Country Music Marathon

I think your first problem is you're comparing the CMM, to the likes of Boston or London. CMM is a fun event designed to bring in the beginner runners and make running 26.2 miles a fun and memorable experience. It's much more of a friends and family event than a worldwide tv audience draw. Not that it couldn't be more, but right now I think your rant is somewhat unfounded.

You need to complain about the Flying Pig as well.

Nice rant.

I wonder how many Top Locals from the the late 70s-mid 80s would be able to run 2:10-15? The same could be said for more mid-major cities, including mine. The fast US runners don't run races like CMM or the Derby Mini/Marathon or the Pig because theren't aren't that many fast US runners out there and most are running Boston, New York, Chicago, London and other such big-time races. That leaves the mid-major races to local talent in the 2:25-30 range. As someone recently said about Boston, 2:30 would put you in the top 200 20 years ago and now puts you in the top 50.

Alan

If it's a "fun event" then why bother with the $73,500 prize purse?

From your posting on your website I am lead to believe that a bunch of Americans tried to get into the Country Music Marathon and were turned down because the race directors preferred foreign athletes. Am I right?

Can you name some of those Americans that applied for the elite for this marathon and were turned down? That is terrible that a marathon would do that.

....or did you leave out the part where none applied?

Heard it is hilly

someone: You are making in an inference there.

I never said that American elites applied but were turned down. My point is that there is an insufficicent financial incentive offered to American runners at this race to get them to Nashville.

You can agree or disagree. I'm just voicing my opinion.

someone wrote:

....or did you leave out the part where none applied?

I think part of his point is that there is very little incentive for good American runners (guys who can run around 2:20 give or take a couple minutes) to come to that race. They know they will wind up racing 20 Kenyans/Ethiopians/Russians/etc. that will more than likely take all the open prize money and there is nothing available for top Americans. I know there will be plenty who will say that we have to stop racing for top American and race for the overall win, but regardless of that, an American who thinks he can run 2:20 is more likely to go to a race that has some incentives for top Americans than to CMM. At the same time, from a fan perspective, Americans might be more interested in a few 2:20 American types than a dozen guys who can run 2:12 but whose name you can't pronounce.

tenn mtn man and The Limey,

You are obviously entitled to your opinion, but personally I think it is pretty weak. The rant on the tnrunning website was saying that the race was doing a poor job of attracting American runners, but they are offering quite a bit of prize money already. I am all for local money so that local runners will get excited about the event, but I am against the American only money. I know I would feel pretty bad winning $2000 if 4 guys in front of me got nothing just because they weren't from the US.

The race's main goal is to make money and adding American only prize money is going to do nothing for that. It will just add a few people that are expecting free entries, hotels, etc.

dead on above poster. the fact of the matter is there are more elite non-american marathoners and they are already given out plenty of money for various scenerios. you should make a case for an all white pro football league that way people like you don't get their feelings hurt.

personally, you should be lucky to be getting the field that you do.

The CMM is a joggfest. Elite wants this thing to look like more than just a 26.2 mile version of the local 5k. So they pay a few bucks here or there to bring in some Kenyan to win so the race will look like a "real race." If they didn't bring in those guys you'd have some 2:40ish dude winning, maybe even the same guy that wins the local 5k on the other weekends.

The East African dominance is so total and so complete that the winners of all these races, not just Boston/NYC/Chicago/Peachtree- but even down to local races, are just referred to as "the Kenyans." They are all part of a collective wave of skinny black runners named Kip, Ches, Lel, Rono, etc...

On the surface you would think The Kenyans would be the perfect ambassadors for our sport. They are humble, well mannered, supremely gifted, and willing to endure un-thought of hardships to succeed. But their total domination of all things running is very bad for the sport.

Call it whatever "ism" you want, racism, nationalism, maybe xenophobia- whatever. But Americans reponde when Americans win. Americans can not identify with Kenyans living in a mud hut, existing on $500 a year, running 26 miles so they can buy a goat.

Also if you look at what sports American DO enjoy- those athlete's exhibit very few if any of the traits of the Kenyans. Americans like football, wrasslin, NASCAR, basektball and baseball. Those sports are full of spoiled, cocky, pampered athletes. They make and blow millions on iced out jewlery, big cars, big mansions and strippers. So Mr. & Mrs America may say they want humble nice athletes, but their viewing habits do not reflect that at all.

