April 10, 2004

by Jack Heath, Coach

When Alberto Salazar won the 1982 New York Marathon in 2:09.29, it was no surprise. Up to that point only Americans had won the race. No American has won it since. While American distance runners once reigned supreme from the mile to the marathon during the 1970s and early 1980s, there have been few top ranked Americans in these events since. What happened? In an effort to take a closer look at what has contributed to the decline, and what is needed for a reversal, I have talked to a number of top American runners, coaches, and writers who have either been involved with, or actually been at the top. What follows are five areas that must change in order for America to return to world distance running prominence?

Decline in the media's coverage of running: The New York and Boston Marathons were once covered live nationally in their entirety. Now the races are only shown locally and with a short wrap-up segment hours after the race. Johnny Kelley, Olympian and 59 time finisher of the Boston Marathon, adds print coverage of running has shrunk drastically as well: "It's July, and the Celtics are covering 3/4 of the front of the sports section! It's not even basketball season; there is very little coverage left for running anymore. Baseball was once American's pastime and even the Red Sox are almost crowded off the page when they win. Running just doesn't get the coverage anymore that helps generate interest in the sport."

Lack of a support system after college: Ron Hill, British Olympic Marathoner: "There is no club system in America, and no status attached to being a great runner. There isn't much of a peer group of exceptional runners in this country."

Bill Rodgers, former top world-ranked marathoner and multiple winner of the New York and Boston Marathons: "We need a post-collegiate developmental program with national coaches, and training camps at both high altitude and sea level. We have the potential to return to the top with our talent, population, and money. We've had poor leadership for close to 30 years--that is turning around now, but we need a plan for success in key meets and races."

More competition from other youth sports: Tim Noakes, South African author of The Lore of Running: "The youth of America choose to do other sports. The American athletes may already have reached their genetic limits for distance running performance in the early '80s. Because this limit trails the limits of the Kenyans, Moroccans, Ethiopians, etc., the Americans who are running say: "Why bother to train hard when there will always be 100 Kenyans who can run faster than me? If the genetic material is not there to begin with, all the best training in the world will not produce brilliance."

Coach and running author Roy Benson: "Soccer is killing us. The kids that used to come out for track are now playing soccer. Also high school kids today do not have the basic childhood fitness that an active childhood develops. We can give our current runners about half the volume the kids in the '70s could handle. We can't train them anymore like we did in the old days."

Long Term Development: Marc Bloom, Coach, writer for the New York Times, and editor of The Harrier: "You need the same coach with your long-term interests at heart. Alan Webb's high school coach is involved with his college coach in keeping him on the right track."

Desire to be Great: Dick Burekle, former world indoor mile record holder, and top ranked mile and 5000 meter runner in 1974 and 1976: "American distance runners need what Alan Webb has: obsession."

Olympic marathon and 10,000 meter runner and author Jeff Galloway agrees: "The only thing missing is the 'fire in the belly' that our athletes in the '60s to early '80s had. This is not something you can take in a pill. There is plenty of talent, just not enough desire right now. I do see some positive rumblings in the high school ranks now, though."

Alberto Salazar, former world record holder and top ranked marathoner turned elite coach agrees: "American runners don't train hard enough in terms of quality workouts today. Not mileage necessarily, but long intervals at faster than race pace."

While there are those who believe that dinosaurs may be back on top before American distance running, there are some undeniably healthy signs for an American distance running revival: Alan Webb and Dathan Ritzenhein for example, are running the best American times in the mile and 3200 meters in decades. Time will tell if the rumblings are the beginnings of a real movement, or just a brief, but passing storm.