Atlanta to host 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials

Not An Expert wrote:

Kenah explained 60% of any money generated by the trials will go back to the Club to cover the cost of the event. The remaining 40% will go back to the Athletes Advisory Committee of USA Track & Field to be distributed among the competitors. 'This is about giving back to the sport,' said Kenah. 'To preserve Atlanta’s Olympic Legacy, it is imperative that we invest in the Olympic future. The future is all of the athletes who qualify for the 2020 Olympic Team Trials – Marathon.' "

This is awesome. I'm curious how that will play out. Pay out percentages to the top 3 (e.g. 60/30/10) or deeper?

I'm glad to see they're willing to supplement all athletes. It might cheapen the A standard somewhat, but who cares? Everybody there has hit the Olympic standard.

Kvothe wrote:

course dealbreaker wrote:

Course is going to be hilly as f***. Let's make sure it doesn't beat up our top 3 too badly.

I hope it does. I'd like to see certain fairy flat course prize money chasers broken on the hills. Run a men's race. I'm tired of London this, Chicago that, drop out if its tough.

Do the women still get to compete if it's a "men's race"

NERunner053 wrote:

Kvothe wrote:

I hope it does. I'd like to see certain fairy flat course prize money chasers broken on the hills. Run a men's race. I'm tired of London this, Chicago that, drop out if its tough.

Do the women still get to compete if it's a "men's race"

It's an expression...

moist wrote:

Not An Expert wrote:

Kenah explained 60% of any money generated by the trials will go back to the Club to cover the cost of the event. The remaining 40% will go back to the Athletes Advisory Committee of USA Track & Field to be distributed among the competitors. 'This is about giving back to the sport,' said Kenah. 'To preserve Atlanta’s Olympic Legacy, it is imperative that we invest in the Olympic future. The future is all of the athletes who qualify for the 2020 Olympic Team Trials – Marathon.' "

This is awesome. I'm curious how that will play out. Pay out percentages to the top 3 (e.g. 60/30/10) or deeper?

I'm glad to see they're willing to supplement all athletes. It might cheapen the A standard somewhat, but who cares? Everybody there has hit the Olympic standard.

I don't see the point of the "A" standard anymore if everyone gets paid.

We're going to do a piece on the prize money/expenses at the Trials.

I emailed with Jay Holder at ATC and he wrote on the revenue share "40% will go to the AAC and LDR committee to be distributed to the athletes in the way they see best fit."

Paying for "B" qualifiers isn't cheap. There were at least 138 b qualifiers for men and 156 b for women in 2016. At $750 travel for each that an extra $220,500. Divide that by 2 and it's slightly less than half the prize money of the races.

The "B" standard for the half is harder this year which is good as it will encourage people to run faster.

Well... they didn't specify how the distribution will be. Perhaps B qualifiers only get lodging but have to pay travel, for example. If they go full costs for everyone, it does cheapen the A standard. Some may not agree with me, but if I'm an A standard guy, I don't care if the B guys/gals get a free trip. Either way my costs are taken care of.

Also, I think there will be fewer qualifiers this round given the 1:04:00 half standard.

Temps wrote:

Hist. Avg.

High 60° / Low 41°

Too cool.

Yup, this sounds exactly right for this website. It's great that they are trying to help out all of the athletes. The prize money doesn't seem to be going anywhere and doesn't seem like it will be less. Wow, an organization that'll take in less at the top to make sure they put on a great event for everyone who makes it.

You're right, we should just go back to charging qualifiers $15 an entry. Everyone else is garbage except the few that have a real chance to make the team. Let's just put the top-10 men and women on a track. It's not good to try to grow the sport by getting some local press for qualifiers that squeaked in.

This is great for American distance running. Some 22 year old who isn't sure he/she wants to stick with running might train a little harder to qualify, enjoy a free trip, and do well enough to stick with it for four more years and maybe be great by the following Olympics. We have an alarming attrition rate among post-collegiate athletes who didn't secure sponsorships and consequently lose motivation. Giving them attainable goals and free races on the big stage might keep them in it longer.

