It is pretty much retired already. Diamond League doesn't host a single 10,000 all year. It only appears in major global championships, the national trials to get there, and a few stray meets like The Ten.
We are a long way from the entire country watching Gerry Lindgren beat the best Soviets in a dual meet over 10,0000 meters in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1964.
We screamed so much we couldn't talk the next day.
I watched all the 10,000m on track I could find. Glued to the screen.
How come?
I loved to put them on when I was doing like 30 min tempoes on my treadmill. I was comparing my 400m times with their laps, making calculations on how many times I would get lapped, etc. It always started to get hard on the treadmill when the race was becoming interesting, so that was extra-motivating (well generally the sweat was also all over the screen by that time so I had to swipe repeatedly).
I never told my wife though that I have amassed a strange kind of useless knowledge about the 10,000m having seen so many of them, she would think I am a complete geek freak (she probably already does).
I do think in the future WA is going to propose event changes and fear the 10k could be on the chopping block. But I think that might be a mistake. It's produced some amazing Olympic moments - Billy Mills, Mo Farah, etc. You can build the drarma, set the field for the final laps and throw in a ton of commercials durijng the first 20 laps.
Maybe make it 10k xc.
It's too bad they didn't end up adding cross country to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The course could have been in Griffith Park and included a portion on the ridge above the Hollywood sign. Would've been epic.
I remember when Payton Jordan was the main qualifier in the US. It felt more like a race and you had big names going head to head with each other with pride on the line. They all still ran really fast. You had moments like Webb vs Ritz and Solinsky over Rupp.
The Ten feels like, and is viewed by pros, a bunch of runners going through the motions as a formality to get their WC/OQ. Most of us from the start of watching it didn’t think, “who’s going to win,” but rather, “who is going to get their qualifier?” That’s a really boring narrative. It felt that way for even the 1500’s Saturday night. If the athletes don’t care about winning, we don’t either.
Cross country is never going to be a big thing. Road running is the only real thing that would fill the void of no 10,000m on the track. Cross country is only a big deal for people who care about cross country, which isn't very many people. Road races get the normies involved and is where these runners should go.
10000m on track still holds historical significance and offers unique dynamics. Diversifying race formats could enhance overall excitement, but preserving traditional events maintains the sport's heritage.
I, and many others, would argue that historical significance and "heritage" is what holds the sport back from growing. People who care about those things are the track purists (us), which will always be a niche group of people. We want to appeal to people outside of the sport who don't know or care about history or heritage.
Get rid of the track 10k except for at the Olympics, because it's the only time that it's exciting. The people on here who want to keep it have even admitted this: all their examples of memorable 10k races are from the Olympics only. Make all the qualifying for the Olympic 10k through head to head competition in scenic road 10ks around the world. That will draw a lot more spontaneous in-person fans than a track 10k late at night at a high school in the suburbs.
For the athletes, this will remove the stress of having to hit a really hard standard and blocking a huge chunk of their calendar out for the buildup and recovery from the race. Road 10ks are way easier on the body, so this will allow them to race more and have more schedule flexibility (think Grant Fisher going to world indoors). Having a circuit of road 10k races also would give 10k specialists the same financial racing opportunity as having their event in the diamond league, minus the boredom and frustration of putting a 30 minute race into a track TV window.
Road races have more tactics and strategy, especially with well-designed urban courses. I would argue that you can have just as much data behind splits and course tracking as on the track, so that you can, as some have said, build the story of the race and give info to viewers. Another idea I would throw out there is to give point bonuses for certain marks on the course. In mass start 10k races for world cup skiing, they do this every few km in the race, where whoever gets to a spot first gets bonus points to their rankings on the circuit. It makes tactics really interesting, and people already like when they do a version of this in the 5th Ave Mile.
