Is running the most competitive/popular sport in the world? I can't think of any other sport that is as popular world wide as running. It's cheap, simple and a well established sport in almost every country on earth. Although it doesn't have the fan base that other sports do, road races are the most highly participated in athletic events even in the US. If running is not the most competitive sport, what other sports do you think are?
SOCCER!!
Popular as far as participation- yes running- everyone does it.
Competitive-since everyone does it, it has to be the most competitive.
Think about it- Burundi has had a great runner. What else does Burundi do?
runn wrote:
What else does Burundi do?
Soccer.
lol- good one.
3/10
To break it down even further, I would say ultrarunning might be at the top. Extreme distances on extreme terrain with very few people having the guts to attempt it. It's not competitive from the standpoint of # of runners, but it's the ultimate mental and physical challenge and <0.2% of all runners have the ba**s to attempt a hundy.
Saint Pete wrote:
runn wrote:What else does Burundi do?
Soccer.
They're pretty good at slaughtering each other in civil wars.
But I think the idea is that so many actually run 10k's, marathons, etc. The best in the world could come from anywhere.
nintendo wii
I think there's a reason so few people do 100s. They are a pretty extreme challenge and most runners are afraid of failing.
far more people train and try to make it as a professional soccer player than runners. many people sign up for 5k's or 10k's but walk them or barely train
Poker is. Watch TV.
Noontime basketball at the Y when winner gets to keep playing and 20 guys are waiting for the next game.
Burundi has a faster 1500 NR than the US!
You have it backwards. Almost any accomplished marathoner can put the time in and run a 100-mile race in two years. But the 100 mile athletes do not have one ultramarathon runner who has come within a half hour of the world marathon record held by Haile (2:03.58). The only way they can stand out is running really far because they sure as hell aren't fast.
saasdfsa wrote:
I think there's a reason so few people do 100s. They are a pretty extreme challenge and most runners are afraid of failing.
Sure, an accomplished marathoner could finish a 100-miler with two years of training. I don't disagree with you there. But, they'd collapse like a house of cards if they tried racing against the sport's elites. It's apples and oranges.
saasdfsa wrote:
Sure, an accomplished marathoner could finish a 100-miler with two years of training. I don't disagree with you there. But, they'd collapse like a house of cards if they tried racing against the sport's elites. It's apples and oranges.
My a**. Throw a 2:25 guy at them and they'd s*** themselves; the real dogs are where the competition is.
Ultra's are great athletes but they are plodders to the core and could never be competitive at the marathon level (<2:20), much less soccer or NFL football.
Maybe a Navy Seal.
Greasy fat Italian WOPs in NJ and NY love Boche Ball.
uninitiate of the ebon hand wrote:
saasdfsa wrote:Sure, an accomplished marathoner could finish a 100-miler with two years of training. I don't disagree with you there. But, they'd collapse like a house of cards if they tried racing against the sport's elites. It's apples and oranges.
My a**. Throw a 2:25 guy at them and they'd s*** themselves; the real dogs are where the competition is.
Ultra's are great athletes but they are plodders to the core and could never be competitive at the marathon level (<2:20), much less soccer or NFL football.
Maybe a Navy Seal.
If a 2:25 guy would DEFINITELY destroy all ultra guys, why doesn't the world record holder in the half-marathon hold the marathon record? Is there maybe something biological holding Tadese back? Who knows?
Also, at one time a Navy Seal held the WS100 course record.