Until Americans are winning American distance the intrest and the $$ simply will not be there.

My advice to Ryan Hall- get some bling, get a big endorsment deal, blow money, "make it rain", Maybe then more people would know his name than just the skinny geeks on a running message board.

Very Nice Rant!!!!

WHY NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE ELITES AT THE COUNTRY MUSIC MARATHON.

by Dave Milner

As just about every runner in Tennessee knows, the 8th annual Country Music Marathon takes place in Nashville, and Music City will play host to a couple of dozen elite athletes from such far-flung destinations as Ukraine, Colombia, Venzuela, Russia, and Peru, as well as Kenya and Ethiopia.

Last year's male winner isn't coming, but the 3rd place, 4th place, 5th place, and 9th place runners from last year are coming, and so is the 2004 and 2005 winner.

Pop Quiz. Without scrolling down to peek: Can you name the overall male and female winners of last year's Country Music Marathon?

Yeah, I thought so. No idea, right?

If you figured it was some Kenyan or Ethiopian guy, and maybe a Russian woman, you'd be right. But could you name them? And even if you could name them, could you spell their name? I highly doubt it.

But I pet you knew how to spell Kastor, and many of you could probably take a decent stab at spelling Meb's last name: Keflezighi. But you don't remember who won the marathon here on your doorstep last year, do you?

Hundreds of thousands of Americans watched a live webcast of the London Marathon to see how U.S. distance running's next 'great white hope,' Ryan Hall, would fare in is debut over 26.2 miles. Thousands more watched, live on Versus (Channel 72), as Deena fell apart and Pete Gilmore persevered to an 8th place finish at Boston. These are runners in whom we, as running fans, are emotionally invested. We want to see them do well. We cheer them on. We are proud of them. Even though they're thousands of miles away.

But you can't remember the winners of the biggest running event in Tennessee, can you?

Why is that? I think it's because there is very little emotional attachment, for Nashvillians, to the elite runners that come for the Country Music Marathon. Many of the Kenyan runners, and just about all the Ethiopians and Russians, who descend upon Nashville in the last week in April cannot speak English, and if they do it is fractured and difficult to comprehend.

And that's fine. I don't speak Swahili, Amharic, or Russian. But if we are expected to relate to these runners, to cheer for them, we need to be able to engage them, and they need to be able to engage us. Otherwise - let's face it - they are just anonymous elite runners from countries we'll probably never visit.

Maybe I'm way off-base here (it's happened before), but I would say that the average Tennessean would be more likely to be emotionally invested in someone like James McGown, a farmer from Nebraska, who qualified for the trials by hitting the 'B' standard, exactly. A second slower, and he would have been S.O.L.

Or Matt Hooley 2:19, from Wisconsin, a 2:19 marathoner who ran the Twilight Track Meet here in Nashville last year. What about Ben Rosario from St Louis,MO. A running store owner who was rabbitted to his 10K PR last year in Nashville by local high school stand-out, Tom Divinnie. How about Carl Rundell, a Vandy grad with a 2:20 PR? What about Alan Horton from Knoxville, who snuck in with a 2:21:58 clocking. These were just the first few names I thought of among the 115 or so guys who have qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon.

Do you know how many American runners have qualified for the trials at the Country One. Californian Mary Akor in 2006.

The Country Music Marathon has, since its inception, consistently failed to attract a field of U.S. elite runners for us to cheer on.

Ask yourself why? Is it the course? Is it the weather? Is it because it comes right on the heels of Boston (which hosted the U.S. women's championshis this year)? Is it the prize money structure? Or is it that Elite Running just doesn't give a crap about American runners?

THE COURSE

The course is tough compared to other events the size of CMM. Chicago, New York, Twin Cities, Rock 'n' Roll Arizona. All flatter than CMM. Nashville is a hilly city, and trying to run a pancake-flat course in Music City would not only fail to showcase the city, it would probably mean loops around Metro Center or out and backs on our Greenways. The field size would be severely limited and it would be a big ol' yawnfest.