In world championship years, the 10k can be added to the program for world road running champs. If some athletes still want to chase world or area records (the boring races that lack any drama) in order to get a bonus from their shoe sponsor, etc. then Sound Running can put on their little race and recruit everyone who wants to do that. But don't make the standard a part of it at all. Get rid of the 10k standard for Olympic qualifying and make it just based on road competition. The best road 10k racers are gonna be the most deserving of an Olympic 10k on the track. I really don't think they are different skill sets.
I don’t give a crap about track becoming appealing to people outside of the sport. How would it benefit any of us?
if some track runners' attention spans dull at 10k....your average dude on the street is bored beyond an 800 or mile, when done in circles. not sure if you want to encourage this. they aren't likely to use the "eager runner" attention standard for the cutoff.
now the argument might go that they could drop the 10k and/or 5k from track BUT add them as road or XC races. but this is a "once every 4 years" or "once a year" bargain. mind you, DL has already reduced them, but if they get dropped from olympics does DL follow suit and you're just steadily killing your end of the sport.
re the TdF point, the scenery helps -- my wife might watch it with me for tourist value alone -- and you have enough stages of sufficient length where the race gets tactical each day and the sport gets some lasting exposure for a period and not just part of a day. i mean, if you follow close enough there's a whole series of tours and of one-day races. so it's not like their sport has telescoped to "it's in the olympics and the world championships."
I, and many others, would argue that historical significance and "heritage" is what holds the sport back from growing. People who care about those things are the track purists (us), which will always be a niche group of people. We want to appeal to people outside of the sport who don't know or care about history or heritage.
Get rid of the track 10k except for at the Olympics, because it's the only time that it's exciting. The people on here who want to keep it have even admitted this: all their examples of memorable 10k races are from the Olympics only. Make all the qualifying for the Olympic 10k through head to head competition in scenic road 10ks around the world. That will draw a lot more spontaneous in-person fans than a track 10k late at night at a high school in the suburbs.
For the athletes, this will remove the stress of having to hit a really hard standard and blocking a huge chunk of their calendar out for the buildup and recovery from the race. Road 10ks are way easier on the body, so this will allow them to race more and have more schedule flexibility (think Grant Fisher going to world indoors). Having a circuit of road 10k races also would give 10k specialists the same financial racing opportunity as having their event in the diamond league, minus the boredom and frustration of putting a 30 minute race into a track TV window.
Road races have more tactics and strategy, especially with well-designed urban courses. I would argue that you can have just as much data behind splits and course tracking as on the track, so that you can, as some have said, build the story of the race and give info to viewers. Another idea I would throw out there is to give point bonuses for certain marks on the course. In mass start 10k races for world cup skiing, they do this every few km in the race, where whoever gets to a spot first gets bonus points to their rankings on the circuit. It makes tactics really interesting, and people already like when they do a version of this in the 5th Ave Mile.
In world championship years, the 10k can be added to the program for world road running champs. If some athletes still want to chase world or area records (the boring races that lack any drama) in order to get a bonus from their shoe sponsor, etc. then Sound Running can put on their little race and recruit everyone who wants to do that. But don't make the standard a part of it at all. Get rid of the 10k standard for Olympic qualifying and make it just based on road competition. The best road 10k racers are gonna be the most deserving of an Olympic 10k on the track. I really don't think they are different skill sets.
I don’t give a crap about track becoming appealing to people outside of the sport. How would it benefit any of us?
You don't care? Someone involved in T&F needs to care. Thirty seconds and 60 seconds commercial time needs to be sold during T&F portion of Olympics. Limited number of 10000m fanatics on here plus blood relatives of 10000m participates isn't enough.
Maybe I'm a weirdo, but the 10k is my favorite event to watch at global championships. The length gives time for tension to build in a way that just can't happen in any other event. There are all these moves and counter moves, which generally don't create real separation, but do give hints about who feels good and who might have pop on the final lap, and they serve to slightly ratchet up the tension each time. It all just builds and builds and builds until the final lap, when they finally cut loose. The 2012 10k was the epitome of this for me; I don't think I've ever been more emotionally wound up in a sporting event than that.
