I received an email from an Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier. Apparently, the NYRR is planning of only putting out special personalized drink bottles for the "A" qualifiers (those under 2:20) and not the "B" qualifiers.
Here is the email:
I was wondering if you had heard about the following issue and basically I was looking for your third party unbiased opinion. As a 'B' qualifier for the Olympic Trials Marathon, I recently found out that only 'A' qualifiers are getting personal bottles put out on the course, while 'B' qualifiers get some cups of water, gatorade, etc. Personally, I don't really care for myself, but in the past guys like Briney were 'B' qualifiers and if I remember correctly Dan Browne who has a legitimate shot, will be considered a B qualifier with his 10k time. Is this fair? Or website worthy? I don't think many of the 'B' qualifiers even know. Again I plan on running fast hell or high water, but some dudes are upset.
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Personally I think this is unfair. The Olympic Trials in America have always been based on seeing who is the best athlete on that day under the same circumstances. The whole US system (top 3 on 1 day) is based on fairness. In Beijing they won't have special drinks for some athletes and not others.
(Actually if in Beijing special bottles are not allowed then I think all the athletes in NY should go without them as well. Problem solved).
So I think all the athletes deserve the same treatment. I heard they are saying its a matter of logistics and it is too difficult to get bottles for everyone. Well they had bottles for everyone in Birmingham Alabama at the last trials from what I'm told. I'm sure they can handle it in NY as well. I just looked and there are only 29 B trials qualifiers. Most of the course is a loop course. It seems to me all it will take is having 1 or 2 extra tables at 2 points in the park. I personally will set up the tables if they want me to. We could make it a letsrun.com thing. All of us man the "B" tables and root for Rudy.
The more I think about it seems like a no brainer to have the bottles for everyone.
But if they don't have the bottles for "B" qualifiers then they had better not have them for all the "B" qualifiers, ie Dan Browne, and Jorge Torres and others if they run.
What do you think?
Maybe we should print up tshirts for the B trials qualifiers. I mean they have to shell out $400 a night for a room as well (no i'm not saying they should get free rooms). I'm sure someone could come up with a tshirt that is pretty funny.
"Second Class" on the front.
LetsRun.com on the back.
Maybe I should just make generic "Second Class" tshirts and sell them to the masses. Forget about letsrun.com