Great job everyone and USATF! US Olympic Marathon Trials get Gold Label status so top 3 will go to Olympics

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  • LetsRun.com
    your benevolent dictator
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 3:56pm CDT
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    Great news via USATF from the IAAF today and that is the Olympic Marathon Trials were granted Gold Label status. So that means no matter what, the top 3 at the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials will be on the US Olympic Team.

    We had campaigned hard for this at LetsRun (a rare black page to support a cause) and many of you had sent emails, tweets, etc expressing your support for this common sense decision that is a win, win for the sport. It makes it much simpler for the athletes involved, but most importantly the fans and the national TV audience .

    USATF deserves props for getting the IAAF to grant a Gold Label exception to the Trials and the IAAF deserves props as well!

    Athletes, sponsors, fans, and even the media are all happy. A true win, win, win, win. That rarely happens, but shows what can happen when everyone involved focuses on the big picture.

    LRC article:

    https://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/07/fantastic-news-us-olympic-marathon-trials-granted-gold-label-status-top-3-finishers-will-go-to-olympics/

    Press release from USATF:

    http://www.usatf.org/News/U--S--Olympic-Team-Trials-%E2%80%94-Marathon,-both-men-and.aspx
  • Please cure cancer
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 4:00pm CDT
    re: LetsRun.com
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    Please rewrite this. You make it sound like you believe that Letsrun had something to do with this.
  • Positive Contribution
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 5:16pm CDT
    re: Please cure cancer
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    Please cure cancer wrote:

    Please rewrite this. You make it sound like you believe that Letsrun had something to do with this.


    It sounds like NBC/IOC decided to pull rank on the IAAF because they know what makes for good television drama.
  • kmaclam
    registered
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 5:23pm CDT
    re: Positive Contribution
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    Great effin news!!!
  • Hmmmmmmmmmmm
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 5:29pm CDT
    re: LetsRun.com
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    If this isn't the epitome of white privilege... Why isn't the Kenyan trials a Gold Label race? Or the Ethiopian trials? Eritrean trials?
  • Maybe just maybe
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 5:35pm CDT
    re: Hmmmmmmmmmmm
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    You do realize that the countries you named have a committee that selects the team? They do not have an Olympic Trials.
  • wejo
    cofounder
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 6:29pm CDT
    re: Please cure cancer
    Forum Index
    Please cure cancer wrote:

    Please rewrite this. You make it sound like you believe that Letsrun had something to do with this.


    Curing cancer definitely is out of our pay grade.

    I can't say it wouldn't have happened if we (LetsRun) didn't make a huge deal of this, but we put a lot of emphasis on this. We gave it a splash page, talked to people involved with the process, and urged people to speak up against it. We wrote about it on multiple occasions. We definitely didn't take a neutral position or just accept defeat and we know that many influential people visit LetsRun and we have a bully pulpit that hopefully has some influence.

    We got a little pushback from some visitors "why do you care so much about this?". I think it was on on our podcast where I joked if the rule got changed I was going to insist on LetsRun taking credit for it. But in reality, LetsRun.com could not change the rule, that fell on the IAAF and they deserve credit for doing so and USATF deserves credit for advocating for this.

    Maybe this decision would have reversed itself on its own but everyone who took the time to try and do something about it deserves a big thumbs up. A win for the running community in the US.

    Top 3 at the Trials make the Olympics. Very simple and very American.

    If every day the sport makes little changes that make sense hopefully we end up in a much better place. This is one of them.
  • ayyyyy
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 6:38pm CDT
    re: wejo
    Forum Index
    Any news on other countries being able to do the same? I'm sure LRC will be waving the flag for those countries. Thank you for making this happen, all on your own. You have a good understanding of what this website can truly do for the sport.
  • 2. They each have dozens of men going under 2:11:30 each year.
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 6:41pm CDT
    re: Hmmmmmmmmmmm
    Forum Index
    Hmmmmmmmmmmm wrote:

    If this isn't the epitome of white privilege... Why isn't the Kenyan trials a Gold Label race? Or the Ethiopian trials? Eritrean trials?


    1. Kenya and Ethiopia does not have a trials for the marathon.
    2. They each have dozens of men going under 2:11:30 each year.
  • mooonshot
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 7:13pm CDT
    re: LetsRun.com
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    JIM WALMSLEY IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

    HE WILL PLACE 3RD, MARK MY WORDS!!!!!!!!

    Ghost of Briney.
  • reverse cowboy
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 7:26pm CDT
    re: mooonshot
    Forum Index
    mooonshot wrote:

    JIM WALMSLEY IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

    HE WILL PLACE 3RD, MARK MY WORDS!!!!!!!!

