who dream of making it to the olympics... the other oens have probably been training for an even longer timejust to point out, a lot of people on here don't like dean k (i won't say where i stand on dean k), but he has certainly inspired others to run... probably more than this guy
Sebastian Coe wrote:
Give the guy a chance, let him find out for himself if he is good enough or not. Maybe he has the chance of achieving something that you never will, because you get up at 4.30 to 'get the days mileage' in does this make you a better person than him? Are you a martyr to the running cause? Maybe you should nominate yourself for an award.
Time will tell if Alex reaches his goal - good on him for trying, he has the opportunity, time and motivation to attempt to achieve it, maybe it is because of people like you with elitist and arrogant self perceptions that running has limited publicity and difficulty in attracting talent. Let him have a crack at it, you only live once.
Im sure many people particularly young children i.e. the future of your sport, will find his story inspirational, surely that is enough whatever the outcome.
You are evidently the twat around here, twat face. This guy is trying to do something you will never achieve. It takes a bigger man to stand back and take his hat off.
knobber wrote:
There are numerous guys attempting to do this aroudn full time jobs and who are far more talented than this chump, and they are not asking for 75k sponsorship, attention seeking twat.
so in all seriousness jimmygray, tell us what did knobber say that was wrong (besides calling the guy a twat)
jimmygray wrote:
You are evidently the twat around here, twat face. This guy is trying to do something you will never achieve. It takes a bigger man to stand back and take his hat off.
knobber wrote:There are numerous guys attempting to do this aroudn full time jobs and who are far more talented than this chump, and they are not asking for 75k sponsorship, attention seeking twat.
..and judging by the photos, he is certainly the bigger man!
Tell you hwat, when you look at sub 2:30, there's only 49 people last year who did it! 49!!!
Blimey, I'm going for sub 2:37 and I thought I'd be high up in the ranking... nope... there's loads of runners around this ability, scary, as I know what they're going through.
Good luck to Alex, you have to have a dream, and what would everyone say if per chance he did it?
Cheers
Mark
One thing is certain we shall all be here (hopefully - unless a car mows any of us down) next summer chatting about the olympic marathon. Methinks all these 'supporters' of the man in question will gradually disappear as reality bites. Do you really think your man can go from a 1.15 half to a 1.10 in a month, especially considering he cannot even break 17 for a 5K? I will take my hat off to the guy if he achieves this and so will many letsrunners, but as a gambling man I would not back him.(Incidentally Roger Bannister at 100-1 to light the 2012 olympic flame has got to be worth a punt). See you on 26 March after Reading then we can discuss this further.
Here's an interesting video that the people who've been complaining about this guy should watch and take note of.
so surely if he makes it in such a short time this will make his achievement all the more remarkable?
he hasnt earnt a chance more than anyone else but is merely giving himself a chance, it is down to him to perform.
im sure dean k has inspired many people and more than alex will, what is your point?
you have a tiny brain, are you sure you are an economist?
anEconomist I think that you have serious unresolved problems that you need professional help with. I know a friend of mine who is a psychologist who might be able to talk you through some of your issues. Her name is Dr Sheri Jacobson her number is 07760 102 492. I hope she is of some help.
whatever, I am not the one who needs to resort to personal insults... I have no idea why you guys are so flamed over this. there are a ton of people on here saying a lot harsher things about this guy than me.and yes i am an economist... undergraduate and masters degree in mathematics from upenn, and a phd in finance from a top 5 rated business schoolif it makes you feel better for you to think that I have a tiny brain then you go right ahead and keep thinking that
Sebastian Coe wrote:
so surely if he makes it in such a short time this will make his achievement all the more remarkable?
he hasnt earnt a chance more than anyone else but is merely giving himself a chance, it is down to him to perform.
im sure dean k has inspired many people and more than alex will, what is your point?
you have a tiny brain, are you sure you are an economist?