If I could have the career of one pro runner, it'd be Sara Hall's

*stipe wrote:

Why is it only about making the Olympics? What about have a long, successful career?

Sara Hall would go into the Hall if I had a vote. Granted she never made an Olympic and WC team, but she has been on quite a few other national teams, Pan Am, some indoor and XC teams. She also won the Millrose mile and the XC national title one year, which are significant victories, in addition to an outstanding H.S., NCAA career and success on the roads. Nearly 2 decades of top level running in a wide range of events.

So you'd rather run a greater variety of distances in somewhat random sequencing than be one of the truly elite runners?

You'd rather go to the Pan-Am games rather than the Olympics?

Prefer a US Road Title at an obscure distance like 10 miles over a win in the 5000 or 10000 meters at the National (or World) Championships?

Okay, Sara.

Yes, I'd like the ability to run whatever, whenever without having a strict regimented racing schedule. Personally, I'd find that more fun. Let the accolades fall where they may.

I'd also think a sponsor would like a client who is out there often, running races and being publicly visible and accessible, as opposed to on a track and twitter/snapchat visible.

pardon my accent wrote:

Yes, I'd like the ability to run whatever, whenever without having a strict regimented racing schedule. Personally, I'd find that more fun. Let the accolades fall where they may.

I'd also think a sponsor would like a client who is out there often, running races and being publicly visible and accessible, as opposed to on a track and twitter/snapchat visible.

You can do that anyway, it's called Hobby Jogging.

Sponsors want runners who win championships, not the Turkey Trot.

I think an ideal running career is one where you go out on top in the professional arena and not try to reclaim or get back to times where it's not possible physically.

One of my favorite runners is Charlie Gruber (2004 Olympian in 1500m) for that reason. Awesome speed in the 800m, Sub-4 miler, Olympian, United States cross country champion in 2004 (which shows he has great range).

He runs respectable marathon times as a non-professional and seems to be enjoying life. Never once was he criticized for a bad performance.

People crapped over Webb, Solinsky, and others who "faded" in the limelight. Those guys were competitors and some of best ever and their criticism was undeserved.

yeertle wrote:

pardon my accent wrote:

Yes, I'd like the ability to run whatever, whenever without having a strict regimented racing schedule. Personally, I'd find that more fun. Let the accolades fall where they may.

I'd also think a sponsor would like a client who is out there often, running races and being publicly visible and accessible, as opposed to on a track and twitter/snapchat visible.

You can do that anyway, it's called Hobby Jogging.

Sponsors want runners who win championships, not the Turkey Trot.

Remember, I said Sara may be the elitest hobby jogger.

scorpion_runner wrote:

Mary Decker says hello.At one point She was the number 1 women in the world from 800m to 10000m. Also, she is the only american athlete to have american records from 800m to 10000m. and she set WR at 10000m, 5000m, 3000m and 1500m.

I don't mean to be rude, but sometimes I feel some of you guys started watching T&F yesterday.

I don't mean to be rude, but Mary Decker was never number 1 in the world at that span of distances. She ranked World # 1 in '83 at 1500/3000 and this was before they contested 5k/10k/Steeple at Global Championships (or much of anywhere) but that was quite a feat.

Did you mean she was the yearly time leader at one early season moment for those distances?

She did set WRs in 1982 for 5k/10k, but the previous WRs were very soft. Her short-lived records were 15:08 and 31:35. Zola Budd and Kristiansen brought those records down to 14:48 and then 14:37, times that would be at the top today in the EPO era. The 10k world record was broken every year in '83, '84, '85 and '86 when Kristiansen brought the 10k record down to 30:13 and that WR lasted 15 years until Radcliffe ran 30:01 in 2002. Decker never set a WR at 1500m or 3000m. The Soviets were WAAAYYYY ahead of her at 3:52 and 8:22 compared to 3:57 and 8:25.

She was great and had a long career, but even Grete Waitz had a better track career. Not exactly her fault with the Boycott, The Fall, and her many injuries, but if she had not scored that "Decker Double" and that spate of strong races in 1985 she would have been lucky to be considered in the top 20 women of the 20th century. Luckily for her she fulfilled her promise some of those years.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if some of her injuries were due to cortisone abuse?

WC: 1500m and 3000m

WR: Mile, 2000m, 3000m INDOORS, 5000m and 10000m.

In 1982, she set 6 WR at distances ranging from 800m to 10000m. She also set the WR twice in the mile. So, In 1982, she was basically the number 1 women in the world from 800 to 10000m

I meant the mile record and not the 1500m record.