• VIPAM
      • USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 2:23PM
      • VIPAM
      • The United States has clearly shown in the past several years an re-emergence back as a potential distance powerhouse. There are so many individuals doing great things in middle, long-distance, and road running but we have yet to show a force in team events. With our veteran runners and young talent USA could easily medal in both men and women's team events at the World X-Country Championships.

        In 2010 there is no major international track championships and what better time than to have our runners like:

        Bernard Lagat,
        Ryan, Hall
        Matt Teg,
        Dathan Ritz (WTG-already committed),
        Galen Rupp,
        Chris Solinsky,
        Deena Drossin,
        Shalane Flanagan,
        Kara Goucher,
        Shannon Rowbury,
        Magdelena Boulet,
        Desiree Davila
        Amy Yoder

        and MANY others from 1500m to the marathon could make an impact as a member of USA team if they all target the World X-Country Championships in this off year! The men's and women's team could both secure a silver medal with an outside shot at a Gold.

        NOW what would that say to the world if USA men and women showed up to the World X-Country Championship with our top runners on the team and ready to run!
    • mighty porn stache
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 2:29PM - in reply to VIPAM
      • mighty porn stache
      • "Our" top runners? VIPAM are you a US citizen? I thought you were Ethiopain or something?

        Anyway, I would LOVE to see the best of the US go to world xc! We have the depth, we are seeing the top rise. Maybe Ritz can nag away at a few of those guys and get them to go. 2010 is the year to do it, too.
    • asdasd.
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 3:01PM - in reply to mighty porn stache
      • asdasd.
      • Not gonna happen. US runners these days are specialized.

        Hall for Marathons. Teg for track. Alan Culpepper for anything inside US borders (well... he's retired now).

        Ritz is an anomaly. He has done it all. Most importantly - he doesn't duck the top competitors like some other runners out there...

        Our Intl team competitions are often like this: The top one or two guys are competitive and the rest of B or C level runners. Who the hell are we gonna beat with this bullshite?

        And world XC...well Mombasa should be all you need to know. That race was ultra competitive and our runners ducked. This is why I like German Fernandez. If he has proven one thing to us: he doesn't duck competition.
    • VIPAM
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 3:05PM - in reply to mighty porn stache
      • VIPAM
      • Yes I am a US citizen, my mother is American/my father was African and I was born in U.S.A. Absolutely 2010 is the perfect year to have such a team effort and the BEST chance for U.S. to make a impact as a team with both the men and women's squad!!!!

        It would be difficult but definitely the best chance for U.S. first ever team Gold.
    • AndrewK
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 3:08PM - in reply to asdasd.
      • AndrewK
      • Her name is Deena Kastor, she's only been married for 6 years..
    • what is going on
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 3:16PM - in reply to VIPAM
      • what is going on
      • Do these us runners just get paided to train. These guys like Teg are pros, no. How many races did they run this season compared to Bekele. Is it cause they are too slow and cant get into races or are they just pussies.
    • YepIConcur
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 3:20PM - in reply to AndrewK
      • YepIConcur
      • what about

        Mebrahtom Keflezighi
        Abdi Abdirahman
        Schott Bauhs
        Ed Moran
        Jorge Torres
        German Fernandez
        Tim Nelson
        Lopez Lomong

        Jenny Barringer
        Molly Huddle
        Lisa Koll
        Jen Rhines
        Blake Russell
        Emily Brown
        Christine Wruth
        Amy Hastings

        in addition to the previously named athletes and some I know I forgot- A team Gold medal is possible. Man that would be awesome and a powerful springboard towards the 2012 Olympics.
    • jjjjjjjjj
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 3:33PM - in reply to VIPAM
      • jjjjjjjjj
      • vipam, how are the men going to silver against kenya and ethiopia?
    • rubber duck
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 3:44PM - in reply to VIPAM
      • rubber duck
      • Nah, we can't have our best runners compete in World Cross next year. It will "interfere" with their training & preparation, plus the time lost to traveling, etc. That's why we always field a "B" team.
    • on the runs
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 3:55PM - in reply to rubber duck
      • on the runs
      • Outside of people like Bekele or Dibaba, most run World Cross Country for free. It ends up being about personal satisfaction, which is why the US doesn't often send its best possible team. I think the US men and women could contend for team medals behind Kenya and Ethiopia if all the top men and women were fit and committed. But because time is irrelevant and the nature of the event is so much simpler compared to track, there isn't nearly as much money in it so it's not often a good financial choice.
    • Blowing.Rock Master
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 4:00PM - in reply to rubber duck
      • Blowing.Rock Master
      • rubber duck wrote:
        ...It will "interfere" with their training & preparation...
        Preparation for what? Stanford?
    • Jefe in the CO
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 4:06PM - in reply to VIPAM
      • Jefe in the CO
      • Barrack!?! Is that you?

