Events like World Half Marathon, World Cross Country, the Continental Cup (formerly World Cup) and World Youth championships are getting no bidders and are almost dying. Television is also becoming a problem since they do not want to cover some events because they are not attractive and they do not get sponsors
If they can't be self-sustaining, then they should indeed cease to exist. That's easy for me to say since I'm not particularly interested in any of them, but I am worried about the collateral damage to other fixtures I do want to be retained (or initiated, like the Relays Championship).
Of course the problem is the Half Marathon and the WC became dual meets. Which is of course too bad. The WCCC were the best in their heydays. Just racing without worrying about time.
Maybe they could add a swimming portion. Or they could sell the Nazi house in Monaco and use the proceeds to support these events.
I'd hate to see WCCC (or is it WXC?) eliminated completely. Could they not limit the number of teams/athletes via regional competition to reduce the cost? Likewise some of the other events.
Halfmiler2 wrote:I'd hate to see WCCC (or is it WXC?) eliminated completely. Could they not limit the number of teams/athletes via regional competition to reduce the cost? Likewise some of the other events.
If you're a potential bidder, you have to ask: why do I want to lose money on this?
Halfmiler2 wrote:I'd hate to see WCCC (or is it WXC?) eliminated completely. Could they not limit the number of teams/athletes via regional competition to reduce the cost? Likewise some of the other events.
The adding of athletes to any major affair is a very small incremental cost and I suspect even halving the number wouldn't change the bottom line much.
All the heavy lifting still needs to be done, which if you're a bidder means finding a suitable site, arranging for whatever public/private lands need to be closed for a significant part of a day, arranging a TV contract, and setting up a volunteer organization to handle housing, transportation, hospitality, etc., etc.
Need to remember that the IAAF model is that bid cities pretty much have to be self-sustaining in these endeavors.
The alarming part of this to me is that it seems that the IAAF is in triage mode, lopping off limbs (World XC, peripheral outdoor meets) to save...what, one meet?
KevinM wrote:The alarming part of this to me is that it seems that the IAAF is in triage mode, lopping off limbs (World XC, peripheral outdoor meets) to save...what, one meet?
Who knows, but interest in the W XC has definitely tanked, so saying goodbye isn't too surprising.
Not sure what you find so alarming. The IAAF is lopping off unproductive properties. Just a normal part of any big company's housecleaning efforts. It's when companies don't take a needed axe to something that I worry.
gh wrote:Not sure what you find so alarming. The IAAF is lopping off unproductive properties. Just a normal part of any big company's housecleaning efforts. It's when companies don't take a needed axe to something that I worry.
I'm talking about a general health of the sport alarm - not health of the governing body.
gh wrote:Whatever they pay, it's obviously not enough.
Then maybe they should make Bydgoszcz the permament host of these events From what I heard, they were happy enough with the deals they got from the IAAF (they hosted the WYC in '99, WJC in '08, WXC in '10 and will do so again in '13).
Conor Dary wrote:Of course the problem is the Half Marathon and the WC became dual meets. Which is of course too bad. The WCCC were the best in their heydays. Just racing without worrying about time.
Maybe they could add a swimming portion. Or they could sell the Nazi house in Monaco and use the proceeds to support these events.
the world xc and half marathon will be at least tri meets soon, with rupp, ritz, solinsky when he gets healthy, if lagat would run xc or a half marathon, up and comers like chris derrick, vets still holding on like teg, and also the talented jager, and more the USA can be a factor.
lagat 7:29 for 3000 and 12:53 for 5000 solinsky 12:55 for 5000 and 26:59 for 10000 ritz 12:56 for 5000 and 60:00 even for the half marathon teg 12 58 for 5000 and 27:28 for 10000 rupp 12:58 for 5000 and 26:48 for 10000 chris derrick 27:30 for 10000 just finished college. jager 8:06 for steeple and 7:35 for steeple
USA can definetly be a factor with these and new finds seemingly every year,
also i am thinking maybe uganda can have a good team with the country inspired by winning the olympic marathon and they have had other good runners kipsiro, boniface kirui, kisorio, some good young steeplers.
also tanzania has produced a lot of good distance runners though not lately, not sure why the dropoff but the talent is probably still there just not developed.
one thing i would do for example to keep the world xc going is have it also be other continental championships WITHIN THE WORLD XC, if european countries dont thinink they can compete with the kenyans, americans, ethiopians etc. since the race would also be the european championships the top european team in the race could be 10th overall, but would be the european champs, by doing this the europe teams would come even if being a top 3-5 team is extremely unlikely.
doug5321 wrote:one thing i would do for example to keep the world xc going is have it also be other continental championships WITHIN THE WORLD XC, if european countries dont thinink they can compete with the kenyans, americans, ethiopians etc. since the race would also be the european championships the top european team in the race could be 10th overall, but would be the european champs, by doing this the europe teams would come even if being a top 3-5 team is extremely unlikely.
I doubt the EAA or any other continental association that sponsors their own CC championship would relinquish control of that to the IAAF. As for those continents that don't already contest a CC champs, they probably wouldn't care.
doug5321 wrote:the world xc and half marathon will be at least tri meets soon, with rupp, ritz, solinsky when he gets healthy, if lagat would run xc or a half marathon, up and comers like chris derrick, vets still holding on like teg, and also the talented jager, and more the USA can be a factor.
That's a lot of iffing.
Over the last five years, here are the years each of the people you mention have run the USATF cross nationals: lagat none solinsky none ritz 2008, 2010 teg 2011 rupp none chris derrick none (granted, too young to have been likely to compete) jager none
Somehow you're going to have to dream up a scheme to make these guys be interested in running a serious cross country race.
From what I heard, they were happy enough with the deals they got from the IAAF (they hosted the WYC in '99, WJC in '08, WXC in '10 and will do so again in '13).