Rojo calls LA Marathon a "minor- league race" in LA Times

Is it a WMM? Do top pros attend? Didn't think so.

LetsRun.com wrote:

Rojo calls LA Marathon a "mino- league race" in LA Times

I was curious about what "mino- league" meant, so I looked up "mino." Apparently, he is a South Korean rapper. So is Rojo claiming that the LA Marathon is a race for South Korean rappers?

It’s classic Rojo. Not necessarily wrong, but intentionally using inflammatory language. “Mid-major” would maybe be a more appropriate (and less inflammatory) term . . . but then it why would Rojo use it? He knows his role is to be the owner who toes the line of being a troll, whether it’s on the boards or in the media. And he’s committed to the bit.

fair ball wrote:

Is it a WMM? Do top pros attend? Didn't think so.

And it's sponsored by Skechers, so definitely "mino- league race" for hobby joggers, which by the way eliminates 99% of people on the LR forum from being eligible to run it.

I sat in the elite hospitality suite on the 45th floor of the Sheraton last week at the NYC Half and watched a half dozen athletes, coaches, and agents talk about how out of the loop the Johnson Bros have become.

They have been out of the game for over a decade and have lost their connections in the sport.

His site his rules wrote:

I sat in the elite hospitality suite on the 45th floor of the Sheraton last week at the NYC Half and watched a half dozen athletes, coaches, and agents talk about how out of the loop the Johnson Bros have become.

They have been out of the game for over a decade and have lost their connections in the sport.

Can't be that irrelevant, they're being talked about still. Is anyone talking about these half a dozen athletes/coaches/agents?

Yes.

All are recognizable names.

Talking about the Johnson bros. does not make them relevant.

Definitely not complimentary.

Following up on my post above, look at this thread:

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=8766073&thread=6251909#8766073

While none of the races mentioned here are WMMs or IAAF gold-label events (except the half at Houston), calling them minor league doesn’t seem quite right. I’ll stick by my “mid-major” terminology and add “major domestic marathon, but relatively minor on the international stage” to the list of more accurate descriptions.

I have no comments on the BroJos being in or out of the loop these days, although I will say (based on the way that they’ve reported the USATF Olympic qualifying process story, among other things) that they do seem to be in a bit of a self-reinforcing echo chamber and their editorial/reporting/journalistic team could use some outside input and/or more diverse perspectives.

Well, I can think back on what happened at Grandma's last year, and people are always talking about CIM. I think there was even more discussion of TCM than LA. So maybe Rojo is on to something.

His site his rules wrote:

I sat in the elite hospitality suite on the 45th floor of the Sheraton last week at the NYC Half and watched a half dozen athletes, coaches, and agents talk about how out of the loop the Johnson Bros have become.

They have been out of the game for over a decade and have lost their connections in the sport.

If they are being talked about they are not out of loop. That sounds more like jealousy than anything else.

Yep. You are right. These guys are well connected. I’m just trying to let those reading this site to know what is really going on in the real world. Just keep thinking what you want.

There was so much promise for this race in the late 80's. If I recall correctly, some of those early LA marathon's were nationally televised. But then there just wasn't the sustained commitment (sponsors, LA city, etc.) and the race started sliding in prestige. There is really no reason the LA marathon shouldn't be as "big" as say Paris or Frankfurt - I would say in the late 80's it was considered a bigger race. But it never did receive the constant nurturing that is required to grow into a WMM or even a Gold label marathon. It really is a shame. When I think of the premier "big city" hot weather marathon I think Gold Coast in Australia - not LA.

LetsRun.com wrote:

Fair or foul?

“I think L.A. has gone up and down,” said Robert Johnson, co-founder of LetsRun.com, an influential web site that covers elite running. “It’s definitely, at this stage, a minor-league race.”

https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-weldon-kirui-la-marathon-20190322-story.html

The average sports fan wouldn't care if he won or if the LA Cops through him in jail. Why would any American company sponsor this ?

One thing the LA marathon have done right is they've resisted the temptation of adding a "half" option. Attention RD's, the quickest way to kill off a good marathon is to add a half option. Marathon only road races are becoming increasingly rare. The half options have destroyed the vive at Detroit, Richmond, and Shamrock (VA. Beach). Good for LA!

At least wrote:

One thing the LA marathon have done right is they've resisted the temptation of adding a "half" option. Attention RD's, the quickest way to make a ton more money off a good marathon is to add a half option. Marathon only road races are becoming increasingly rare. The half options have destroyed the vive at Detroit, Richmond, and Shamrock (VA. Beach). Good for LA!

Fixed your post.

I wouldn't say it's minor league. I'd say it's not the major leagues.

Baseball isn't the perfect analogy for running.

But I had no idea the LA Marathon was this weekend until now.

His site his rules wrote:

Yep. You are right. These guys are well connected. I’m just trying to let those reading this site to know what is really going on in the real world. Just keep thinking what you want.

Hey can I get your email? I'd like to run every piec of news by you so I REALLY know what's going on with the world. Thanks!

Inspired by 84 wrote:

If I recall correctly, some of those early LA marathon's were nationally televised.

It's still kinda nationally televised.. it's live on WGN Sunday, and a lot of cable systems include WGN.

Should have said it’s a d2 race