        VIPAM wrote:
        Yes I am a US citizen, my mother is American/my father was African and I was born in U.S.A.
        I am with you 100% on this one.

        2010 is really the best chance for us to field an A team. I'm glad Ritz and AlSal are leading the charge. "If you want to be the best you've got to race the best." Or something like that...
    • VIPAM
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 4:53PM - in reply to jjjjjjjjj
      • VIPAM
      • If our best runners targeted the World X-Country Championship they secure spots at the U.S X-Country trials off that training alone. Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritz, Bernard Lagat, and Matt Teg have shown they can compete and beat the world best maybe besides Kenensia and Tedese. If they were to target the X-Country Championships then we would only need a FIFTH man in which I'm positive we have one other runner capable of a top 25 finish. Yes I think if those runners trained for targeted the X-Country Championships they could all place very well (top 25) and 2-3 in top 10!

        It's a long shot but yes its possible our best runners could challenge Kenya and Ethiopia team for Gold!
    • douglas burke
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 5:10PM - in reply to VIPAM
      • douglas burke
      • alberto salazar and ritz have both said the plan is for ritz to run world xc in march 2010.

        actually we only need 4 as each team is allowed to have 6 runners, but only the top 4 on each team score, of course it is much better to run all 6 as 1 or 2 usually do poor.
    • Sagarin
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 7:45PM - in reply to douglas burke
      • Sagarin
      • I'm glad to see Ritz making it his focus. Perhaps he will drag others along. Should be favorable conditions (not too hot or muggy) and a welcoming atmosphere in Poland and an American has not been in the top ten on the long course since when, Todd Williams? Ritz will be right there, and can run a damn solid 10k at Mt. Sac or Stanford coming off of it. Then gear up toward the fall marathon.
    • Dreckers
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 9:02PM - in reply to Sagarin
      • Dreckers
      • You guys are all smoking Albertosol if you think a US A team can compete with Ethiopia, Kenya, Iritrea, Qatar, Uganda.
    • Best Offer
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 9:03PM - in reply to VIPAM
      • Best Offer
      • Ignore VIPAM. WXC is optional. WXC is a minor race. The top races are the Olys, IAAF Outdoor WC, Marathon Majors. WXC is not a primo event. I would skip WXC 2010 Poland. It's too dangerous travelling to a 3rd World, former Communist country, full of crime, poverty, and wretched people. Same with Mombasa and Amman. I would take other, safer, better races, with the best appearance fees, in the U.S./Europe/Asia.
    • musicra999
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 9:25PM - in reply to Best Offer
      • musicra999
      • Best Offer wrote:
        Ignore VIPAM. WXC is optional. WXC is a minor race. The top races are the Olys, IAAF Outdoor WC, Marathon Majors. WXC is not a primo event. I would skip WXC 2010 Poland. It's too dangerous travelling to a 3rd World, former Communist country, full of crime, poverty, and wretched people. Same with Mombasa and Amman. I would take other, safer, better races, with the best appearance fees, in the U.S./Europe/Asia.
        I think the fact American runners consider WXC optional is why we suck. Tadese and Bekele don't seem to mind WXC and I think they and the rest of the distance running world view it as a serious championship. How did Bekele kick ass in March over and over and then kick our ass on the track. Its cause they are not scared to compete against the best anywhere. The fear of Mombasa was shameful and thats why we lose all the time.
    • on the runs
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 9:37PM - in reply to musicra999
      • on the runs
      • musicra999 wrote:
        Best Offer wrote:
        Ignore VIPAM. WXC is optional. WXC is a minor race. The top races are the Olys, IAAF Outdoor WC, Marathon Majors. WXC is not a primo event. I would skip WXC 2010 Poland. It's too dangerous travelling to a 3rd World, former Communist country, full of crime, poverty, and wretched people. Same with Mombasa and Amman. I would take other, safer, better races, with the best appearance fees, in the U.S./Europe/Asia.
        I think the fact American runners consider WXC optional is why we suck. Tadese and Bekele don't seem to mind WXC and I think they and the rest of the distance running world view it as a serious championship. How did Bekele kick ass in March over and over and then kick our ass on the track. Its cause they are not scared to compete against the best anywhere. The fear of Mombasa was shameful and thats why we lose all the time.
        Of course it's optional. Guess how much money you get for finishing ninth? $0. It makes sense for Bekele because he shows up, runs at 90% for 35 minutes and wins $60k. The hordes of Africans that are running don't have contracts like the top Americans so vying for the lesser places makes financial sense. For US runners, a winter track or road season makes more sense, or skipping the winter all together if it doesn't fit with the summer plan. Deena is the only top American who has really had a legitimate reason aside from personal satisfaction to run in recent years.
    • douglas burke
      • RE: USA Elite runners PLEASE go to 2010 Word X-Country Championships! 10/12/2009 9:58PM - in reply to on the runs
      • douglas burke
      • world xc is the hardest distance race to win, harder than the olympics, world track championships, marathon majors etc.