Will A Couple Hundred Thousand Turn Out for the Olympic Trials at 7:30 am?

Sunrise in NYC on 11/3 is 7:28. Something tells me there won't be 200,000 people out there at that time to watch the trials.

wejo wrote:

Mary Wittenberg, the NYRR director, just said she expects a few hundred thousand people to come out for the Trials to watch.

She was smoking weed during the teleconference? That seems a little un-professional.

Will there be any live TV coverage??

I heard it now starts at 7:35, so that will give everyone five extra minutes to get down there.

did they address if the route in the park will be completely shut off from everything but the trials race.. ?ie cyclists, roller bladders, dog walkers... whatever thanks

wejo wrote:

Mary Wittenberg, the NYRR director, just said she expects a few hundred thousand people to come out for the Trials to watch.

Gee, what a surprise, a bullshit blowhard assumption from a New Yorker.

Check the previous threads on the subject. Of course anyone with the NYRR is going to think this is going to be a huge event.

In reality, they'll be running in front of hard core running fans and that's about all. But I'm sure Mary is going to count all the homeless people, drug addicts and hookers on the route as cheering fans.

Al Trautwig, Toni Reavis and Lynn Jennings working the booth for NBC. Half hour live and then live web streaming on NBC. Half hour show later in the day with highlights.

For those of us not able to see it in person, is it true that NBCSports.com will Webcast the whole thing live? Of course, 'live' means 6:30 a.m. where I live, so ...

There won't be nearly that many people out there, but it's going to be a good set-up for watching...it's easy to get from the West Side of the park to East, and back. It'll be easy to see the runners 8 or 10 times,

cbax wrote:

But I'm sure Mary is going to count all the homeless people, drug addicts and hookers on the route as cheering fans.

If you had been to NYC in the last 10 years, you wouldn't make such a stupid statement. I am guessing your perception of the city comes from watching too much "Law and Order," or a short trip you took to the city before Guiliani was mayor.

Its not likely that there will be hundreds of thousands of spectators on Saturday at 730am. However, as an important force in the running community, you might want to focus your time on supporting the event rather than criticizing the organizers. At this point, the trials are in NYC. So, I'm not sure I understand the value of complaining about the event, its time, its course, and particularly the people who are working hard to manage a safe event for the American trials.

As a fan I have been critical of some of the hype about NYC for the trials but am excited for the race. Saying that a couple hundred thousand will turn out to spectate at the race is downright delusional. There is not a couple hunderd thousand who are evening thinking about going to watch the race even if the weather is perfect and there are free donuts.

Once again, I sit here amazed at the lack of sophistication of people at this board and in general those who don't live in New York.

200,000 will be on the low end of spectators. You have to remember this is the first time the trials are being hosted by an organization of this substance.

Even residents who aren't runners will be out to watch the trials because they know the spectacle of Olympic qualifying on the worlds greatest stage is an event not to be missed. The media coverage will be unprecedented as Mary, the NYRR and the grandeur of Gotham push the marathon into the countries consciousness.

Wait, there are free donuts?

Here's my estimate

You have the truly interested area runners maybe 10,000 (similar to CC nationals in Boulder). Then you have maybe 5% of the NYCM participants and their family, maybe another 6,000 and family and friends of trial participants, another 1,000 and another 1,000 of people who just happen to stumble across the event during their daily visit to the park. That's 18k. Even if half of the NYCM participants showed up plus two guests each you would only get 60,000.

The Sunday marathon gets hundreds of thousands of spectators, but many of them are driving in to watch their friends and family members run that day. I doubt many would get up early and come into the city the day before to watch a bunch of guys they don't know run. The rest of the Sunday race spectators are folks who live along the course who watch every year because its a neighborhood event. I doubt few if any would get themselves to Central park to watch the trials.

Also remember that the Friendship Run part of the marathon weekend is on Saturday at 9 am. Last year that had about 20,000 people in it. I'm pretty sure they will have about the same number this year, and they won't be watching the trials.

In the past, I know they advertise the hell out of the Sunday marathon. There are posters everywhere the month or so before the race. Its hard to take a ride on a subway with out seeing at least 3 advertisements. Are they advertising the trials like the do the NYCM? That would make a pretty big difference in the amount of spectators they get.

the answer is no

Not there wrote:

In the past, I know they advertise the hell out of the Sunday marathon. There are posters everywhere the month or so before the race. Its hard to take a ride on a subway with out seeing at least 3 advertisements. Are they advertising the trials like the do the NYCM? That would make a pretty big difference in the amount of spectators they get.

I have seen a few posters in high-traffic areas promoting the weekend as a whole (OT and NYCM).