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.
The 4x400m mixed gender relay is bad enough. For sure, mixed doubles is not popular in tennis.
Don't even start on mixed-gender commentating teams.
I'd keep the 10000m but make it a road and track hybrid race that starts and ends at the track but the bulk of the race is outside the stadium. It adds a unpredictable dynamic to the race.
Lose it. I'm a native Oregonian and have been a diehard track fan for decades but I can barely keep awake for a 10K on the track that isn't either an Olympic Games or a World Championship.
I don't understand your point at all. There are very few 10,000's contested so where are you watching a 10,000 that isn't the Olympics or the World Championship? Events like The Ten are for getting qualifying times, not for spectators.
Lose it. I'm a native Oregonian and have been a diehard track fan for decades but I can barely keep awake for a 10K on the track that isn't either an Olympic Games or a World Championship.
I don't understand your point at all. There are very few 10,000's contested so where are you watching a 10,000 that isn't the Olympics or the World Championship? Events like The Ten are for getting qualifying times, not for spectators.
Seems like most college track meets have it. Am I misremembering? I do remember it from conference meets. I was a jumper and my kids were jumpers and multis, so I didn't watch it closely, but I do remember it going on - definitely at conference. That's when I got dinner.
Another example of the short attention spans people have now. People on here sound like they can’t even watch the 5000 or Steeple , they want those eliminated. I think the 10000 is fine for championships and a few other events . It has a rich history , leave it alone . I get bored watching countless replays of sprint races.
the 10,000 is almost universally hated, even by runners, because it is not only boring to watch, but you have to pay close attention to the boringness to keep track of who is on what lap.
Even the runners and officials can have trouble with that, as infamously happened in 1987 WC.
So, why not change it to an elimination race? Last place at the end of each lap gets yanked off. That won't affect the leaders until later, but at least it's something to watch. And then you get to 5 laps left and each lap is a battle to not be last. Finish line camera can prevent any ties for last. That would make this "tactical" stuff truly tactical for once.
The marathon could also be revamped. It gets a cheer when the winners enter the stadium. But pare down the field to the actual elites (same # as the 10,000 will do) and you can have a more interesting race with one simple rule: anyone who is lapped is yanked off the track. Winner is the first one to lap everyone else.
Eventually, someone will by likely to win by the marathon distance. If not, it won't take much longer before someone does, and it could set up some epic "duel in the sun" vibes with the crowd wondering who will break first.
Not to nitpick but I am not sure there are no exceptions. Was Hicham the best 10000m guy? Was Lagat? I am not sure about that.
You've misunderstood me (or I wasn't clear).
I mean there are zero world class 10,000m runners that aren't also world class in the 5000m.
Cheptegei/Kiplimo/Barega/Kejelcha/ Aregawi/Ahmed/Fisher are medal contenders in both events. So just scrap the 10,000m altogether for the sake of better entertainment.
You could say the same thing about the 100m and the 200m. The world champ was the same for both last year.
I just watched the recorded race of The Ten and it reminded me how boring the 10000m is to watch.
This distance is very stable for the majority of the race, with the excitement coming in the last 1-2 laps. You get about the same amount (or less) of action for those two laps as the 5000m but the race is twice as long.
Don’t get me wrong, these performances are great displays of fitness, but the watchability of this event on the track is boring. With the road producing faster times from super shoes and a bit more nuance, should we ditch the track 10000m for more 10ks on the road and cross country?
I think this would provide more investment in resources for other events in track while also strengthening participation in cross country and road races for those who suit this distance. I can’t remember a track 100000 where I wasn’t zoned out watching for 90% of the race.
I mean there are zero world class 10,000m runners that aren't also world class in the 5000m.
Cheptegei/Kiplimo/Barega/Kejelcha/ Aregawi/Ahmed/Fisher are medal contenders in both events. So just scrap the 10,000m altogether for the sake of better entertainment.
You could say the same thing about the 100m and the 200m. The world champ was the same for both last year.
Yes but the 200m isn't 27 minutes long, so it's a non-issue. My point was about entertainment.
If the 5000 and 10,000 are being contested by more or less the exact same runners and the last few laps are virtually indistinguishable from one another, then just scrap the 10,000m.
Move it to the roads by all means. At least that offers some background scenery for viewers. But 25 laps is a snooze-fest.
I thought this about 10 years ago and could see WA alternating 5000 and 10000 per global champs.i could watch good 10000s all day and once a year in UK we get the chance to do so.but it's a tiny minority and when Farah was at peak I'd say almost zero new UK folk got properly interested in 10000s. They just liked seeing a brit win.( or for some, disliked seeing a refugee win). I don't think changing to road or xc would really change the public interest one iota .it would still be a long running race with people born in Kenya Ethiopia and Uganda piling up the leading positions, possibly in petro dictator state national vests, which I'm not sure boosts the appeal. The aficionados don't need a reboot ( tho I'd like 10000 heats to widen the entries. Non bloody starter, I know). The wider public I suspect are beyond rescue.
The 100m dash barely lasts 10 seconds. Blink and you’ve missed it. The runner introductions lasts longer. The gap between “ready” and “go” lasts longer. That one has got to go too.
So, why not change it to an elimination race? Last place at the end of each lap gets yanked off. That won't affect the leaders until later, but at least it's something to watch. And then you get to 5 laps left and each lap is a battle to not be last. Finish line camera can prevent any ties for last. That would make this "tactical" stuff truly tactical for once.
That used to be a real thing. It was called "Devil take the hindmost." A guy in a red devil suit would literally run out on the track and chase the guy in last place to remove him from the race. That would make the 10,000 watchable, even for non-track fans. Even more so if they tackled the guy in last! Given how crowded 10,000s are and the annoying number of runners getting lapped, it would be great if there were only 5 or so competitors left for the final 400.
Of course rather than eliminate one of the greatest events in track and field history, maybe they should think outside the box a bit. Others may have better ideas but what if, for example, they used paced lights and set it at 66 per lap (27:30 pace) and if you were more than a step or so off pace on any lap you were pulled off the track? Or whatever pace makes sense. You could go 65 (27:05) in great conditions but that is probably too fast. Any other ideas to spice it up, add drama to the first part of the race?
The british announcers make the tour de france interesting to watch, day after day of biking. Sure there's not any "excitement" for 20 minutes of a 10k, but you should know enough about enough of the runners to make it work.
It was a great event and I'm still buzzing over it. Excellent production, good vibes. Even the announcing was decent and knowledgeable. Granted, nobody is as good as Rob Walker and Hannah England (who did a superb job during the recent World Indoor Champs) unless you include Ato Boldin and Dwight Stones. And I do like all of the other British announcers as well. None of them grate on your nerves like most of the Americans who usually just babble on and don't give as much info. Kara Goucher is getting better and will continue to improve.
But still, the Flotrack guy who did most of the talking (rapidly!) had great info on the athletes and said all of the right things. The one thing which I would change would be to have more automatic on-screen splits. And some may have noticed that at the end of one (or both) elite 10,000's that huge box with the running list of athlete's names/times totally covered the real time clock.
I'd keep the 10000m but make it a road and track hybrid race that starts and ends at the track but the bulk of the race is outside the stadium. It adds a unpredictable dynamic to the race.
Not sure we should be listening to anything from you -- you don't know the difference between "a" and "an".