So runners are pissed about the Olympic trials.

[stephm0188]

Not C&Ping because there are two articles.

Runner's World article


Salty Running article

Not even a lousy banana?!

[katyintx]

Shoulda been in Houston...

[Deleted]

I'm surprised. Firstly that the hydration was so inadequate and secondly about the t-shirt/pageantry issue. I'd have assumed that these elite athletes wouldn't give a toss about a free t-shirt, but there you go. In the races I have run in Europe there is very little fanfare. And the goodies afterwards are minimal: Barcelona was a banana and an orange plus a bottle of water. Bottle of water for Sweden and Norway gave us a bowl of soup - it was a super cold day and to be far it was really tasty.
The British European championship qualifier that I accidentally found myself in a year ago definitely didn't have a medal or goody bag.

[sadlebred]

Most bike racers would laugh at this article. For your race entry fee, you get an entry into the race! No one holds your hand, gives you a medal, most races don't have tshirts, bike races don't feed their racers either. Most bike racers do so many races/year that they prefer a low entry fee to niceties. "Feeling of celebration?" Maybe if you family/friends are there to cheer you on. Doesn't exist at most bike races, and it isn't up to the organizers to provide it.

Having said that if it was a century/charity/recreational ride, entrants would expect a tshirt, fully stocked sag/rest stops, and a full post race meal. Two different worlds in cycling. Of course, marathons are different. There should be adequate hydration and nutrition on the course b/c that is what entrants are paying for & runners aren't carrying water bottles in their pockets. There is no excuse not to have it, especially on a hot day!

[clseale]

I don't really think too much about the lack of fanfare or entry fee (which was incredibly cheap, so it's not like they were paying for a bunch of perks), but the lack of adequate fluids is insane. They should have added extra water stops when it became clear that temperatures were going to be what they were -- especially with the late start (which is also some bs).

[wambam]

Hydration every THREE miles? I've done one 5K, one 10K, and one 13.1 - and even *I* know that you need it more often than that.

[mrs.jacinthe]

I'm a little surprised at three things: 1) the lack of adequate hydration - and especially cooled hydration. Obviously, cold might not be good, but could they not have at least managed 'refreshing'? 2) the lack of "catchers" at the end. Surely, they knew that there would be a number of all-out efforts and that people would need near-immediate help after crossing the finish line? 3) the lack of *any* kind of replenishment - even just bananas or the old standard cut up bagels - at the finish line.

I am not surprised they didn't get a t-shirt, although they should have signed/promoted the merch table better. I am not surprised that they're making excuses about all of their actual mistakes. I'm sad for those who were disappointed.

[Deleted]

Feb 26, 2016 7:53:56 GMT -5 @vtcupcake said:

Feb 26, 2016 4:13:49 GMT -5 @cheshire said:

I'm surprised. Firstly that the hydration was so inadequate and secondly about the t-shirt/pageantry issue. I'd have assumed that these elite athletes wouldn't give a toss about a free t-shirt, but there you go. In the races I have run in Europe there is very little fanfare. And the goodies afterwards are minimal: Barcelona was a banana and an orange plus a bottle of water. Bottle of water for Sweden and Norway gave us a bowl of soup - it was a super cold day and to be far it was really tasty.
The British European championship qualifier that I accidentally found myself in a year ago definitely didn't have a medal or goody bag.

The elites only made up a portion of the field. Many qualifiers had zero sponsorship to get themselves to LA just to be treated like They didn't belong because of the want of broadcast ratings.

Oh okay - I assumed it was all elites. Yeah, in that case I'd want a t-shirt. That sucks.

[shorewife]

I feel for the athletes. These are the best marathoners in our country and they should have been treated that way. As mentioned, for most of the runners just getting to the trials was the dream and they knew they had no chance of making the team. So this is the A-race of their lives and the idea that their memories of it isn't a positive one is heartbreaking to me. In comparison, when you run the Boston Marathon you are treated like a rock star the entire weekend no matter who you are. I would have expected at least the same for everyone running this race.

[emilyj]

My friend ran, and DNF'd. Reading her blog account of the race was really interesting. She trains in San Antonio, so it's not like she's a stranger to heat.

She posted a picture of the "cool rag" on Instagram. The thing is smaller than my washcloths.

[clseale]

Feb 26, 2016 11:17:12 GMT -5 shorewife said:

I feel for the athletes. These are the best marathoners in our country and they should have been treated that way. As mentioned, for most of the runners just getting to the trials was the dream and they knew they had no chance of making the team. So this is the A-race of their lives and the idea that their memories of it isn't a positive one is heartbreaking to me. In comparison, when you run the Boston Marathon you are treated like a rock star the entire weekend no matter who you are. I would have expected at least the same for everyone running this race.

Ya know what I think is tainting this for me? The complaints about having to pay any sort of race fee (for the B qualifiers) and the complaints about how they have to pay their way and stay in expensive hotels. Of course they do. While these are talented runners that I have a ton of respect for, they are not the elites. Of course everything isn't taken care of for them, and I don't have an issue with that.

With that said, their most basic needs certainly should have been met, and they weren't. Clearly. It also breaks my heart that (as mentioned in the article) some came across the line in 3:10 and the clock was already shut off. Like no one cared about them. It was hot out, and people who ran a 2:45 marathon a few years ago were granted entry into the race...OF COURSE you are going to have people coming across the line in 3:10+ and they should have been given more than a warm bottle of water. They should have had their achievement celebrated. I am sad that something they looked forward to for so long, did not live us to what they had hoped. Those water stops are inexcusable.   

[taratru]

I'm sorry, but when Shalane Flanagan doesn't get treatment asap because she's being forced to interview, it screams USATF not giving a fuck about actual athletes. They aren't doing much to help their image.

[gt7301b]

I'm not overly concerned about the lack of a shirt, or heck even bananas, but the lack of water and medical support is inexcusable.

[emilyj]

Feb 26, 2016 11:48:10 GMT -5 taratru said:

I'm sorry, but when Shalane Flanagan doesn't get treatment asap because she's being forced to interview, it screams USATF not giving a fuck about actual athletes. They aren't doing much to help their image.

I screamed at the television when they were interviewing her. Leave her the fuck alone.

[ktzmoh]

No fanfare for the non-elites kind of stinks.

But the lack of catchers, medical service, and those shitty little towels just truly sucks for the athletes. Not to mention the sexist douchebag announcers. It's just disrespect after disrespect for those athletes instead of celebration.

Also, the DNF rate seems crazy to me - is that normal for this level of racing?

[chw57]

Feb 26, 2016 14:33:48 GMT -5 emilyj said:

Feb 26, 2016 11:48:10 GMT -5 taratru said:

I'm sorry, but when Shalane Flanagan doesn't get treatment asap because she's being forced to interview, it screams USATF not giving a fuck about actual athletes. They aren't doing much to help their image.

I screamed at the television when they were interviewing her. Leave her the fuck alone.

Me too! She should have been lying down in the shade with an IV. That was horrible

[bostonmichelle]

I also want to add that I remember seeing people handing out the cold/ice rags to the men but I don't remember seeing them out there for the women. I think the USATF totally dropped the ball on this race, I agree that they decided to focus too much on the televised aspect of it.