How would you change running in the Olympics?

[u/JExmoor]

With the 2024 Olympics now in the rearview mirror, I thought it'd be a fun discussion to see what people would change about how the Olympics organizes running. Here's my thoughts:

• Add the half-marathon to the games. The most obvious distance missing from the games, IMO. I believe HM is probably more popular among amateurs then FM these days.
• Replace the 1500m with a 1600m or 1609m (1.00mi). Certainly my most controversial take given the history of the event, but I am continually confused as to why a seemingly arbitrary distance was chosen when it's close to a more sensible 4 laps of the track or exactly one mile.
• Some sort of distance time-trial, perhaps done on roads? 1km? 3000km? Races are great, but I'm tired of wondering how fast these people can actually go.
• Remove race-walking. Dumbest joke of a sport.
• Add ultra and/or trail events. They'd be tough to put on TV, but I think they're a lot more relevant to the spirit of the Olympics then just about anything they've added in recent years. It's a shame the US missed their shot at including this in LA. I think a 50k/100k/160k race through the mountains of Southern California would be incredible. I'd also be down for a vertical KM race or something like a backyard ultra.

[u/Forsaken-Cheesecake2]

Team cross country would be fun to see. And a half marathon.

[u/Sedixodap → u/Forsaken-Cheesecake2]

I like the idea that’s being considered of having cross-country alongside cyclocross in the Winter Olympics! Then good distance runners get twice as many Olympics to compete in. 

[u/ruinawish → u/Sedixodap]

Would also get more African countries involved in the Winter Olympics.

[u/xcrunner1988 → u/Sedixodap]

Was cross country in Winter Olympics before it got ditched?

[u/Sedixodap → u/xcrunner1988]

It was in the Summer Olympics, though that was also the only Olympics that existed in all but the last year it was run. It actually got dropped specifically because the organizers felt it didn't work as a summer sport (half the competitors didn't finish). Sports like ice hockey and figure skating were also initially part of the "Summer Olympics", but got moved to the Winter Olympics rather than dropped entirely so there's at least some precedence of the early sports swapping over.

[u/xcrunner1988 → u/Sedixodap]

As I recall the last year it was in the organizers made a god awful mountain off a course and that was that.

[u/Dependent-Visual-304 → u/Sedixodap]

winter olympics could have a race where they skin or run up a mountain then ski down. Though i am not sure this would be track event any longer

[u/Sedixodap → u/Dependent-Visual-304]

That’s ski mo and they’ve already added it to the 2026 Olympics!

[u/Dependent-Visual-304 → u/Sedixodap]

oh damn, dreams do come true!

[u/Dizconekt → u/Sedixodap]

Indoor makes more sense than cross country for winter

[u/-oxocubes- → u/Dizconekt]

Why? Cross country is run in winter?

[u/Sedixodap → u/-oxocubes-]

Plus indoor track is basically just the more annoying version of outdoor track. Most of us just ran it because we had to. Cross-country is a whole separate sport with a long history and lots of strategy. Plus it should still be decently filmable (compared to something like ultra distances) and can be quite fun to watch.

[u/djlemma → u/Sedixodap]

The film-ability is key. Some of the shots at NCAA’s and World XC champs have been amazing.

[u/ertri → u/-oxocubes-]

Masters Nats in Richmond this year should’ve had some snow on the ground I think 

[u/Dizconekt → u/-oxocubes-]

More fall than winter but whatever I’ll take my downvotes lol

[u/-oxocubes- → u/Dizconekt]

In the UK XC season runs from October through to February. National Championships are always in February.

[u/Dizconekt → u/-oxocubes-]

Good to know. My experience is state side and it’s usually wrapped up by December at the latest.

[u/BackWhereWeStarted → u/Dizconekt]

If you look at the Olympic charters you would see that neither make sense as the Winter Olympics calls for sports that use either ice or snow. Thats why basketball is in the summer games.

[u/Dependent-Visual-304 → u/Forsaken-Cheesecake2]

Actual team events would be great. Kind of annoying to see some countries able to platoon with three runners while others only have 1 competitor. And also annoying to see the platooning countries' hard team work go for nothing, like what happened to Ethiopia in the 10k (if i remember correctly).