Renato Canova wrote:
The last decisions of IAAF show the will to reduce the duration of every important track meeting, also looking at the total time LIVE with the TV, that is the real "owner" of the most part of the sport in this era.
If a meeting has to last 1 and half hour only, of course the first events that need to be cancelled are 10000m and 5000m, because they make the track full, not allowing any other race for long time.
Also if we can understand the decision looking at the interest of the TV, we can't forget that many times races of 5000m and 10000m were very spectacular, and appreciated by the most part of attendants.
These two events have a very important part in the athletic history, and it's not possible to cancel a part of this history.
Therefore, we need to find a way for maintaining these events alive, and not losing the opportunities to see big talents running long distances on the track, giving important targets for a large number of runners.
One of the reasons of the decision can be the exorbitant number of African in the events, that reduces the interest of TV and spectators, because the most part of meetings are in Europe or USA, and the consequent small number of white runners able to compete again Kenyans and Ethiopians with some chance in those events.
This fact is not fair under ethic and technical point of view, but is a situation we can understand, looking at the market.
So, which one is the proposal ?
We have already some specific event out of the Diamond League program : multiple events, walking, hammer throwing, that can't find space in the most important meetings (apart Championships) for clear reasons. In all these cases, the IAAF decided to create a specific CHALLENGE, destined to the athletes of those events.
Now, I think the solution can be to create a specific CHALLENGE of 10,000m, finding organizers interested to organize a specific "10000m day", with large participation.
I think possible to find interest for organizing similar events, in several sites : I think of UK (where last year there was a nice edition of the European Challenge), of Nederland (every year hosting the Ethiopian Trials), of US (in Eugene many times there was the most important 10000m of the season in the past), and in Japan, where the event is something historical (in 2014 there were 257 Japanese athletes under 29'30" !).
Maybe not impossible to find a budget of 300,000 - 400,000 USD, enough for paying tickets and accommodation for 50-70 athletes, with the possibility of some final prize, money absolutely not enough for organizing a general meeting,also if not at top level.
Every stage of the Challenge could provide for covering the full cost for maybe 50 athletes, but could be open to a higher number of runners (for example, everybody inside the limits of 29' for men or 33' for women) who could pay the cost of ticket and accommodation, if interested (in many cases, the National Federations could be involved in this choice).
One system of final classification could be, for example, the sum of the best 3 times for each athlete, chosen among the best performances achieved in 3 races of the Challenge (to the 4 races I spoke above we have to add the Institutional Championship of the season, maybe WCh, maybe Olympics, maybe Area Championship, maybe Commonwealth Games).
IAAF could find a budget for the final classification, giving the same prizes of the other Challenges already working (hammer, multiple events, walk).
Instead, about 5000m, my proposal is to put the distance in the most part of meetings which are not DL, in order to maintain a good number of opportunities every season.
I like to see how this proposal can be discussed, and to find some new idea.
10000 and 5000 may disappear from the Diamond league ( by the way….can`t remember so many 10000m in Diamond league the last years ? ) Anyway the 5000/ 10000m will live on as long as they are medal distances in big championships. But the main qualification races will be at other track meets…..and it looks like the road race circus at 5k / 10 k will then get a big boost. The long distance scene will mainly be moved to the roads and the big bucks …….for better or worse.