Shoebacca wrote:

This is great for American distance running. Some 22 year old who isn't sure he/she wants to stick with running might train a little harder to qualify, enjoy a free trip, and do well enough to stick with it for four more years and maybe be great by the following Olympics. We have an alarming attrition rate among post-collegiate athletes who didn't secure sponsorships and consequently lose motivation. Giving them attainable goals and free races on the big stage might keep them in it longer.

+1

NERunner053 wrote:

Shoebacca wrote:

This is great for American distance running. Some 22 year old who isn't sure he/she wants to stick with running might train a little harder to qualify, enjoy a free trip, and do well enough to stick with it for four more years and maybe be great by the following Olympics. We have an alarming attrition rate among post-collegiate athletes who didn't secure sponsorships and consequently lose motivation. Giving them attainable goals and free races on the big stage might keep them in it longer.

+1

Amen!

Kvothe wrote:

I hope it does. I'd like to see certain fairy flat course prize money chasers broken on the hills. Run a men's race. I'm tired of London this, Chicago that, drop out if its tough.

Or you could call it a women’s race. Did you miss the article on how women were tougher than the men in Boston? Atlanta will suit the Desi types to a T.

Anyone know if they’re also hosting the 2019 Marathon National Championship as a test event? LA did it in ‘15 before the ‘16 Trials.

Not An Expert wrote:

Anyone know if they’re also hosting the 2019 Marathon National Championship as a test event? LA did it in ‘15 before the ‘16 Trials.

Came to ask the exact same question

Not An Expert wrote:

Anyone know if they’re also hosting the 2019 Marathon National Championship as a test event? LA did it in ‘15 before the ‘16 Trials.

I would doubt it, considering that the 2018 marathon national championship is at CIM in December. That would be a less than 3 month turn around until the next marathon championship.

The host of this race is "Atlanta Track Club" - not the city of Atlanta. How is the heavily Mizuno supported Atlanta Track Club going to get along with USATF (Nike)? I can't imagine USATF will allow ATC to have any visible Mizuno logos at this event. This won't end well...

They better not give them a pansy ass course. It should include at least a portion of all the stupid hills I have to race and train on in the ATL. Fortunately for the athletes, I won't be consulted for course suggestions from my extensive knowledge of Atlanta roads because they would get a doozy fo' sheezy.

Shoebacca wrote:

This is great for American distance running. Some 22 year old who isn't sure he/she wants to stick with running might train a little harder to qualify, enjoy a free trip, and do well enough to stick with it for four more years and maybe be great by the following Olympics. We have an alarming attrition rate among post-collegiate athletes who didn't secure sponsorships and consequently lose motivation. Giving them attainable goals and free races on the big stage might keep them in it longer.

I don't think guys are going to keep training for the Olympics because they might get $750 or so in travel reimbursed.

At the same time, the Trials qualifiers are the top runners in every community and they inspire a lot of people in the sport, so I don't have a problem throwing them a bone.

I do know that when I qualified, I wanted to hit the "A" qualifier so I wouldn't have to pay my way. It raised the bar even thought the ultimate goal was to try and make the Team.

Nike town wrote:

The host of this race is "Atlanta Track Club" - not the city of Atlanta. How is the heavily Mizuno supported Atlanta Track Club going to get along with USATF (Nike)? I can't imagine USATF will allow ATC to have any visible Mizuno logos at this event. This won't end well...

Mizuno and the ATC know the Trials is a USOC event and that there won’t be any direct Mizuno exposure there, but they’re okay with that since hosting the Trials is part of the effort for ATC to introduce its (Mizuno-sponsored) re-branded, new and improved marathon to the national running community. (And also because ATC is a non-profit that really believes in and supports professional road racing, and this is a way to invest in that.)

Kudos to the ATC—I think this WILL end well!

ATLwhiteBoi wrote:

They better not give them a pansy ass course. It should include at least a portion of all the stupid hills I have to race and train on in the ATL. Fortunately for the athletes, I won't be consulted for course suggestions from my extensive knowledge of Atlanta roads because they would get a doozy fo' sheezy.

22 loops in Piedmont Park. I've got a plan. There's 185 acres, I can do this!