Webb Never Planned on Running Bowerman 5k

poor judgment making that video then, that's for sure

I stayed up late on the east coast waiting for the results and I know some in Oregon made a special trip to watch him race.

Sure the video was an obvious joke to that one poster on this site who said as much, but how come there were numerous prediction threads for an entire month and not one person said he wasn't actually running it?

It was clear the video was a joke in the sense that Webb wasn't really talking to Alberto, and it was a "make believe" way of letting us know about the race. I would argue it was not clear, though, that Webb would not be running.

I agree, it was clear it was a joke but not clear that he was not running.

There is one poster who keeps saying on other threads that it was obvious that he wasn't running, and anybody that makes such a statement has zero credibility. There were threads discussing the video prior to the race, as well as multiple Webb prediction threads. Not one poster even hinted there was a possibility that Webb did not have any intentions of racing.

running a race and running in a race is two different things you f***ing retards

o.O wrote:

running a race and running in a race is two different things you f***ing retards

I did't expect a double entendre from Alan Webb. He didn't set the precedent of being a trickster prior to this video. Even though the video was made for a humorous and promotional means, many well-informed and intelligent runners were caught off-guard. Your arrogance is intolerable, go away troll.

He should never have made the video then. That's just treating what few fans he has in a minority sport like crap. For everyone that claims it was obvious he was never planning on running why didn't you say it at the time? We knew he wasn't talking to Salazar etc but what he has done is blatantly tricked the few people that care about him. He must have known this would be the reaction. Well done Webb you have shown you're a tosser.

o.O wrote:

running a race and running in a race is two different things you f***ing retards

I take it you haven't seen the video?

He never say's he wants to run the race in the way you are implying. If he does please show me where. He did say he wants to open up with a 5km in mid July. That implies he wants to run in the race. Or you just trolling?

I don't blame Webb for this micro-fiasco - I blame the event promoter. Surely he monitors the letsrun message board and saw that the Webb video on runnerspace had a lot of people thinking he was really going to run in the BAC 5k. And with good reason - after two lousy seasons, then sitting out for over a year, changing coaches, moving across the country, and having his achilles sliced up by a surgeon, a low key road 5K seemed like a plausible first race for Webb's comeback. But as the threads speculating on how Webb would do grew longer, did he (or anyone in the know, for that matter) throw cold water on the idea? No.

Netflix wrote:

I agree, it was clear it was a joke but not clear that he was not running.

There is one poster who keeps saying on other threads that it was obvious that he wasn't running, and anybody that makes such a statement has zero credibility. There were threads discussing the video prior to the race, as well as multiple Webb prediction threads. Not one poster even hinted there was a possibility that Webb did not have any intentions of racing.

I was the one said that you were all fools. Here is the proof. HE DID NOT RUN. HE NEVER PLANNED TO RUN. Ask yourself: Did he run like I thought he was going to? Answer: No.

Whether I stated this on message boards prior to the race is not relavant. YOU ARE WRONG is relevant. Good night!

I bet I know what happened. I bet the meet director was at a loss for words when he noticed his 5k meet wasn't attracting the attention he thought it deserved.

Never fear though! Gives a call to his Nike buddies, makes a few videos and all of a sudden some false advertisement spurs registrations/fan turnout for the race.

I feel bad for the fans in the greater Portland area that made the trek to see Webb vs. Tegenkamp. We running fans got gipped too as many of us stayed up awaiting the results.

Thumbs down, Patrick Tomasiewicz. You're a fraud and you hoaxed the portland fans.

Pretty obvious many people thought Webb and Teg were running-there was a lot of high profile chatter about it here and other places (Track Focus).

Why didn't BAC folk just simply come out and state they were not running?

I am beginning to think this was indeed a slightly dishonest attempt at viral race promotion.

Some nerd wrote:

http://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?do=view&member_id=2485&video_id=28774#ixzz0upFStXku

THAT is the video? Seriously, who thought for a second that thing was real?

I remember watching that whole thing and never thinking for once that it meant Alan was going to run or do anything. I thought it was just some guys screwing around with a video camera inbetween running workouts.

"Hey. How's it going? Cool. Cool. Yeah. Yeah. The comeback is on the comeback is on. I'm feeling good. Excited about racing again. Um. Yeah I think I want to open up with like a 5K maybe like in late July. Um yeah there is money on the line, money on the line. Now, it's no Brussels or Zurich or anything. Um, it is in the US. Um, probably going to be some big names. A fast race. No, no, no, not on the track. On the road. On the road. (...Something about Galen coming too but he is busy doing a promo video...) Oh it's called the Bowerman AC 5K. It is on the 25th. It is at night too. At 7. Perfect conditions."

I appreciate sarcasm and a good practical joke, but if you read what he actually said then you might understand why a lot of people, including myself, thought he was going to race. I think most of us knew the video of him talking to Alberto was a joke or staged, but we were fooled into thinking this was his informal way of coming back onto the scene after a long layoff.

Oh well, there is a new AW on the scene that is going to make Webb his b!t(h for the next couple of years!!!

Who for a second tought that thing was real?

Most of America's distance running community thought it was real. Hence all the complaints, chief.

Honestly, I can't believe anyone thought that video was real. Why would webb run in a local road race with 14:30-16:00 minute 5K runners?

Hey everyone, I just heard Webb is going to open up his cross country season at the Oregon Zoo Turkey Trot. Make sure to come out and watch. It should be sweet!

Alan Webb and Galen Rupp will be racing in my Jingle Bell 5k race.

8hun wrote:

Honestly, I can't believe anyone thought that video was real. Why would webb run in a local road race with 14:30-16:00 minute 5K runners?

Because Teg was also going to run it.