Team USA World Marathon Team

Who the hell are the two guys genius?!?!!?

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i read in a post boston marathon interview ryan hall said he WOULD NOT run the marathon world champs, as he wanted to do a fall marathon and 3 marathons close together was hard last time.

a person must have run 2:18:00 or under from september 2007 so look at the list of americans who meet that standard to know who is eligible.

thats too bad hall doesnt want to run worlds. it makes sense, but he could have a shot at medaling at the world level. an ideal team would of course be meb, ritz, hall and the two automatic candidates (cabada and gabrielson). but not that thats out of the question, would sell be a likely candidate or young? there are a number of guys who ran under 2:18 from 2007 until now, but the usatf makes the final decision, and in some cases is not the best.

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call on me wrote:

Who the hell are the two guys genius?!?!!?

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Are you joking? Do you really not know?

ldr starts with the top results from November 2007

then moves on to the 2008 list

http://arrs.net/PYRank/PY_Mara2.htm

and continues with anyone running well in 2009

http://arrs.net/CY_Mara2.htm

until they have secured 5 with a passport and a willingness to race in August

The two guys who have already secure spots are Garo Ypremian and the late Vinegar Bend Mizell

Here's the kicker: They are not taking from Jan. 1 2008. They are taking from the Trials 2007! Total absurdity, really. It's been reported that Dan Browne has confirmed that he will accept the spot - so Dan Browne is going to worlds. Nevermind the fact that he has not run (finished) a marathon in what will be 2 years this october...

KK, Meb have not decided.

Young has said he will go.

Lemk has said he WILL NOT go. (figure that one out...)

Rohatinsky (sp?) said he WILL NOT go. (also a mind boggler)

Matt Downin will likely go.

But the big three will NOT go. Hall, Sell, Ritz.

And Abdi said NO.

I guess the basic question is: Why turn down World Champs? I know appearance fees are a factor, but come on...eventually you have to try for a medal...It's an honor to race for the US and these guys just toss aside the opportunity like it's nothing.

THAT is a major problem facing USATF and USA distance running...too many take representing the country TOO DAMN LIGHTLY!

Both Jenkins and Hartmann are ahead of Downin on the list.

you say lehmkuhle and rohatinsky will not go and then you say you appearance fees are a factor. i dont think lehmkuhle and rohatinsky can get appearance fees, i mean they would not increase tv ratings or help the race in any way publicity wise, unless the race director really wants to be basically giving them handouts, the top women are closer to them then they are to the top men, they are healthy, they are good but not world class runners, the only way i could see them getting paid is if maybe they are a pacer for radcliffe or some other top women runner.

if they got appearance money it would be like a 400 meter runner who runs 46-48 seconds getting appearance money when their competition is running 43-44 what would be the point in giving them money?

You are wrong. Both Jason and Josh bring a great deal to any race that they are involved with on several accounts.

Josh is young and has only run 2 marathons. He has run sub 28 minutes for 10k and has tons of room for improvement in the marathon. His second marathon found him in a 3 way battle with Jason and Abdi (pretty good company).

Jason finished 5th in the Olympic trials ahead of all 3 previous Olympians and battled with Khalid (one of the best marathon runners ever) over the last few miles. He also found himself battling with Abdi at last years ING New York city Marathon.

Both of these guys finished top 10 at ING New York City Maraton in 2008 and bring a great deal of attention to any race.

The group of athletes that bring NOTHING to an event in the US, is a foreigner that runs 2:07 and can't communicate with the American media. It is almost painful to watch an interview with one of these athletes. It provides a complete disconnect from the average American. You can not market our sport with athletes that don't speak the language. They are excellent athletes and have every right to participate in any race that they want, but they hurt our sport.

Kevin Hanson

hansonsrun@aol.com

I have to agree with Kevin. "General interest" reporters covering the marathon are baffled why certain athletes cannot and in some cases even WILL not speak to them, with OR without translators. It's time for the World Marathon Majors directors to actually enforce the code of conduct they adopted - which includes an athlete's obligation to fulfill public relations responsibilities.

Lehmkule has just started to get healthy from getting pretty dinged up after NYC.

Marathon training doesnt leave him much room for track/roads which i think he may want to get back to so he can freshen up and also chase some more paydays while minimizing the damage on his body the longer stuff has brought about the last few years.

Same problem, different year. The best US marathoners don't run worlds because they are chasing money. Make nothing on a trip to Berlin or make a few thousand in a fall marathon? Also, I doubt their sponsors care so much for the IAAF monopoly on sponsorship during these championships.

Alan

Kevin, you have made a nice argument if you want to keep these guys from getting their feelings hurt. But it only makes sense if they actually are getting appearance fees somewhere or they are planning on winning a race and collecting the prize purse. My guess is that most of their living wage comes from their sponsor. And the sponsor should encourage them to go to the high profile race like the world championships. They could do very well there and attract larger fees in the future. Turning down a spot on team USA is shortsighted in my opinion.

Runningart2004 wrote:

The best marathoners don't run worlds

Just thought I'd fix that for you.

Just at Kevin mentioned, those athletes can hurt our sport domestically, but it raises the bar for our american marathoners. And it encourages some of our grassroots programs to compete at the international level (since our professionals opt out of going to worlds). I really like seeing up and coming guys make world teams and represent out country, but why are the top sprinters taking world spots? Are their sponsors paying/supporting them for making world teams, or is because a marathoners' only income can come on the roads, forcing them to decisively pick which races to run and not run a freebee world championships? Yet, a strong team can win the Marathon World Cup and earn some cash while still representing your country...

But in all reality, I hope a few of those Hanson guys make that team, they seem notable enough to wear the USA kit.