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| Why no Olympic Ultramarathon? (Read 478 times) |
| view log Jazz, happy dog |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 2:13 AM |
The time has come. It's certainly more deserving than some of the obscure Olympic sports. I'd like to see a 100-miler or, given the metric emphasis, a 100 or 150-km. It could be a road or trail race, I don't care. I'd just like to see Jurek, Konya and the like compete on that stage. It could even be a single event for males/females, now that would be intriguing.
attention: this is a Karnazes-free thread |
| Just 'cause you can, doesn't mean you should
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| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 12:55 PM |
There is a 50k racewalk in the olympics.
All on granite, apparently. |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
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posted: 8/20/2008 at 12:59 PM |
| Fewer Olympic events, not more. |
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| view log |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 1:02 PM
modified: 8/20/2008 at 1:04 PM |
| Quote from PerfesserR on 8/20/2008 at 2:13 AM: The time has come. It's certainly more deserving than some of the obscure Olympic sports. I'd like to see a 100-miler or, given the metric emphasis, a 100 or 150-km. It could be a road or trail race, I don't care. I'd just like to see Jurek, Konya and the like compete on that stage. It could even be a single event for males/females, now that would be intriguing.
Brilliant idea.
Is there any current movement to make this happen?
Sure, there are problems with it; you could argue that its too obscure of a sport.
But here's the thing: it could make great television. Make the course a real trail ultra 100-miler. This time around, it could have been in some of those amazing mountainous areas. Hell, run a couple miles on the Wall. Climb up to one of those temples on a mountaintop. How cool it could have been!
Put a camera crew at each aid station, have maybe a couple roving cameras on the trails. The visuals would be amazing. The drama would be tailor-made for television. The pain, the blisters, the people DNFing, all the weird food. The weird competitors. Encounters with local wildlife. Dramatic scenery.
It's practically perfect. Even non-runners who hate track and field and think the marathon is boring would probably get into it. It'd be like a season of Survivor on foot.
And historically, you could argue that the ultramarathon fits perfectly into the Olympic framework. Sure makes more sense than synchronized swimming.
I can't believe this hasn't already happened. The Olympics is business, and this is a ratings winner.
MTA: and that bolded bit would be so cool - men and women legitimately competing against each other. |
E-mail: JakeKnight2002@aol.com
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| view log Jazz, happy dog |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 1:08 PM |
| Quote from mikeymike on 8/20/2008 at 12:59 PM: Fewer Olympic events, not more.
Fewer crappy events, of which there are now a lot. And add a few good ones. |
| Just 'cause you can, doesn't mean you should
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| view log |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 1:20 PM |
I suspect ultras are still a bit too new of a sport to get IOC consideration. A sport usually has to be fairly widdespread to be considered. Since baseball/softball won't be coming back for London 2012 (and it's a growing sport in SE Asia), it's going to be a while before ultras get any love from the IOC.
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| view log Running Partner |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 1:24 PM |
| Quote from PerfesserR on 8/20/2008 at 1:08 PM: Fewer crappy events, of which there are now a lot. And add a few good ones.
Agreed - lets see some sports no hobbies or things done during a picnic. I usually am not a playah hater but give me a break - synchronized swimming - ping pong (cleverly discguized as table tennis) - trampoline. I will give them credit as they could all kick my butt at these but that doesn't mean its an Olympic sport. What would the ancient Greeks think especially the Spartans?
I like the ultra thing - great potenital ratings just for the sheer incredible effort required to complete and what a super way to highlight the countries non-paved areas. |
Illegitimis non carborundum
2008 goals:
1) run a fall marathon (Indy)
2) stay injury free
3) PR 5K, 10K, HM & M
4) get my kids to start running with me
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posted: 8/20/2008 at 1:35 PM |
Ultrarunning is arguably among the oldest sports, period. Among the most ancient athletic activities, period. That's how we used to eat.
It arguably fits the Olympic ideal better than any other sport. It's pure simplicity is exactly what the original Olympics (both in 1896 and 776 B.C.) had in mind. In the modern Olympics, the marathon was originally the focus, for those very reasons.
But I'd argue that a trail ultramarathon in difficult terrain is one helluva lot closer to that ideal than the modern urban road marathon.
Mixed doubles badminton? Not so much. |
E-mail: JakeKnight2002@aol.com
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| view log Jazz, happy dog |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 1:42 PM |
| Quote from JakeKnight on 8/20/2008 at 1:35 PM:
It arguably fits the Olympic ideal better than any other sport.
Well, that, and BMX racing. The Athenians loved BMX racing.
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| Just 'cause you can, doesn't mean you should
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| view log |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 1:43 PM |
How about an ultra-biathalon. But make it way more real and true to the history of ultrarunning than that foofy winter biathon.
A 100 mile run but late in the race the runner must kill an antelope with a spear and carry or drag it the rest of the way? Huh? |
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| view log Running Partner |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 1:59 PM |
Lets just skip to the end of this thread already -
Gladiators ala the Roman Coliseum - fight to the death and all that. It has everything you need (running, strength, sword play,....) and no worries about ties.  |
Illegitimis non carborundum
2008 goals:
1) run a fall marathon (Indy)
2) stay injury free
3) PR 5K, 10K, HM & M
4) get my kids to start running with me
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| view log Ham & Egger |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 2:25 PM |
| Quote from mikeymike on 8/20/2008 at 1:43 PM: How about an ultra-biathalon. But make it way more real and true to the history of ultrarunning than that foofy winter biathon.
A 100 mile run but late in the race the runner must kill an antelope with a spear and carry or drag it the rest of the way? Huh?
One of my favorite essays on This American Life was about a guy who tries to run down antelopes. Apparently, the Tarhumara (spelling way off) of Baja California were known to run down deer and elk over the course of days. The deer would run, stop, wait for the dudes, repeat: until the deer would finally go crazy, give up, lie down, and let the runners kill it. Bad ass...then the runners would go back to the village and get major play from all the ladies.
Seriously. Not kidding. |
| www.tuscaloosarunner.blogspot.com |
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| view log Blaine Moore |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 2:43 PM |
| Quote from tuscaloosarunner on 8/20/2008 at 2:25 PM: Apparently, the Tarhumara (spelling way off) of Baja California were known to run down deer and elk over the course of days.
They also play a form of soccer with a small wooden ball for days at a time, with a playing field that spans about 150 miles. |
Run to Win
I just started using Twitter - anybody else on there? http://twitter.com/RunToWin
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| view log |
posted: 8/20/2008 at 3:08 PM |
| Quote from Run To Win on 8/20/2008 at 2:43 PM: They also play a form of soccer with a small wooden ball for days at a time, with a playing field that spans about 150 miles.
I've heard that Dean is going to play this for 5 years without a break in order to raise his profile a bit.
Oops. |
| 24hrs 100miles £10,000 |
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