In case you were wondering, Mr. Singh - who began running again at age 89 (after a 50 year hiatus) - has a PR of 5:40, which he set at age 92.
Mr. Singh's representative says that all prizes and appearance fees that Mr. Singh gets go to a charity for premature babies. "I think it is a good thing for the oldest person in the race to run for the youngest people in our world" said Mr. Singh.
No, I'm not talking about the track fantasy in which Lolo Jones greets me with open arms after winning Gold in 2012. I'm talking about fantasy running match ups. A while back the hotly debated topic of Kenenisa Bekele (5,000 meter WR in 12:37.35) vs. Usain Bolt (200m WR in 19.19) over an intermediate distance was reported in USA Today. My money says Bolt (who ran sub 45 for 400 meters as a teenager) would dominate at the standard distance of 400 meters, and by Bolt's own admission, Bekele would cruise in an 800 meter race. So at what distance would they be equal? Something in the 600-700 meter range would most likely be a fair fight.
Now, according to ESPN Chris Johnson of the NFL's Tennessee Titans wants to race Bolt. Johnson is probably the fastest player in the NFL, but there's probably a reason why he didn't run in the Olympics. Still, he did run an NFL-best 4.24 for 40 yards at the combine, which in theory is a little faster than Bolt came through at that distance when he set the 100m record. (Timing at the combine is usually a little generous and doesn't start until the runner begins, but they don't have the benefit of starting blocks.) If the story is accurate, Johnson's lobbying for a distance of less than 60 meters, by which point he has to realize that Bolt would blow past him. Is Bolt beatable at 40 or 50 meters?
I've decided to be unselfish and take one for by the team this holiday season. As such, I'm out here in sunny Palm Springs - where the sun is shining and it's a comfortable 68-degrees - to scout out routes for the Jack Rabbit Training Camp planned for late March. On the first day we ran on a one mile dirt path. Yesterday we ran up a mountain on incredibly challenging but beautiful terrain. I'll also be sure to check out the 50-meter outdoor pool and some of the lightly trafficed roads on which to ride. I'm also going to have to research some of the nice restaurants in the area, as well as the local casino. And then somehow, I hope to get to enjoy myself on my trip.
If I've piqued your interest, check out the details, including the discounted rate for anyone who signs up by December 31. It's shaping up to be a fun and productive week of training for anyone hoping to jump start their 2010 season.
I've dedicated plenty of space on this humble blog writing about the New York Road Runners' finances and other policies. At one time or another, I've been irked by their mandatory volunteering, non-refundable application fees at races, highly paid executives at this non-profit organization, and other issues.
Today's topic is high entry fees. Recently a lot of people have complained about the hefty price for the NYC Half, but I've actually defended NYRR - albeit unenthusiastically. After all, the cost for the road closures, extra police, and other logistics for a point to point race that goes through Times Square must be hefty. After all, it's not just another 2+ lap half marathon in Central Park like Grete's or the Manhattan Half. But look what they've done with the More Marathon, which in fact is just another 2+ laps of Central Park. Last year the cost for NYRR members was $20. This year, it's a whopping $60. That's right - a 200% increase in price for a race that they turned into an untimed "fun run" last year due to the weather.
Presumably the race will sell out again, and the pragmatists will point out that just like the NYC Marathon and Half Marathon, NYRR is simply taking advantage of the demand. Still when you consider that the additional revenue will most likely be used to pay elite athlete entry fees and staff salaries rather than benefitting the members of the "club", it seems that most NYRR members would be more than a little miffed by the new pricing. Or maybe they'll use it to pay off Mother Nature so that the weather is better for this year's race.
Do It For the Kids
Posted at 10:59 PM in Coach's Comments | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)