I am with you. Maybe it's because I ran the 5,000 and 10,000 in college, but to me it holds the most tension and really gets me excited when the race is a good one. I do agree that if it splits up toward the beginning, it can be boring. But so can any sport if the result is lopsided. I hope they keep it around and do a better job of commentating.
I don’t give a crap about track becoming appealing to people outside of the sport. How would it benefit any of us?
You don't care? Someone involved in T&F needs to care. Thirty seconds and 60 seconds commercial time needs to be sold during T&F portion of Olympics. Limited number of 10000m fanatics on here plus blood relatives of 10000m participates isn't enough.
Are you going to receive a percentage or buy some stocks?
i went to like 3 diamond league live and in europe on the longer races they do the wave or rhythmic clap as the runners come around. i do think a road or cross "trade" is more naturally entertaining but they have made, say, the runner intros 10x more entertaining, sound and light displays, but not really worked on the race itself.
i get i don't want to mess with a 100 drag race or whatever. but what about bring in a DJ or artist or something?
i also think some of where it goes awry is when you lose the 3-ring-circus effect. they have spread the meet out, or at least it feels like it, so the races stand more on their own. the 10k is less monotonous if i can drift back off for a second and watch, say, the long jump or pole vault final same time.
1) Keep the 10K. I watched The 10 the other day the minute it was available online, and found all of it interesting and parts of it almost thrilling.
2) I would like to see events run on different surfaces--track, road, but also grass, dirt, sand. Distance running combined with the different surfaces element of tennis. 6 laps around a track like Churchill Downs would have better television production possibilities than a road race.
3) Also, promote Distancepalooza type meets, all 10K, 5K, 3K, 3KSC, 1500M, Mile-- different age groups, Men's Division, Women's Division, All Comers; Elite, Sub-Elite, Wannabe-Elite, Masters, Hobby Jogger.
4) Have men and women run in speedos and/or jogging bras.
5) Have high school marching bands perform between races.
1) Keep the 10K. I watched The 10 the other day the minute it was available online, and found all of it interesting and parts of it almost thrilling.
2) I would like to see events run on different surfaces--track, road, but also grass, dirt, sand. Distance running combined with the different surfaces element of tennis. 6 laps around a track like Churchill Downs would have better television production possibilities than a road race.
3) Also, promote Distancepalooza type meets, all 10K, 5K, 3K, 3KSC, 1500M, Mile-- different age groups, Men's Division, Women's Division, All Comers; Elite, Sub-Elite, Wannabe-Elite, Masters, Hobby Jogger.
4) Have men and women run in speedos and/or jogging bras.
5) Have high school marching bands perform between races.
6) Build the pur$e$, and they will come.
I also finally watched the 10000m, sub-27 race and thought it was awesome. The pacing lights and switching the angles from above, and at track level, enhanced the experience. There’s nothing boring about watching people run 4:20 pace, anyway.
Among niche sports, there’s nothing unique about wanting to grow the sport:
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be as good at football (soccer) as you are in the pool? How much money do you think you would earn? If you swim at a national level then probably a fair bit (if you were a footballe...
Regardless of what this message board wants, expect that we will by no later than 2029 and possibly as soon as 2027 (and possibly the 5,000m and steeplechase, too)...
As a counterbalance, World Athletics will try to make the non-stadia championships (World XC and World Road Running Championships) bigger deals than they are now (and will also try to get those races--5k road, half marathon, 10k XC and XC mixed relay--into the Olympic program, although success is not guaranteed).
I really fear this could come about. They'll replace the 10k with a mixed gender 4x1500 or something, the IOC lately loves adding "new" events that are just mixed-gender variants of existing events that most give already-qualified athletes a second event to run.
Yes 10000m is boring even for a distance analyst like me!!!!! I frankly switched channels and watched soccer and Leo Messi instead, that way I get EXCITEDDDD!!!!!!!
I'm just not as EXCITEDDDD watching a bunch of runners running 25 laps around the track. It's truly lame and boring!!!!! 25 laps of obstacle course is different you know????
