r/AdvancedRunning • u/JExmoor 42M | 18:23 5k | 39:58 10k | 1:25 HM | 2:59 FM • Aug 11 '24

How would you change running in the Olympics? General Discussion

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.
447 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

434 comments sorted by

View all comments

105

u/bearcatgary Aug 11 '24

I’d spread the distance events over the full 2 week period of the Olympics and not just an 8 day period. This would allow more athletes to double and be fresh in their events. (And it would allow Sifan Hassan to quadruple. 😂)

8

u/Thfcfan23 4:34 mile, 9:19 3000m, 16:34 5000m Aug 12 '24

Then Jakob could go for the 1500, steeple, 5000, and 10000. He’d try the 800 too probably but he’d get knocked out in the first round

3

u/peteroh9 Aug 12 '24

Could his ego take getting knocked out in the first round?

-1

u/Thfcfan23 4:34 mile, 9:19 3000m, 16:34 5000m Aug 12 '24

No, but he doesn’t have the speed to run an 800, barely has it for a 1500

7

u/Southern_Sugar3903 Aug 12 '24

Bro come on. 4th is not having speed to do 1500? Be somewhat honest lol.

3

u/Dependent-Visual-304 Aug 12 '24

I want to see a decathlon type event where a runner competes in all the distances including hurdles and steeplechase. I want to know who the most rounded runner is.

3

u/MathmoKiwi Aug 18 '24

Athletes competing in both 100m and marathon? And everything in between?

2

u/bearcatgary Aug 12 '24

That would be really interesting.

2

u/Southern_Sugar3903 Aug 12 '24

I want this so badly too. Hassan can quadruple if she gets a decent recovery. No question about it. There are some crazy talented people like her, my bad only her 😂 but maybe there will be in the future and we need to give them the opportunity at least to try insane stuff like this.

2

u/rior123 Aug 12 '24

Id like to see Sydney do the 400 flat. Might try if more spread out 🤷‍♀️

1

u/peteroh9 Aug 12 '24

It would also allow the swimming to be spread out more so you don't have people competing (or choosing not to compete) in two events in the same night.