Olympic Marathon Trials drama - Orlando organizers say they'll only change start time if they are compensated to the tune of 700k

There is a large number of athletes that are fine with the Noon start.
We have been sending emails to both Max and Jon Hughes to share our opinions.

Lost tax revenue from missed brunch at places along the course?

A golf tournament can't be streamed/broadcast?

Why should they cater to what the 2:15-2:17 hobbyjoggers want? Poll the sub 2:10 / 2:25 runners and determine it from there.

Why cater to what the 2:10/2:25 hobby joggers want?

Poll Mantz, Rupp, Young, Sisson, Bates and D’Amato and determine it from there?

I don't think Weldon read the article correctly.

I love this drama.

Max Seigel - the corrupt, dictator that runs our sport - by fiat said the Trial will be Orlando for some reason, probably because they were willing to pay a $$$ fee to host it. They said, "Great, the race will be at 8 am." He said, "No it's non-negotiable, it' will be at 12 noon or you won't host it."

So the begrudgingly said, "Fine" and the contract is written up that way.

Now, 3 months out from the event, Siegel wants to move it to 8 am. They Orlando organizers, who probably are having a hard time raising sponorship$$ for the event, are pissed and also realize, "Hey that's a material breach of the contract. The contract says, we are paying you big bucks$$$ for a 12 noon start race. If it's at 8 am, we arent paying you the fee."

I don't think Orlando is losing 700k because of the changed start time. They are just pissed and realize this is an opportuntiy to legally save themselves 700k.

Orlando jumped into bed with a dictator who is very much motivated about $$$ and they are now feeding him a little bit of his own medicine.

The idea that when the Trials were awarded to Orlando this wasn't all set in stone is laughably bad management. It should have been "The race will be held at 12 noon as long as the starting temp is less than 72 degrees and finishing temp less than 75 otherwise it changes to xx time."

I'd also say a couple others - Chelanga, Korir, and Seidel. To be frank - a 2:17 male has no shot of making the team and it's a vacation for him. His opinion shouldn't matter.

Here is how Sarah Lorge Butler wrote about the 700k.

“On October 26, 2023, GO Sports delivered the shocking news of firmly standing behind a 12:00 p.m. start time, adding an impossible caveat that any deviation from the current start time would amount to a combination of unexplained projected damages, fines and waived rights fees totaling $700,000,”

Repeat after me.

Do not pre-emptively change the start time. Keep it at 12 noon with weather caveats. I mean if it rains at a baseball game, the start time has to be moved. If it's 80 degrees at a marahton, the star time has to be moved. But wait until you see it's going to be hot or rainy.

The organizational aspect of the marathon OTQ should not come with this much drama. It's not even good drama.

The Athletes letter blames the local organizing committee. In reality, they should be blaming Siegel.

He, by fiat, put the Trials in hot Orlando when the recommendation was to have it in Chattanooga and he signed a legally binding contract saying the start time had to be 12 noon.

Does anyone know what the actual rights fee was that Orlando agreed to pay?

Again, anything that annoys or makes Siegel look terrible, I'm fine with, and the board should be getting plenty of flack as well.

Also, Nike, here's your chance to step up and do a great thing for the sport. What a PR win that would be!

I'm with Rojo on this. As one who has sought to host a USATF Championship race, not that it's any secret, but they make it exceedingly difficult and expensive. I see this as an opportunity to recoup some of the $$ they had to layout. Stand firm Orlando.

Too much!!

And now there's this from Track Shack to the Athletes, completely blaming the USATF and USOPC for it. It sounds like there is a lot more to the story.

Not a majority. Most want reasonable weather conditions. A 10am start still isn't perfect, but it's better than noon