My belief: Any US long-distance pros that don't go to 2023 World XC in Australia should have their pro cards stripped

Jakob says he's not going, should he be stripped of his "pro card"?

None of the OAC athletes are going accept Hoare to run the relay.

Jerry said after Aarhus that he sees no value in World Cross if it will be run on a gimmick course (his words not mine). So that eliminates BTC.

The sport has changed and US athletes are not interested in anything other than running fast on the track.

What if there are pros that don't like going that far away? Seems like could be good for those willing to spend a lengthy time in Australia and enjoy some warm weather training during the NH winter.

Cool story rojo.

You're trying too hard.

The biggest 10k in the US this year, outside of USA's, will probably be Sound Running's "The Ten" which I believe will be on March 4.

It's not easy to run a hard cross country race on February 18, fly from Australia to the US, try to get over jet lag, and then run a stellar 10k on the track 2 weeks after World XC.

That means runners will probably have to choose one or the other, not both. And I think a lot of the top US runners will choose to do the track 10k instead of World XC.

CONCUR

It was great to see Cole Hocker and the ON Team running Cross this year.

Where is Bowerman?

Did you read the post? I specifically use the words US and long distance pro. Jakob is not American and he's mid-distance. Plus the dude races all the time. If you ran world indoors last year, you get a pass from my edict as you a) show you aren't only doing one championship a year and b) you are more mid-d.

Plus I want Jakob to do the 1500/5k/10k triple and he actually is someone who needs the 10k qualifier as obviously he won't have a 10k world rank as he doesn't run the 10k.

I want the stars doing two seasons a year - at least. Jakob is doing that as he said he's going to get a big base in now and then do some indoors if all goes well.

Cool story bro.

Let's skip a free trip to Australia and a world championship where you will be part of team score so you can run a track race in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night for a small chance of making a world championship on the track where you will get your doors blown off.

On the men's side, unless they are name Fisher, they will be total non factors at Worlds on the track. And anyone good enough to make the team on the track, doesn't need to be worried about someing in March. Run World xc, then get in 2-3 months of killer training and hit a 10k closer to USAs (or hell put a rabbit in USAs), or get in via World Rank like McGorty and Klecker are already set to do.

ok

Agree.

LOL What a tough life. I am sure they could all do just fine doing both.

Those that have a chance to medal at this years WC have their sights set on Budapest.

I am a big fan of XC but it is not logical to disrupt training periods (especially altitude camps at critical times) to travel to Australia. That would disrupt at minimum two weeks (if not more) of training (travel, acclimation to and from). Perhaps athletes and coaches attitudes would be different if this event were held in the northern hemisphere. Nevertheless, there are several other aspects that goes into racing this event or not.

Cross Country running is a tough sport and that is what makes it great to run and watch. However, it carries a risk of injury/tweaking something that could easily set one back a few weeks. Far too risky during a WC year and when incentives (contractual, financial, etc.) just aren’t there, the majority of top guys and gals that have a chance to medal on the track will not go.

If XC running became an Olympic or Diamond League event, focus and incentives would change and we would see a resurgence in XC. It can be a very fan centric event and dynamic to watch due to terrain/weather and so forth. Euro XC Championships was a great event but it was held in December and therefore not disruptive time wise during a lead up to outdoor season.

Yes, back in the day 70’s and 80’s it seemed most of the top names competed at World XC, that was then, competition is now far more fierce and East African dominant in distance events, training now is far more specialized, competing for medals is far more difficult now then it was back then.

You don't get to make decisions for pro runners rojo.

Who wouldn't want to go to Australia? I could understand not wanting to go to Europe or Africa, but Australia is a bucket list destination. Beautiful beaches, unique flora and fauna, beautiful women, great fishing, etc. Other than a lot of things that can kill a person, I can't see not wanting to go there for a paid vacation.

Running isnt Bodybuilding....There are no 'pro cards'....

Alan

If this doesn't sum up American distance running, I don't know what does. Choosing to do a time trial on the track (it's not a race) rather than take on the best in the world in a world championship race.

If you don't have the ability to run a cross country 10k, fly on an airplane, and run a track 10k two weeks later, you really don't have any business calling yourself a pro.

Listen, I love cross country, I love Mount Panorama (should've run world xc during this year's Bathurst 1000...the mud was epic!), and I'm free in February. Sure I'm 40 and am, at best, four minutes slower than who we would usually send, but I'll be more than happy to make the trip if no one else will.

This. XC needs to make it back into the Olympics, have a higher profile as a sport.

What is a Pro Card and where can I apply for one?