Peachtree 10k gets rid of noname Kenyans by restricting $ to 'Mericans

Makes sense. People want to see people they can relate to. Not some generic Kenyan that barley speaks broken English.

A shoe company could still give a Kenyan a bonus for winning Peachtree.

But I guess your issue is noname Kenyans, not famous Kenyans.

This is more like the past than the future.

I don't think this will catch on at a high level.

* wrote:

But I guess your issue is noname Kenyans, not famous Kenyans.

I ran the NYC Half this past weekend and was in corral one which arguably has some of the most dedicated followers of professional running.

When NYRR introduced the top runners, there was hardly any reaction except for the following runners:

1. Geoffrey Mutai (some applause)

2. Mo Farah (big applause)

3. Meb (big applause)

In other words: you either are the greatest Marathoner in the world right now or you have some charisma.

If neither applies, no one will care about you. Why should they pay you then?

It's a USA Championship

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Not some generic Kenyan that barley speaks broken English.

Impressive.

NYC Half Runner wrote:

In other words: you either are the greatest Marathoner in the world right now or you have some charisma.

If neither applies, no one will care about you. Why should they pay you then?

The average hobby jogger thinks it's great to be in the same race as the fastest runners in the world. That makes them willing to pay a higher entrance fee.

The future of 'Merican road racing?[/quote]

If we can't beat em, let's kick em out!

Hope 8 Kenyans show up, pay to get in, and go 1-8.

Then they can give 9th place guy the check. Prove it a mockery.

liker of liquid barley wrote:

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Not some generic Kenyan that barley speaks broken English.

Impressive.

+1 .. Too awesome.

With no world champs this year, this is a smart move that could attract big names who would usually not run the road circuit for the track in the summer.

I am sure that once the US 10k champs rotates to another location, Peachtree will go back to an international field. But it is common for races hosting US champs to forgo prize money for internationals. Houston does that when they have hosted the 1/2 champs. But they go back to offering prize money for international runners when the US 1/2 champs go elsewhere.

The Return On Investment simply isn't there for many runners. Other than in Europe where people rank Marathons based on finishing times (the easier the better) and therefore Marathons like Rotterdam or Paris sign all these runners from ETH and KEN, runners in the US base their decision on other criteria, e.g.:

- prestige (Boston)

- challange (Boston, NYC)

- scenery (Big Sur, San Francisco)

etc.

This is the "I am taking my ball and going home" syndrome

Yayy, reverse affirmative action.

America the beautiful wrote:

Yayy, reverse affirmative action.

It's called racism.

Kenyan__Runner wrote:

America the beautiful wrote:

Yayy, reverse affirmative action.

It's called racism.

How would it be called "racism", since Peachtree's new prize money structure allows citizens of the US of any race to win the prize money? Rupp could win it (white guy), Meb could win it (black guy), Manzano could win it (Hispanic guy), etc etc etc. In addition, this policy denies non-US citizens the ability to earn prize money at this race, regardless of skin color. Sure, no east Africans will win prize money, but neither will any Canadians, Brits, Russians, Mexicans, Brazilians, Chinese, Japanese, etc.

Jingoism or overwhelming nationalism, yes, but not racism.

So will they be checking the winner's citizenship papers to verify the winner is not just an illegal alien living in the United States?

asking the question wrote:

Kenyan__Runner wrote:

It's called racism.

How would it be called "racism", since Peachtree's new prize money structure allows citizens of the US of any race to win the prize money? Rupp could win it (white guy), Meb could win it (black guy), Manzano could win it (Hispanic guy), etc etc etc. In addition, this policy denies non-US citizens the ability to earn prize money at this race, regardless of skin color. Sure, no east Africans will win prize money, but neither will any Canadians, Brits, Russians, Mexicans, Brazilians, Chinese, Japanese, etc.

Jingoism or overwhelming nationalism, yes, but not racism.

Uber pwnage!

I guarantee there are scholarships in Kenyan that can only be accessed by Kenyans. Is that racism too? You are an idiot. Kenyan born Americans can still take prize money home. Are they not of the same race.

Kenyan__Runner wrote:

America the beautiful wrote:

Yayy, reverse affirmative action.

It's called racism.

There will actually be a special prize bracket for shirtless Kenyans. You heard it here first!

It's about time! the next thing they need to do is bar all Division 1 runners from my local turkey trot. Used to be I could win a turkey with a sub 30 minute run for 5 miles. Now you gotta go sub 28 with these college kids home on break. What the heck?! When I signed up for y local road race I was signing up to be a star and bring home some turkey, not to get my ass handed to me by some no-name college kid who has barley had any real life experience!