Why does Hobbs Kessler even bother with running?

He should take up trail running and sign as a multi-sport athlete with North Face. Do both sports.

rstranger wrote:

He should take up trail running and sign as a multi-sport athlete with North Face. Do both sports.

You might be right.

Pro running offers some of the fewest $$$ of any sport period.

Rock climbing being one of the other sports offering little or no $$$

Trail running falls even lower on the $$ scale and quite a bit lower on the athleticism scale.

But, combine elite rock climbing and a sub 4 miler phenom and you may have a niche "outdoor lifestyle" magnet in Kessler. ....With actual world class cred

It would be nice to see how far he can go on the track before that happens though!

He's a world class rock climber and has redpointed 5.14c (an elite climbing grade) and could probably free El Cap and many other bigwalls. Why restrict himself to be a upper-level NCAA runner in a painful, busy college career when he could pick up a climbing sponsorship, travel the world and be a badass?

I don't know maybe because he wants to get an education and start a career after he's done with running/climbing so he can make some real money.

If you fall on the track, you may get spiked or some scrapes from the all-weather surface, which can be painful.

If you fall on a high free climb, you die.

So, pretty easy to see the calculation.

But, combine elite rock climbing and a sub 4 miler phenom and you may have a niche "outdoor lifestyle" magnet in Kessler. ....With actual world class cred

It would be nice to see how far he can go on the track before that happens though!

Absolutely. He's definitely more marketable with some xc/track accolades and I think there could be a niche there for a storytelling brand. While that is a fun thought marketing exercise, maybe we can just let the kid run and climb and enjoy being a student while having the pleasure of watching him race, instead of having ridiculous performance or financial expectations.

We found the clown! You do not die when falling on a free climb I've done it many times. Go look up what free climbing is, clown

insiderbrad wrote:

We found the clown! You do not die when falling on a free climb I've done it many times. Go look up what free climbing is, clown

You definitely can, but only if you're one of the real crazies and you free climb El Cap or something.

Because he really likes running? Why do you give a crap? Let people live their lives.

According to Nick Willis Instagram, Hobbs closed a full "Michigan" workout with a 50.4!!! Claims it to be the record for fastest ever 400 at the end of this workout. Hobbs might be a 800-1500 guy like Clayton Murphy... he's going to be dangerous in mid-distance in the NCAA

The multi-sport athlete (not multi-sport as in triathlon) is the future of brand marketing. Imagine a guy who runs and then does rock climbing as well at an elite level. Or think of a guy who runs but also does mixed martial arts tournaments.

or even non-athletic endeavors. A pro runner who is also a pro chess player. If you can combine multiple disciplines (again, not talking about triathlon) you could maximize your earnings. Even bring fans over to each sport...like a cross over fanbase.

insiderbrad wrote:

We found the clown! You do not die when falling on a free climb I've done it many times. Go look up what free climbing is, clown

Why all the name calling? I find that to be a very odd reaction.

insiderbrad wrote:

We found the clown! You do not die when falling on a free climb I've done it many times. Go look up what free climbing is, clown

You don’t think people have died free climbing?

I’ll have to admit this is an easy choice. Op makes it sound like distance dork vs rock climbing badass. If you’ve been around many rock climbers the life is anything but glamorous or bad ass. A bunch of stoners that haven’t showered in days that stink to high heaven.

Take the running route. The one cool thing is he could make the Olympics in rock climbing now and running haha

adulting part deux wrote:

The multi-sport athlete (not multi-sport as in triathlon) is the future of brand marketing. Imagine a guy who runs and then does rock climbing as well at an elite level. Or think of a guy who runs but also does mixed martial arts tournaments.

or even non-athletic endeavors. A pro runner who is also a pro chess player. If you can combine multiple disciplines (again, not talking about triathlon) you could maximize your earnings. Even bring fans over to each sport...like a cross over fanbase.

The greatest athletes in the world have already tried this in the past. Specialization is starting at younger and younger ages. Definitely not the future.

adulting part deux wrote:

The multi-sport athlete (not multi-sport as in triathlon) is the future of brand marketing. Imagine a guy who runs and then does rock climbing as well at an elite level. Or think of a guy who runs but also does mixed martial arts tournaments.

or even non-athletic endeavors. A pro runner who is also a pro chess player. If you can combine multiple disciplines (again, not talking about triathlon) you could maximize your earnings. Even bring fans over to each sport...like a cross over fanbase.

I feel like there will be more money and prestige being a brand ambassador and Instagram influencer for a kid like Hobbs by combing adventure sports of cross country trail running and rock climbing. Doing videos and photos of his journeys.

Great Michigan wrote:

According to Nick Willis Instagram, Hobbs closed a full "Michigan" workout with a 50.4!!! Claims it to be the record for fastest ever 400 at the end of this workout. Hobbs might be a 800-1500 guy like Clayton Murphy... he's going to be dangerous in mid-distance in the NCAA

What is the "Michigan workout"

xczvzxcv wrote:

If you fall on the track, you may get spiked or some scrapes from the all-weather surface, which can be painful.

If you fall on a high free climb, you die.

So, pretty easy to see the calculation.

You know you can be a rock climber and not free solo climb anything right? Climbers use ropes so they don't die. Free solo climbers are another world of bad assery.

Alan

Some of the best climbers in the world live in a van down by the river. Maybe he wants more out of life.

1600 10k pace

2k tempo

1200 5k pace

2k tempo

800 3k pace

2k tempo

400 whatever you have left

3.57 as a 17 year old is much more impressive than climbing 14c at that age. There are 5 guys at my gym on any given night that can do that. I would argue he is now a more accomplished runner and should pursue running in the short term.

He will have all the time in the world to be a better rock climber after college. I like the balance, he can easily maintain climbing strength (sounds like he has a natural base) while in college.