Josh Thompson of Oklahoma State Had Top Times in 800 and 1500 at Big 12s & Didn't Run Final Today 'Cause It's Sunday

Strong performances from Thompson. Kudos to him for adhering to his beliefs, no matter how irrational they may be.

Strymar Livingston was the national 600m record holder at the high school level and maybe at another distance as well, wasn't he? Good to see him running well.

I used to wonder where Mao, Stalin, and Robespierre got people willing to persecute Christians just to better their chances for a government job. The internet has made it clear that, unfortunately, there are people in our own country who would do the same things should circumstances turn bad.

Christopher Hitchens said it best, "Religion poisons everything".

Including running.

Amazing how coaches will roll over to an athletes belief in a fairy tale.

If he wants to DNS, more power to him, but this:

LetsRun.com wrote:

... and does keep another school from putting someone else in the final.

is sleazy as hell.

student of training techniques wrote:

I used to wonder where Mao, Stalin, and Robespierre got people willing to persecute Christians just to better their chances for a government job. The internet has made it clear that, unfortunately, there are people in our own country who would do the same things should circumstances turn bad.

Yes. People who were unemployable otherwise. In this case, people who wouldn't have a prayer of catching Thompson in a race.

Why are they still running races on Sunday?

he should have been in the 10k FRIDAY. Don't give me the he's a middle distance runner crap, he finished 10th at Big 12 xc. He could have scored in the 10k instead of this stupid not running the finals because he believes a fairy tale is real crap.

I don't know what sect he is in, but it must be pacifist. Otherwise if you were engaged in war, your enemy could just wait until Sunday and then massacre the lot of you.

student of training techniques wrote:

I used to wonder where Mao, Stalin, and Robespierre got people willing to persecute Christians

everyone's a victim these days but you guys have been doing it for two thousand years. Oh-so-persecuted just like your book instructs you.

dslfasjldkfasldfjklasdfj wrote:

If he wants to DNS, more power to him, but this:

LetsRun.com wrote:

... and does keep another school from putting someone else in the final.

is sleazy as hell.

Yeah this guy should not have ran prelims.

Good for him for standing up for his beliefs. I am also surprised to see that conferences are still holding their meets on Saturday-Sunday schedules, I assume that he wasn't expecting this to end in a fairy tale. It is just how it happens sometimes.

If you know you're not running the real finals, it makes it a good bit easier to get the "top times" in the prelims. Because those are your finals.

If the meet had been scheduled to end on Saturday and the final day was unexpectedly re-scheduled to Sunday (by a tornado, say) then having the "top times" in the prelims would mean something.

I do not share his beliefs for a moment BUT I admire anyone who stands by his principles even at some personal cost and the possibility of public ridicule. Many ideologies can be dismissed as "fairy tales" by people who don't share those beliefs - but what do those cynics believe in? By what value system do they live their lives?

The only thing I find a bit "off" about this is that he should not have run the heats if he KNEW he would not be running the final. It does seem a bit like his school or coach took advantage of those beliefs to further the school or coaches chances of placing high in the overall standings.

Amazing how shortsighted so-called fans of a sport put a stupid race above the aim for the Eternal Good Things.

So the guy never runs on Sunday, or just doesn't race? Can he do an interval workout, or a tempo run on Sunday? If so, then can he race if he doesn't go all out?

What non-running activities are forbidden on Sunday? Is doing school work okay? Doing dishes or vacuuming allowed? What about recreation? Okay to go on a hike on the Sabbath? Or does he have to just sit on the couch and watch Chariots of Fire?

what 'religious beliefs' prohibit running or racing on sunday, was he the only runner in the meet of some particular persuasion that was prohibited from racing; it sounds very weird

paul nowicki wrote:

what 'religious beliefs' prohibit running or racing on sunday, was he the only runner in the meet of some particular persuasion that was prohibited from racing; it sounds very weird

I see the link to mormons but where does the book of mormom say no running or racing on sunday??: also didnt joseph smith 'create' mormonism so he (and other male mormons) could have multiple young wives (ie bigamy)? didnt he say the angel maroni came down from god and told him to read the golden tablets through a 'magic' hat to learn the word of god?? its a dam crazy religion, for sure.

If he has no intention of running on Sunday why can't they put the next fastest q through to the final? If someone qualified Saturday and broke their leg crossing the finish line, wouldn't they be scratched and someone bumped up to take their place? He should have scratched so someone could run in his place. Deliberately blocking another athlete from running a race you have no intention of starting seems remarkably...unChristian.