Le Chapeau wrote:
Why didn't guys like Jones and Shorter and Rodgers need support to train?
If you have the ability, you don't need support.
This post really bugs me. It is a different world today than it was in the 70s.
First of all, marathoning is so much more competitive today that young Americans do not see world records and olympic medals as a realistic or even "long shot" possibilities.
Secondly, recent college grads face much tougher financial pressures than the runners in the 70s did. Everything is more expensive now relative to wages: housing, food, healthcare, and most importantly, student loan debt.
I don't blame young runners for not putting their lives on hold to chase their olympic dreams. It's simply too risky these days. If they all did, a quarter of them would end up bankrupt from healthcare costs and student loan debt.