.US Championship Another Sad Screw Up By USATF

No it isn't.

Yes it is.

And if I'm one of the other races I tell USATF to stick it up their a$$

Don't know the answer to a), nor whether it is really a huge deal.

As for b), the 12k is worth triple points to try to get as many people as possible to do it, without making the other races on the circuit worthless.

Hardloper, you're right on A, doesn't really, but B IS important because, as another poster said "likely what you will see is Shalane or Molly or Infeld WIN the circuit with a total of two races on a 12 race circuit. That is just plain embarrassing for USA Track & Field."absolutely possible and probable. that essentially DOES make many other races on the circuit worthless, as the points championship can be won without doing but 3, maybe 4 races, apparently even as few as 2! we need to HELP encourage these high level athletes to do the "lesser" us champs as well, keep those races visibility as high as possible. this does nothing to help that.

Hardloper wrote:

Don't know the answer to a), nor whether it is really a huge deal.

As for b), the 12k is worth triple points to try to get as many people as possible to do it, without making the other races on the circuit worthless.

Huddle wins the "circuit" with two races...

Jill Reer announces 2014 USA Road Racing Circuit:

US 12k.....

That's it.

Also, in other news, USATF pioneers the one-man relay!

Championship races are also utilized for international team selection.

But not this one...

ustaff sux huevos wrote:

Hardloper, you're right on A, doesn't really, but B IS important because, as another poster said

"likely what you will see is Shalane or Molly or Infeld WIN the circuit with a total of two races on a 12 race circuit. That is just plain embarrassing for USA Track & Field."

absolutely possible and probable. that essentially DOES make many other races on the circuit worthless, as the points championship can be won without doing but 3, maybe 4 races, apparently even as few as 2! we need to HELP encourage these high level athletes to do the "lesser" us champs as well, keep those races visibility as high as possible. this does nothing to help that.

You are/were right, but couldn't that result of b) have to do with a)? Maybe next year when people know the .US championships are coming, they'll actually try to be competitive on the circuit.

You're right that there are probably better solutions to that thoguh. Maybe a better solution would be to make the .US championship count for the same number of points, but you MUST finish in the top X in the final race. And/or position in the final race decides tiebreakers.

It sucks that a series champion doesn't have to participate in the series. Why should anyone run next year? (Besides the money, but why should the mile, 5k, 10k, 1-2, 20k, 25k support the series when their importance to it is insignificant?)

Biwott earned it running 5 championships including the marathon. For Huddle, it's an empty victory. Certainly not her fault. Just USA Track & Field lack of thought.

That could be a good alternative. There are certainly other ways to increase the incentive to run this race without undermining the whole concept of the circuit.

Hardloper wrote:

[quote]ustaff sux huevos wrote:

You are/were right, but couldn't that result of b) have to do with a)? Maybe next year when people know the .US championships are coming, they'll actually try to be competitive on the circuit.

You're right that there are probably better solutions to that thoguh. Maybe a better solution would be to make the .US championship count for the same number of points, but you MUST finish in the top X in the final race. And/or position in the final race decides tiebreakers.

good option wrote:

That could be a good alternative. There are certainly other ways to increase the incentive to run this race without undermining the whole concept of the circuit.

Hardloper wrote:

[quote]ustaff sux huevos wrote:

You are/were right, but couldn't that result of b) have to do with a)? Maybe next year when people know the .US championships are coming, they'll actually try to be competitive on the circuit.

You're right that there are probably better solutions to that thoguh. Maybe a better solution would be to make the .US championship count for the same number of points, but you MUST finish in the top X in the final race. And/or position in the final race decides tiebreakers.

Which makes the final race worth a little more to everyone, including sponsors, athletes, USATF, RD, organizing committee, etc. So it should become the crown jewel, and bid upon accordingly. I don't know enough about the current process to comment, but if this race was added after the series began or was announced, it may be more than a little upsetting to the former "last race" in the series. And certainly, triple points has got to tick off all other races in the series and could very well jeopardize their future involvement. But again, that may have all been worked out with USATF administrators.

Did anyone watch the live feed from this race? I was racing myself in Philly and missed it. Was it any good???

Pretty sure the top athletes who didn't compete in the series (besides maybe one race) decided to race not because of the opportunity of winning the USARC series , but more so because there was $20k at stake for the win and $100k in prize money. The winner of the entire USARC series got $6k. $6k!!! The third place finisher on Sunday received $7,500. So you get third in one race and you received 25% more than the individual who performed best of a series of 11 races. USATF is so backwards!

So its Monday and I get into the office and am thinking of things to do this week and one of them was "praise USATF for trying"

I saw people ripping the online broadcast for the 'small crowds' at the race. I was like, "Are you kdding?" You are upset there aren't crowds at a road race?

Then I see this thread.

I think USATF should be commended for trying to own and run their own event. I was there. It was a beautiful location, it was well run and there great fields.

Whether it's ultimately a success or not financially is another story.

A guy this week got on my for "always being negative and focusing on the one thing that's wrong with something (I picked apart one part of Mary Cain's interview I hated)". I wrote back and was like "That is a tendency of mine" and am thus working on not only finding the one negative thing about something.

Perhaps you should try as well.

So I thought it was a great effort by USATF. If you want to complain that the points system is unfair, then that's one issue to complain about. It's sort of like the PGA Tour's fed-ex up - people complain about the points.

But complaining about USATF starting the .US championships is foolish. To complain when USATF went ALL OUT and dropped well more than $100,000 on US distance runners yesterday (that was just the prize money and I'm sure the event lost money) is just absurd, particularly when you are complaining about some point system no one paid attention to begin with.

So if Molly or Shalane win the event with a few races? Who cares? At least a big name is running a few more events. Before no one was even talking about the series. It's only 6k for first so it's not like it's that big of a deal.. IF you are good enough to win the circuit, you've got to be pretty good anyway and have earned a decent amount of prize money.

- Rojo.

PS. How do you like them apples? The new and improved Runnersworld/Flotrack version of Rojo. I only say positive happy things.

How is Abdi's face after that rough spill? He was out cold for about 30 seconds.

The real sad thing about this is I have no idea what you are talking about. And I am a runner and casual fan of the sport.

Video McFeeney wrote:

Did anyone watch the live feed from this race? I was racing myself in Philly and missed it. Was it any good???

Bump.