But do the last few miles past the city dump and a finish, not inside LP Coliseum, but in its parking lot, really do our city justice. How about incorporating an out and back section along either side of gently undulating and picture-perfect Belle Meade Boulevard?

THE WEATHER

The weather in late April in Nashville is a crap shoot. And few elite runners are willing to roll the dice with the weather in Nashville after single-mindedly preparing for a race for six months. Although this year's Boston runners were thwarted by an ill-timed Nor 'Easter, the event's weather over the past few decades has usually been pretty predictable. Nashville's weather on the last Saturday in April? Not so much.

THE MOOLAH

The race winners will receive $17,500 in prize money, and there is also a chance (albeit a slim one based on the event's 8-year history) to earn cumulative $10,000 time bonuses for men finishing sub-2:11 or 2:10 and women finishing sub-2:29 or 2:28. So, theoretically, if the men's winner runs sub-2:10:00, or the women's winner clocks sub-2:28:00, he or she could leave Nashville $37,500 richer. That will buy you a lot of land and goats in Kenya.

Last year's champions, Feyisa Tusse of Ethiopia and Tatiana Mironova of Russia, ran 2:15:06 and 2:36:51, respectively, and the course records are 2:12:55 and 2:28:06 for men and women, respectively, so Elite Racing is unlikely to be writing any checks quite that big, but regardless of time, they will be dishing out some $73,500 in prize money, even if the runners times are slowed to a shuffle by inclement weather. And that doesn't include flying the runners in and putting them up. When its all said and sone, Elite Racing will have spent around $100,000 on elite athletes, none of whom you've heard of, at this year's Country Music Marathon.

THE SOLUTION

Let's face it. No one is ever going to run a jaw-dropping time on Nashville's undulations, so why not deepen the quality of the race and facilitate the engagement or connection of runner and spectator by enticing some of the United States' better runners to the event.

Here's a suggestion. Instead of offering $17,500 to the winners and flying in a bunch of Africans we've never heard of, how about using some of that money to develop American running talent? How about offering $12,500 to the winners and $5,000 to the first Americans, or some dough to any Americans who qualify for the Olympic trials (the 'B' standards are 2:22:00 for men and 2:47:00 for women)?

To be fair, CMM is offering $1,000 to any men running under 2:19:00 and women running under 2:40:00 if they are not in the top 5, and that's great. However, thus far, only 41 men and 17 women nationwide have hit those standards, and almost half of those have nice little sponsorship deals that help them pay their bills.

It is the next tier of runners - the 2:19-2:24 guys and the 2:40-2:49 women - that need a helping hand. These are the folks that, quite often, fit in 100-mile weeks around their 9 to 5, graduate school, or looking after the kids.

And that is something that the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon, three hours north in Louisville,KY, has acknowledged and is acting upon, despite having a much smaller operating budget. The race organizers there are offering $750 to anyone who hits the trials 'B' standard, and $2,000 to anyone who hits the 'A' standard (2:20:00/2:39:00).

Don't get me wrong. I think the Country Music Marathon (and Half-Marathon) is a great event. It's great for the city and it's great for the running community at large. Moreover, Elite Racing and race director Adam Zocks do a first-rate job of executing what is a mammoth undertaking. It is with the race's approach to - ironically enough - elite racers where my beef lies.

A seventeen and a half grand check to the first finisher ensures that Jomo, Fekadu, Tatiana, or whoever, will still come away with a nice payday. But Elite Racing could do more - much more - to help develop future American Olympians rather than develop the Africans who are - except for Ryan, Deena and Meb - kicking our asses and beating us to paychecks.

Tennessee's best hope to be added to the list of Olympic Trials qualifiers on Saturday is Knoxville's Stewart Ellington, a former UT stand-out. The 32-year-old husband and father of three ran 2:24 in the Austin Marathon in February, but a recent 30:33 clocking over 10,000 meters at his alma mater's track indicates that he is ready to go again, and in what will be his 3rd marathon, he hopes to employ the valuable lessons learned in his first two ventures over the distance.

Nashville's Kevin Hill, whose PR is also 2:24, is running, and he'll be looking to pocket an $2,000 for being first Tennessee and Davidson County resident, and Jonathan Eckberg has designs on a sub-2:30 run too. But don't plan on getting up early to cheer on Ellington. He'll be at the races in Louisville, along with, apparently, the Queen of England.

