klubkip1 wrote:
It should be around 2.12 and countries should be allowed 10 athletes each. Sick of seeing 2.05 runners from East Africa left at home and 2.16 guys falling over the line.
Why?
The Olympics are not a world championship or a major marathon event. The whole point of the Olympics was and is to give different countries a chance to compete against each other. 2:05 runners have Dubai, Berlin, London, and Chicago to choose from every year.
As a former media guy I think lowering the standards would be great for the local stories. I especially respect your story--in that it got you into running and changed your life. That's the goal of this--to broaden the participation, get attention to the sport and eventually, over a long life-cycle, build the development pool so we have a ton of American runners.
Similar to Japan's ekiden (sp?) Marathon programs and corporate running, etc.
Similar to how Karate Kid in the '80s inspired kids to go do karate and Vision Quest inspired a generation of wrestlers (despite both movies not being super-realistic), having a regular (but not overpowering) presence of running will ingrain it into American culture.
I think McFarland USA, Overcomer and Brittany Runs was a good start from 2015-2019. Those are the only three "running" oriented movies recently (aside from Chariots).
Books: Once a Runner, Pre, Buffaloes and Harriers (which happened 60 miles from my hometown), are the only XC books most know about, and that's only if you're a runner to begin with.
NERunner053 wrote:
Look, I get it someone running 2:21 is not a legitimate contender but how does it affect Galen Rupp is 50 more people qualify for the race. Galen is concerned with the people with the top-10 times (if that) and/or fast half qualifiers. Why not just have the trials on the track and invite the top-12 guys at this point?
I train in the northeast with a range of guys from 2:25-2:40. 2:21 seems much more attainable than hitting a 2:18. It gives the sub-elite crowd something to aim for. When you get a bunch of 2:21 qualifiers from small towns you get local stories and people caring about our sport who otherwise would not.
I honestly think the folks in charge have lost touch. It would have been nice to see a 2:22 standard in Houston but at least the race started at a time that made sense in good weather. It seems ridiculous to pick LA knowing that the temps would be awful. This did not grow the sport by trying to be in a big city and starting it later in the day. Ever heard of tape delay? I'm much more encouraged in this sport by watching the 2:25 guy in my group work at it every day and if he popped a 2:21 and made the Trials many more in my community would be. This would grow the sport. Novices can connect more with someone pounding the pavement who has a desk job versus Rupp who has every advantage as a pro runner with Nike.
Are there people we can collectively reach out to about this?
NE Runner
1) As others have said, it's the Olympic Trials (......not the "Celebrate Regional Caliber Runners Trials").
2) We need not "feel sorry for" anyone who can run 2:20-something. Most serious runners would give one of their balls to run a fraction of the distance at that pace. And, of course, never will. Runners of that caliber are rewarded with things that 99+% of runners will never get.
I know, you'll say that you're not feeling sorry for them. But still kinda sounds that way. And the attention that they'd get by qualifying simply duplicates the attention that they ALREADY GET by being someone fast enough to win lots of local races in most towns/areas.
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Running 2:18 in today’s bouncy shoes is basically the same as running 2:21 back when this thread was started. /End Thread/
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