Sooner or later, the US will have enough imports to challenge for the podium. But then we won't care, because Unkle Kracker don't care 'bout no imports.
Sooner or later, the US will have enough imports to challenge for the podium. But then we won't care, because Unkle Kracker don't care 'bout no imports.
ncaaxcfan wrote:
What we need is the XC equivalent of Cas Loxsom in the 600m. An elite level runner who has a true love of XC even though it isnt as glamourous as track and is willing to train specially for it. His schedule would have to be slightly different than the top track guys, but I'm positive the focus on XC would translate over to a fast 10k on the track or Half on the roads. Imagine if someone like the Colorado boys signed a shoe contract and kept training under Wetmore with a focus on XC for 6-8 more years. The only reason we arent competitive in Cross is because we prioritize track higher.
Pat Porter was your guy. He did make two Olympic teams and ran some decent 10Ks but he was XC.
30 years ago wrote:
ncaaxcfan wrote:What we need is the XC equivalent of Cas Loxsom in the 600m. An elite level runner who has a true love of XC even though it isnt as glamourous as track and is willing to train specially for it. His schedule would have to be slightly different than the top track guys, but I'm positive the focus on XC would translate over to a fast 10k on the track or Half on the roads. Imagine if someone like the Colorado boys signed a shoe contract and kept training under Wetmore with a focus on XC for 6-8 more years. The only reason we arent competitive in Cross is because we prioritize track higher.
Pat Porter was your guy. He did make two Olympic teams and ran some decent 10Ks but he was XC.
And try as he might Porter never made the podium. You forget that the top CC guys are potential medalists at anything.
If no one ran for fun and everyone ran for the win, there would be even fewer runners than there are now. By the same coin, why should we quit going to World XC just because we can't win?
reality checker wrote:
30 years ago wrote:Pat Porter was your guy. He did make two Olympic teams and ran some decent 10Ks but he was XC.
And try as he might Porter never made the podium. You forget that the top CC guys are potential medalists at anything.
Who besides Rodgers and Virgin ever made the podium at WCs?
Ritzenhein
Brantley did too.
Some thoughts:
-- Have one or two IAAF XC Permits here, east coast, or other. Give decent prize money
-- Perhaps moving the WC earlier would allow the 'marathoners' to take a break from training and race XC
-- If a country hosts the meet, it must send full teams to a certain number of champs races prior and after they host. (did Poland send a team?)
-- Tie-in hosting the Outdoor WC with hosting the XC
-- Maybe have a 'race within a race' Along with the current world scoring, also score the race within the European/Asia, etc regions. It can be the XC Cup given to the winner of each 'region'.
-- Have the IAAF subsidize it with more $$$
-- Give better prize money (repeated for emphasis)
They should make them 100 miles long, call it like "Western States" or something like that, is "Leadville" taken? Then the Americans might have a legit shot... oh, no wait.
A Canadian won both of those races last year.
Recall factor wrote:
reality checker wrote:And try as he might Porter never made the podium. You forget that the top CC guys are potential medalists at anything.
Who besides Rodgers and Virgin ever made the podium at WCs?
Salazar. Porter's best finish was 4th.
[quote]LI Runner wrote:
-- Perhaps moving the WC earlier would allow the 'marathoners' to take a break from training and race XC
[quote]
Rodgers won his medal shortly before his breakthrough at Boston
and Loped won silver in '83 before his debut at Rotterdam.
Then he won his third title in '85 and set a Marathon record after that.
How different are things now?
Alexander Keith wrote:
Brantley did too.
"Brantly"
world star XC wrote:
Salazar. Porter's best finish was 4th.
Forgot that Salazar also did it and will have to check the year.
No doubt Porter was "only 4th" (poo poo that! say the letsrun experts) but it was very stellar 4th. He led and forced the pace until 10K when Lopes took over, and Hutchings didn't catch him until the final 200 or 300 meters. Just saying it's not like he was a JV runner or anything.
So again, besides Rodgers (3rd once), Virgin (two 1sts), and Salazar, who else has placed 4th or higher at WCs? 5th or higher?
What's Ritz's best finish? Kennedy? Goucher (in the short race)?
Eyestone had some good finishes too, top 5 or 6, including 1984 the year Porter was 4th.
This was at altitude, and so the African runners had a huge advantage. They also have much greater depth and they sent very good teams. Had this been at sea level and had we sent the strongest team of Rupp, Lagat maybe, Garrett Heath, Derrick, True, Mead, Hill, Jenkins, Bumbalough, and Ritz, they could have worked together and even Derrick would have gotten out better and finished higher. Derrick's 5k time is not far off but slower than that of Rupp, Lagat, Mead, and True, and Hill could probably run faster as well, as he's run 7:34i. Bumbalough, Jenkins, and Heath could run close to him, if not better, and Ritz has obviously run 12:56.
It's not futile. And "white guys" can run, too. Craig Virgin proved that Americans can win it all, twice. Carlos Lopes proved that a non-African can dominate. Of course, winning as a team will probably always be a long shot, but if we get our very best home-grown runners AND a few naturalized foreigners together, it's a possibility. Here's one of my all-time favorite World Cross Country videos with a dominant non-African who was also one of the all-time great cross country runners:
30 years ago wrote:
Forgot that Salazar also did it and will have to check the year.
No doubt Porter was "only 4th" (poo poo that! say the letsrun experts) but it was very stellar 4th. He led and forced the pace until 10K when Lopes took over, and Hutchings didn't catch him until the final 200 or 300 meters. Just saying it's not like he was a JV runner or anything.
So again, besides Rodgers (3rd once), Virgin (two 1sts), and Salazar, who else has placed 4th or higher at WCs? 5th or higher?
What's Ritz's best finish? Kennedy? Goucher (in the short race)?
Eyestone had some good finishes too, top 5 or 6, including 1984 the year Porter was 4th.
Guy Arbogast finished 5th in 1978, just ahead of Virgin.
Lynn Jennings, 3 golds in XC to go along with her Olympic 10000 bronze. America's Paul Tergat.
And just googled to see what I'd forgotten... she also got bronze once, two 4ths and a 6th. Top six on seven occasions.
Ridiculous whining by OP. Have you already forgotten 2 years ago - The Miracle on Dirt.
With a better US squad Derrick might have been 4th or 5th man if he was having an off day. Keep sending teams. I know I was excited to tune in and see the results.
I'm having a hard time understanding how the women's team had people rolling in a few minutes after the winner in the 29+ range for 8k. The only excuse I've heard is altitude (4,000+ feet) which is not a factor, and as far as I know the course and conditions were not bad.
Any information?