ELITE FIELDS FOR 2007 COUNTRY MUSIC MARATHON (as at 04.23.07)

MEN:

1. Jomo Kororia, 26, KEN, 2:11:07 PR, 1st 2003 CMM, 4th 2006 CMM

2. Luke Kibet, 33, KEN, 2:10:18, 1st 2004, 2nd 2005 & 3rd 2003 CMM.

3. Fekadu Degefu, 31, ETH, 2:12:24, 3rd 2006 CMM, 2nd 2007 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona

4. Belay Wolashe, 38, ETH, 2:10:57, 4th 2006 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona

5. Yuriy Hychun, 30, UKR, 2:14:23, 3rd 2005 CMM, 5th 2006 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona

6. Barnabas Rutto, 30, KEN, 2:10:53, 1st 2006 Hangzhou Marathon

7. Thomas Kamau, 28, KEN, 2:17:17, 4th 2004 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon

8. Simon Wangui, 28, KEN, 2:10:35, 3rd 2006 LA Marathon, 8th 2006 Bay to Breakers

9. Yevgeni Bozhko, 31, UKR, 2:13:13, 2nd 2006 Dallas White Rock Marathon

10. Hugo Jimenez, 32, COL, 2:15:24, 9th 2006 CMM, 8th 2004 CMM

11. Juan Cardona, 32, COL, 2:14:30, 5th 2006 CMM, 2nd 2007 ING Miami Marathon

12. Luis Fonseca, 30, VEN, 2:11:49, 2006 National 5,000m Champion

13. Constantino Leon, 33, PER, 2:29:22, 5th 2007 Carerra International Pilsen 10k

14. Halefom Abebe, 25, ETH, 2:12:52, 2nd 2005 Treviso Marathon, 8th 2007 Dubai Marathon

15. Oleg Kulkov, 28, RUS, 2:17:16, 3rd 2006 Dresden Marathon

16. Urgessa Woyessa, 24, ETH, 2:20:16, 3rd 2006 Broad Street 10 Mile

17. Philip Tanui, 32, KEN, 2:09:56, 7th 2006 CMM

18. Nikolai Kerimov, 38, RUS, 2:11:46, 1st 2003 St. Petersburg Marathon.

TOP LOCALS:

1. Kevin Hill, 30, Nashville, 2:24:07 PR, 10th (first Tennessean) 2006 CMM

2. Jonathan Eckberg, 24, Nashville, 2:30:05 PR, 11th (2nd Tennessean) 2006 CMM.

3. Jeff Edmonds, 30, Nashville, 2:50:25, 1st 2006 Harpeth Hills Marathon

WOMEN:

1. Tatiana Mironova, 37, RUS, 2:32:28 PR, 1st 2006 CMM, 3rd 2005 CMM

2. Abeba Tola, 29, ETH, 2:29:54, 5th 2006 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona, 3rd 2007 L.A. Marathon

3. Alem Ashebir, 24, ETH, 2:39:39, 10th 2006 Real Berlin Marathon

4. Hirut Legesse, 25, ETH, 2:45:33, 6th 2007 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon

5. Iraida Pudovkina, 25, RUS, 2:42:09, N/A

6. Svetlana Pretot, 35, FRA, 2:32:14, 1st 2006 Nantes Marathon

7. Olena Shurkhno, 29, UKR, 2:37:50, 1st 2006 Munster Marathon (CR)

8. Suzy Schumacher, 37, USA/AZ, 2:46:29, N/A

9. Jenny DeWeese, 29, USA/NC, 2:44:55, 26th 2006 Chicago Marathon

TOP LOCALS:

not available at this time

PRIZE MONEY: (Men & Women)

1st - $17,500; 2nd - $8,000; 3rd - $4,000; 4th - $2,000; 5th - $1,250; 1st male/female master (over-40) - $500

TIME BONUSES:

First man/woman under 2:11:00/2:29:00 - $10,000

First man/woman under 2:10:00/2:28:00 - $20,000

All men/women finishing 6th or lower running under 2:19:00/2:40:00 - $1,000

LOCAL PRIZE MONEY (DAVIDSON COUNTY):

1st - $1,000; 2nd - $500

LOCAL PRIZE MONEY (STATE OF TENNESSEE):

1st - $1,000; 2nd - $500

WHEELCHAIR (NOT HANDCYCLES)

First man/woman under 2:30:00/3:00:00 - $500

I plan on jumping in at the start and running about half of it.