    Ghost of Briney.


    I basically just came here to say this. Oly Walmsley baby!
  • casual obsever
    registered
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 8:05pm CDT
    re: LetsRun.com
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    Thumbs up!
  • Booooooooourns
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 8:05pm CDT
    re: LetsRun.com
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    Translation: Americans are whiners who can’t meet the time standards so they have to get special treatment.

    I know the USA pays the bills for the Olympics. But lets call this what it is. It’s not a victory for the sport.
  • USA Privilege
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 8:17pm CDT
    re: LetsRun.com
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    May as well throw out the qualifying standard if they are accepting USA Men to the Olympics that can't make the standard. Hopefully this is done for every nation that runs trials. It would be more fair to take a dozen Kenyans and Ethiopians and leave any USA male that can't make the standard at home..
  • Do the math
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 8:28pm CDT
    re: USA Privilege
    Forum Index
    Here is the deal. The increased standards by the IAAF was for the purpose of eliminating NUMBERS. In other words the Olympics only want xxxx total athletes. This stops countries like Libya from sending a 2:18 guy or a 2:45 woman. If we eliminate all of those type athletes then the numbers make sense.

    The USA will have more than 3 athletes that meet the IAAF standard from both genders prior to the trials. That means that if we eliminate the trials the USA will be sending 6 athletes.
    Do you follow me so far?
    So by having a U.S. trials we are granted no more or no less athletes than we would of for not having the trials. Just different names.
  • Grumpy me
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 8:45pm CDT
    re: LetsRun.com
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    Yet another reason to Boycott the Olympics.
  • 1980 oly
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 8:56pm CDT
    re: Grumpy me
    Forum Index
    Grumpy me wrote:

    Yet another reason to Boycott the Olympics.


    Why hello Jimmy Carter
  • doctorj
    registered
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 10:04pm CDT
    re: LetsRun.com
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    Pfft, big deal, not that any of them stand a chance in Tokyo, they will get creamed anyway.
  • Ben L Wrong
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 10:16pm CDT
    re: Do the math
    Forum Index
    Do the math wrote:

    Here is the deal. The increased standards by the IAAF was for the purpose of eliminating NUMBERS. In other words the Olympics only want xxxx total athletes. This stops countries like Libya from sending a 2:18 guy or a 2:45 woman. If we eliminate all of those type athletes then the numbers make sense.

    The USA will have more than 3 athletes that meet the IAAF standard from both genders prior to the trials. That means that if we eliminate the trials the USA will be sending 6 athletes.
    Do you follow me ?.


    Excluding Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, USA, and other few countries, rarely you will see more than 3 athletes from the same country running faster than 2:11 in the qualifying period.

    In fact, The olympic marathon field always have athletes slower than 2:11.

    Those athletes could qualify to Tokyo 2020 by points awarded to them in certain IAAF labeled competitions.

    As a mere example, a South Korean athlete can earn 10 points after a 2:13 in Dubai (15th place), but 20 points after a 2:18 (3rd place) in the Asian Cjampionships.

    So, athletes slower than the IAAF standard (2:11), in order to make the olympics, are going to pick, not the tipical fastest courses like Berlin, Dubai. Rotterdam, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, etc...but the area races awarded with good points.
  • Is it a fair decision ?
    8 months ago 07/22/2019 10:31pm CDT
    re: LetsRun.com
    Forum Index
    Shouldn't the race be open to other nationalities then ?

    If I'm not wrong every other race with Gold Label is open to all competitors willing validate his eligibility for the Olympics (final selection depending on his/her federation's rules).
    Why couldn't an other athete claim the will to punch one of the tickets available ? (Especially if the Gold Label opens 5 spots and only 3 are used)
    When everyone else toes the line of a major marathon he is against open competition.

    In addition, I understand the argument about IAAF trying to remove the number of "less competitive" athletes from some nations.
    But in this situation (and especially with this very challenging course) it could really happen that the race becomes tactical, giving (as in other distances in track) more opportunities to "less competitive" athletes (2h13-2h14) having a strong finish (10k-HM profil).
    If so it could be also embarrassing to watch part of the US team being dropped at the Olympics when the rest of the field will be only made of sub 2h11'30 runners.

    Don't get we wrong, I think it is a good decision for the US athletes, US fans and US Trials organizers, as they were hostage of a late decision.
    Shame should be first to the international institution not to anticipate enough such decisions.

    The only hope I have would be to see a fair situation for everyone next time, and communicated enough in advance.
    IAAF & IOC, your turn.