After hearing of Patrick Makau’s record-setting performance (2:03:38) at the 2011 BMW Berlin Marathon, I could hardly wait to see the replay of the race on Universal Sports. I set my DVR to record the scheduled 2 hour replay since I was going to be out of the house at the time. The race weighed heavily on my mind the entire day. After scrambling home feeding the kids, I plopped myself down on the couch for two-hours of riveting race action in the first marathon major of the season.

Everything started out OK, then the wheels fell off. After a commercial break, the announcers come back and take us thru the final recap of the finish. What? We’re not even 10 minutes in and you’re showing me the finish? No drama? No strategizing? What a colossal disappointment! The broadcast was only 3o minutes long and was in no way representative of the world record performance displayed by Patrick Makau.

Now I’ve done some research and it seems that the live feeds from the lead vehicles didn’t work – thus no “meat” to the race. My question is why no backup plan? Why on a tape-delayed broadcast wouldn’t you make the viewer aware they were only getting a snippet and to not expect a quality program? In my judgement, Universal Sports dropped the ball…BIG TIME!!!

As runners, we don’t have a lot of options when it comes to viewing running events. If Universal Sports wasn’t around, we’d all be crowded around computer screens watching live feeds at ungodly hours. While I usually applaud Universal Sports for their dedication to our sport, I must stand up and boo loudly on this occasion. What a disappointment.

RMFR

Charles Krupa/AP

The 2011 Boston Marathon was one of the more historic races in recent history. The men’s wheelchair division was decided by a mere 1 second, the woman’s marathon by 2 seconds and the men’s marathon by 4 seconds. Are you serious?

The men’s marathon champion, Geoffrey Mutai, shattered the course record and shaved :58 seconds off the marathon world record (Haile Gebrselassie in Berlin 2008) there is now a storm brewing.

The Boston Marathon is not considered a a world record qualifying course because the marathon route is “downhill” and too “straight.” Throw it a predomently tailwind and all hell has broken loose. The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) is asking the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to certify Mutai’s performance as the world record.

As fellow Lobe, Troy Schrenk can attest, Boston is no walk/run in the park. Besides the net loss of elevation, there are many rolling hills that make the race one of the more difficult marathons on the major marathon circuit.

There’s a reason that elite marathoners opt for races like the Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon and London Marathon to attack world records. They’re easier. Also, Boston (along with the New York City Marathon) don’t allow pace setters. This means that the athlete has to actually get the record based on their own talent and determination.

TANGENT ALERT!!! I don’t have any problem with pace setters. They make for a less tactical race and make the elites throw it down from the start. What I do have a problem with is the fact that the pace setters are contractual obligated to bow out at a specific point of the race. If a pace setter can lead a pack out on record pace and then hold that pace for the entire race…I say let them go for it!!! During the Rotterdam Marathon, Sammy Kitwara set the pace for the marathon field. He was constantly egging the field to keep up with him during his reign at the front of the pack. He should have been allowed to throw down the hammer and finish the race. From the look of it, he could have wiped the rest of the elites out that day.

The majority of the running community is standing by Mutai’s record and I for one hope that the IAAF certify’s it as one of runnings great accomplishments.

RMFR

Since most of us don’t have Monday off I’ve set the DVR to record the 113th Boston Marathon. For those of you that would like to do the same, it’s being broadcast on NBC’s Universal Sports.

There site has a bunch of interviews and support pieces. I suggest checking it out when you have time. Click here for the Boston Marathon site.

Big running events need to be broadcast nationally. Here’s to hoping that the big five (Boston, Chicago, NYC, London and Berlin) will all be on for us to celebrate in the achievements of our sports best.

RMFR