Personally, and this is the opinion of someone who is a novice, I love to see the Kenyans run because I love to see the best. It would be cool to see Ryan Hall and Co. in a race as well. I didn't feel jealous or upset playing college basketball on a majority black team. How can you argue dominance in a sport (Africans running, blacks basketball) when they has just as much, if not less of an advantage developing in the sport than a white guy. It is what it is. Road races are one of the few things where chumps like me can be around people that are world class. Now, I am not dissing the local guy who comes in at 2:33, but to me, seeing the Kenyans -- or whoever is fast -- is one of the best parts of running these races.

I ran CMM on about 8 weeks of training (coming back from a soccer injury) with a high week of 50 miles and an average of about 38. I knew that this barely counted as preparing so I intentionally started in the middle of the pack and figured I'd just enjoy the music and the atmosphere and party it up when I was done.

I ended up finishing in the top 70. At first I was more confused than excited. I thought that I must have made a wrong turn and cut the course except that my splits made sense.

I also missed out on all the bands because they weren't playing by the time I got there. This actually ended up being ok because when I realized (at 13.1) that I was well ahead of a Boston qualifying pace (which I had previously thought would be a lifetime running goal for me) I started to focus on actually racing so that I would be sure to get it. It was a pretty fun course with all of the hills. I actually find that slight undulations help me ward off muscle fatigue, whereas flat courses like Chicago work the same muscles in the same way until they can hardly move.

The above poster was right to call it a jogfest. The vast majority of people treat it like a big, 4 hour jogging party. I had a friend who was back there and really had a good time. However, don't let that prevent you from running it if you're a sub-3 type. It's a fun course and it's also a bit of an ego boost to be a pretty high finisher in a race with a lot of participants.

Dave, there are only a dozen or so marathons/half-marathons that really, truly care about US distance runners. That is the state of our sport right now. It takes people like you to change the perception. It takes people like you to make a stand and create more attention for US distance runners. Keep up the great work and keep voicing your thoughts!

Scott

someone wrote:

....or did you leave out the part where none applied?

I think part of his point is that there is very little incentive for good American runners (guys who can run around 2:20 give or take a couple minutes) to come to that race. They know they will wind up racing 20 Kenyans/Ethiopians/Russians/etc. that will more than likely take all the open prize money and there is nothing available for top Americans.

There are $73,500 reasons for Americans to run the race. Winning time in the 2:14 range means there are a few Americans who could run and perhaps win or place well enough to receive a nice cash prize.

Look at Hall, taking away any appearance fees he may have received, where was his incentive to run London? Obviously he felt strong enough to take on the field there even if it consisted of the top 10 best marathoners in the world. Still, using your logic he and Meb had to "know" they would wind up racing Kenyans and Ethiopians who would take all the prize money.

Bottom line - Get out there and race. Challenge the rest of the field and yourself and perhaps you'll have a performance resulting in a cash prize.

i will be running in nashville this weekend attempting to qualify for the Olympic trials this fall. maybe there will be some other americans in the 2:20 range (esp because that elite field will be out in 1:08 or so, and it would be nice to have someone with whom to run). "american only" money coddles americans, when we just need to train harder and beat these guys (not that i am the one with the talent to do it or anything). most foreign athletes train so hard and give up so much to be good that taking money from them and giving it to me or any other slower runner is an injustice. It also promotes a culture of mediocrity in American distance running. Furthermore, I don't think prize money is really as important in developing american distance talent as contributions from shoe companies or outfits like the Hansen's and Zap fitness. Prize money is not as important as we tend to think to developing foreign talent either. Remember only five of these guys will get money saturday, maybe six, the rest will be supported by shoe companies, clubs or there countries, etc. until they can take a crack at another few thousand dollars, and in the marathon those shots are few and far between.