THE BEST AND WORST MOMENTS FOR DISTANCE RUNNING IN 2008

Did everyone foget Lu Xiao?

New York Road Runners--Continuing to bring our sport to a level of importance.

Hansons--Continuing to pave the way in making Americans fun to watch again.

OTC--The restructuring that allowe the inclusion of the Farm Team and Salazar's group.

High School enthusiasm--Several High school runners becoming significant at more than just a high school level.

I believe that when the History of our sport is written all 3 of these things will be looke upon as important in 2008.

I am obviously talking from an American point of view with an emphasis on Distance Running Only.

The Russian doping scandal. At least some of the got caught though.

I count that as 4, not 3.

P "ladies man" J wrote:

The worst was when Geoffrey Schoefield dropped out of his highly esteemed 5k appearance.

The best was all of the sick workouts that he did.

That was 2007, over a year ago.

The Men\'s Olympic Trials 800 was spectacular. It brought outside attention to our sport by showing the pure guts and blue-collar attitude that makes distance running what it is. Who will forget the dive? Who will forget the electric Hayward Roar as one of its own set his course?

Then the US Olympic (non-marathon) distance happened....

I know it's not distance running but the most exciting thing in running for me this year was Usain Bolt. He totally outdid any distance performance.

Arm Warmers nailed it...

Just like to add, the Olympic Trials in Eugene was THE highlight in my mind for 2008 USA T&F ... Eugene, UO, Nike, USATF... they finally got it right, moving it back to Track City USA, investing Millions into Hayward, making it a true experience for the athletes and fans... it was such an awesome atmosphere... Sacramento, Indy, nothing else comes close... If you were there, you know what I'm talking about.... and the races, awesome... And for the first time in a long time, the men's side was a great cast of characters... Goucher, Meb, Ritz, Abid, Gabe, Rupp, Torres, Lagat, Webb, Manzano, Lomong, Symmonds, Fam, etc, etc... Just what our sport needs... not just a top dog... but a number of favorites to battle each other.

my bad, track town

I was in Eugene for the entire week competing in both the 5k and 10k. IT WAS THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY RUNNING CAREER. It was a Nike love fest. As an athlete that is sponsored by another shoe company, I was treated differently than the Nike athletes. My family and friends that came in support felt the same way.

As a female I was not caught up in the whole Adam Goucher/Nike/Salazar fiasco. But that situation brought to light everything that was wrong with the event. A different set of standards if you were wearing the swoosh. These double standards were permitted by USATF and encouraged by the city of Eugene.

It got to the level of obsurd when AJ Acosta (a fine young talent) out of frustration pushed his way out of a box tripping himself and another athlete. He would have been DQ'd at any meet in the World. But not in Eugene wearing a Oregon Uniform. He was advanced to the next round.

A couple hundred (no exageration) other situations in which EVERY single one was decided in favor of the Nike athlete. All in all a lousy week in a sport that should be decided on the track.

you guys are just naming every moment where something happened in distance...

i think you have to be a little more distinguishing to qualify as best/worst

best -

flanagan grabs bronze in the 10k

worst

-kastor gets injured in first 5k of olympic marathon

-lagat at the olympics

-webb's entire disappointing season

Best:- Seeing IONA smacking the "trophy contenders" Oklahoma State

Worst:- Seeing German go down.

Best: Shalane. Shalane. Shalane. Classy, fast, and seemingly the only true American distance athlete (not a citizen-transfer) that can compete with the best on the world-class level.

Worst: Kara Goucher's NBC Olympic Trials interviews. What a tool. If she weren't hot, she'd have zero respect from anyone due to the incredibly cocky way she carries herself.

Polar OE,

Sorry you had a bad experience... is it really a bad thing Nike invests more in it's athletes and T&F than every other Shoe company combined? Maybe it seemed like they where getting more breaks because 2/3 of the field was supported by nike? Should they have had special family areas and VIP sections, sure they paid millions into the facility and promotion of the meet. Don't be bitter because you are not part of that club.... if another shoe company did the same thing would you be bashing them... probably, unless they were your sponsor. I wish every shoe company threw down like nike, the professional athletes in this country would only benefit. If your shoe company had it's own VIP/Family areas and dozens of staff to support you like nike did, maybe you would not be bitter. In fact, if anything you should be bitter with your own sponsor, not the sponsor that helped their athletes, from support to lobbying them into the finals.... sounds like they are actually servicing their athletes as a sponsor should... you should be asking why the other sponsors aren't doing the same thing, rather than railing on Nike.

If you really want a sub par meet, with no big company funding, with little athlete support, no broadcast, go check out the trials in other countries, and then be thankful that Nike (Or whatever shoe co steps up)

This is a typical response from someone who drinks the Kool-Aid. The complaints were not what was available LEGALLY to Nike athletes.

Most of these have already been said:

Men's battle at London Marathon and Hall's performance

Bekele winning World XC after losing a shoe

Bobby Curtis wins NCAA 5K, making comeback from all kinds of personal problems

Rupp finally wins his NCAA XC title

Olympic Trials in general, but especially men's 800

Seeing Abdi take a victory lap at around 65 seconds and jumping in the steeple pit at OT

Amy Yoder Begley at the OT

Bekele's awesome Olympic double, especially kicking away on the last lap of the 5k after leading all the way

Wanjiru running like a MAN in the Oly marathon

Flanagan getting a bronze in the best women's 10k ever

Nick Willis giving all the white boys hope with a 1500m bronze

German Fernandez HS 2 mile record

Nike invests into one program...Oregon. It's bullshit.

Best:

Shannon Rowbury's season; 4:12 to 4:00 and 7th in Beijing, plus a 4:20 mile

Flanagan's bronze

Kara Goucher getting third at NYC Marathon

Amy Begley making the Olympic Team

Brian Sell making the Olympic team after finishing 4th in 2004

Nick Willis getting bronze

Hall running 2:06 in London

Hall and Ritz going 9 and 10 in Olympic Marathon

Rupp defeating Chalenga

Worst:

Can't believe no one has said this yet: Adam Goucher not making the Olympic Team; that was a HUGE disappointment

Every single one of Alan Webb's races, especially the Olympic Trials

Kastor breaking her ankle in the Olympic Marathon

Mottram not making the 5000 final

Lagat not making the 1500 final

Solinsky not making the 5000 team for Beijing

The women's 5000 final in Beijing; so slow that one lap was run in 90 seconds

Tegenkamp running poorly in Beijing

Not enough love for Wanjiru's insane run in the marathon. What he did in those conditions is equal to any other marathon ever run for my money.