There should be a Marathon at Outdoor NCAAs

I could be interesting.

James Harden wrote:

Anyone have any good arguments for or against this?

Against:

Taking athletes away from the 5-10k. Even if you put the marathon a week before the rest of the events, it would significantly impact their ability to double. You'd probably find that smaller schools would start having their distance talent run in the marathon, and the top tier schools sticking to the track races. Meaning a school like Stanford for instance might not run anyone in the marathon and try to load the 5-10k assuming other schools would be stretched thin from trying to fill all 3...

Just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Sounds like a good idea, and should be held on the track. If you get lapped, you're out of the race.

Miller Time wrote:

Against:

Taking athletes away from the 5-10k. Even if you put the marathon a week before the rest of the events, it would significantly impact their ability to double. You'd probably find that smaller schools would start having their distance talent run in the marathon, and the top tier schools sticking to the track races. Meaning a school like Stanford for instance might not run anyone in the marathon and try to load the 5-10k assuming other schools would be stretched thin from trying to fill all 3...

Just my opinion. I could be wrong.

I was thinking about this as a potential problem, and also where it would be best to schedule the marathon. It would definitely lead to some tough decisions on how to spread out talent, especially on teams contending for a title.

I wouldn't want the marathon to be before the 5 or 10, I think it'd be best to have it on Saturday morning before the track events start. People could then at least consider the 10k/26.2 double, and it wouldn't make it so that the meet doesnt end with the 4 x 400.

I think it would be interesting. So I vote in favor. Something new. I see more Africans being recruited for the purpose of that event though if it ever happened. Seems like there are a lot of good young marathoners from Africa compared to America where our runners usually don't enter that distance until a couple years after college.

Love it; always wished it existed in the NCAA. At least the half marathon.

Cam Levins would have tripled

The Quenton Cassidamius wrote:

I could be interesting.

(It)*

I would rather see them race at the half-marathon distance. Training for Cross Country in Fall and marathon in Spring might be a bit of a leap for some, but the half seems like a logical leap.

I think having it as the last event would provide the best opportunity for 10k guys to double and run the marathon. It would also give those pure distance guys who might not have a great kick a place to show potential sponsors that an athlete has potential on the roads. I think someone like Puskedra or Sambu last year could have benefited from an NCAA marathon. Both of those guys are massively talented but just have no finishing speed on the track. It would be cool to add another dimension to NCAAs.

I am in. We have over two hundred guys running under 32:00 at NCAA Div I nationals, with probably another two hundred who could run sub 32 but did not get to nationals because they were not on a team that made finals and their regional placing did not make the cut. So, you have a few hundred very strong runners and only a few dozen will make it to finals in the 1500/5k/10k on the track. An NCAA marathon could be an event where each school gets to send a 8-12 runners on their team (total marathon field of 1000-2000). Those would be guys who are not up to the quality needed to compete on the track, but could get a major boost from doing big miles and a marathon. It would be an amazing race with piles of guys running sub 2:30. It would be great development for US pro-marathoning as runners who would normally be overlooked for lack of track prowess (Desiree Davila, Brian Sell, etc.) would have a chance to get a head start on developing for the marathon. The E. Africans are starting their runners in the marathon at 18-19 years old. We should too.

having a 5,000 and 10,000 already dilutes the talent in the long distances enough in any championship meet (USATF, Worlds, & Olympic games included)

I think running a HM at the indoor championships (on the roads, of course) would be interesting though.

It Dilutes the race by having a 10k and a 5k? Really?! We are living in the era of the deepest fields ever put together in track. The marathon would not even effect the track races unless it was the 5k. How many people even double at NCAA's? 5 or 6? For the most part a 13.1 would be a great stepping stone and allow some of those 28:30+ guys that can't compete upfront on the track to win a NCAA title. I think you would put anybody that runs Sub 30:00 or 14:20 on the track into a halfmarathon you would find some great athletes that run 63's and 64's without much speed. It could be really exciting to watch, put it on a 5k loop or something so it is easy to watch and get splits for the coaches. I think eventually you would start seeing what is happening with the Japaneese programs and we would start developing a better road racing base in America.

Be prepared for the kenyan and ethiopian racism to begin when they dominate the distance however. But if in the long term it helps American distance running then I support it.

Definitely agree that having a 5/10 doesn't dilute the fields in any way at all, especially with the depth weve seen in NCAA over the past decade.

The reality is that huge percentage of NCAA distance athletes who continue running post collegiately will end up racing on the roads for a living, and I definitely think this would help develop better road runners

i think we should do it just so we don't have to hear all the crap about the japanese collegiate system being so much better than ours

Having run for a big time program and after graduation moving to the roads for a couple of years to make some money. I think this is a great idea. Coaching at a NAIA school currently lets me realize that certain athletes in their final year can get a tryout for post collegiate sponsors.

Just send the runners out to the Newport Marathon the week before. Only 2 hours from Eugene. Don't have to worry about setting up a course and I am sure they will be able to time the event as well as the XC championships were timed.

Any D1 that wants to put up their 100 bucks can compete!!

To get this honestly proposed, who would be the current person in power that could add a half marathon to the NCAA outdoor championships?

There would be additional costs that would have to be considered for travel money, lodging, and etc. that would be the hardest part to deal with. Getting a 100 men and 100 women to the same race from across the country would add alot of costs. you are looking at least $300,000.

Would it be reasonable to get a sponsor cover those costs?

WOuld a non NCAA organization be aloud to invite the top collegiates to a half marathon and crown a "NCAA" Champion?

PandP wrote:

WOuld a non NCAA organization be aloud to invite the top collegiates to a half marathon and crown a "NCAA" Champion?

It works for football with the BCS.

NJCAA holds a half marathon for its athletes.

It's held one week after XC nationals, with both team and individual competition.

The half marathon is a sport unto itself, giving JUCO athletes eligibility in four sports: XC, HM, indoor and outdoor.

NAIA has the marathon as part of its national track championships in the spring.

NCAA would do well to emulate one of those.