“We are lucky to have her, ” he told me,”just hope her foot holds up in training.”

It has been a remarkable 20 years for the event and the sport, not the least because of Pinkowski’s efforts.  When he took over Chicago in 1990 it was a sunken ship, having lost its sponsors, its pro runners, and much of the goodwill of the Chicago running community.  But by adhering to the path all runners must take to reach their full potential, starting slowly then proceeding to build up year by year, Carey has raised the great ship, and steered it back to the front ranks of the grand flotilla of world marathons. (more…)

If USATF ex. dir. Doug Logan wanted to witness the floor in the recession of this sport, all he had to do was pay attention to that presentation.  With the NBA Finals game four coming up next, the two Sportcenter anchors couldn’t have found a more entertaining or comical interlude if they’d switched on The Comedy Channel.

“Note to self,” mocked one after the first of two false starts.  “Never schedule a live cut-in with a false start.”

His partner was already in hysterics.

“It was the smilling guy in lane eight,” he said referring to the inimitable Bernard Williams, the Nathan Lane of sprinting.  Of course the smug ESPN boys had no idea who any of the sprinters in the race were except Bolt.  Not that that didn’t keep them from ridiculing the entire offering.  (more…)

Money Makes the World Go ‘Round

Whether you want to admit it or not, no business venture is ever successful unless it makes money.  It seems like every decade 2-3 sports ventures fold due to lack of sufficient funding and revenue.  USATF, or governing body, has even had its fair share of problems since its inception with staying financially sound.  From the start, a road racing league or circuit needs to have a stable financial model to follow.  Here is what I propose: (more…)

My first post back will be in response to Toni Reavis’ speech he gave at the Road Race Management Race Directors Meeting last month. Toni’s speech was simply fantastic, as I’ve read it at least a dozen times since he posted it up on Runnerville. The thoughts and ideas running throughout the piece continue to motivate and inspire deeper thinking towards improving the sport, and I applaud Toni for laying out his thoughts in such a dynamic way. (more…)

HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 8, 2008

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY TONI REAVIS

Today, running has never been healthier, from the number of events, to the size of fields, to the level of charity fund raising.  Yet within that healthy body their exists an overlooked, chronic problem, what Cellcom Green Bay Marathon race director Sean Ryan called the paradigm shift away from competition to participation.  Ironic, too, because it was a competition that inspired the fitness movement in the first place, Frank Shorter’s gold medal run at the 1972 Olympic Marathon in Munich.  Then with Bill Rodgers’ pied piper performances at the Boston and New York City Marathons from 1975 to 1980 the running movement boomed out across the land. Alberto Salazar and Joan Benoit came next in the early 1980s.  But following Joan’s American record at the 1985 Chicago Marathon we had unknowingly hit our apogee. (more…)

My friend told me he was in a bar the other night and saw a segment previewing the Usain Bolt-versus-Asafa Powell 100-meter race on ESPN’s pontificating talk show, “Pardon the Interruption” (PTI if you’re “with it”).  Can anyone remember a time when any non-Olympic running event was featured on such a show?  I certainly can’t.

This makes me wonder if Usain Bolt just might be the torch-courier for the sport of track and field in not only America, but the world.  Bolt’s record-setting Olympic trifecta has effectively announced his arrival on the scene, not only as one fast man, but a marketable personality and surprisingly good dancer. During the Olympics, people tuned in faithfully to every one of Bolt’s races, eager to see just how badly he’d beat the competition and how much he’d celebrate afterwards.  Michael Johnson was the last track and field athlete to elicit such a fever.

Now, this once-unknown youngster from a Carribbean island of under 3 million people is arguably the most exciting athlete in the world, having already ignited his track-happy nation and now exciting the world.

Seriously, those late nights were killing my productivity during the day. But as expected, it was all worth it. The action was great, the track and field coverage was decent, and there were some simply amazing moments.

Now that the Games are over, take a few minutes to weigh in on these questions:

How did the Beijing Games stack up against past venues?

How did NBC do with its “no politics” rule?

How was the track and field coverage? Did it do much (or anything) to move our sport forward in the ways we’ve discussed on this blog?

What was your biggest thrill of the Games? Biggest let-down?

Let the opining begin!

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (August 25, 2008)-

“I am prepared to provide financial backing to Going the Distance, a group formed by Los Angeles business executives Russ Pillar and David Kingsdale, to acquire the rights to the Los Angeles Marathon from Chicago‐based Devine Racing Management affiliated entities so long as necessary terms can be worked out with Devine Racing Management affiliated entities and the City of Los Angeles. It’s no secret that the rights to the race are for sale. The Los Angeles Marathon is an important civic asset that has the potential to have an even greater positive impact on the City of Los Angeles. Because of its great potential, I am evaluating the opportunity together with Going the Distance. (more…)

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