Sep 5, 2000

Along with managing my website and several others, Warren Finke is a skilled runner, a coach and an astute viewer of the sport. He writes, "Now that many of our best athletes will not be competing in the Olympics and others are injured, am I the only one questioning our track and field selection process? Come on, Sacramento in July! What's next, Hell in August?"

I replied that the Trials did so well at drawing crowds (record numbers) that the meet might return to Sacramento in 2004. The city got lucky with the weather this time. Only a few of the days were normally hot, and temperatures for the distance races -- even the daytime 1500s -- were unusually cool.

Such conditions can't be guaranteed, so it's time to refloat an old idea. That is to separate more of the races from the main body of this meet and move them elsewhere.

I'd favor relocating at least the 10,000s. The advantages are many: cooler weather, longer recovery/rebuilding time before the Games and better chances to double back in the 5000 for another try, and more appreciative -- if smaller -- crowds.

Runners might balk at this idea, thinking they'll miss the excitement of performing at a "real" Trials. But at Sacramento a large segment of the crowd walked out before the 10,000 finals began.

Imagine running these races at Stanford or Eugene on a May evening. The stands are filled with loud, knowing fans who've come just to see these runners. That's excitement.

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