looking for a race

[kristjan]

Im looking for a fast steeplechase either this weekend, or at the very lastest, next weekend. Im looking at dropping a quick time, as 9:00 apparently isnt fast enough to get into the Harry Jerome meet, which I was counting as being my main tune-up meet to Seniors. If anyone could help me out in this regard it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Kristjan Hunter

[EL Presidente]

Jerome already has too many people not to mention that the race is going to go 8:30. I want o be the first to defend the meet director for not letting too many people in. In the states they'd just tell you to get lost. The fact is Jerome is trying to be an elite meet and 9 minutes is not elite. It's a start and we all had to be 9 minute guys once but don't expect people to pay to watch you run. I can't believe there are people who pay to watch an 8:30 race. I guess it gives them time to get a hot dog.

[Hutch]

On June 26th there is a steeple in Boston. Its part of the Boston High Performance Series. Its hard to say how fast it will go but in the past it has been won in as low as 8:35 but other times it will be won in and around 9:00.

bostonhighperformanceseries.com

You can check the entries on the website but often people don't start entering until a couple days before. Past results are up to check out as well. One thing to consider though is that the deadline to hit US Oly trial standards is June 30th so there could be the possibility of a few good runners entering to crack that standard.

Hutch

[kristjan]

the part about the jerome meet that pisses me off is that on the website it claims that the race should serve as an important meet for runners going to seniors, yet theres only 4 canadians in the steeple field out of 17 athletes? but, even beyond that, why not run 2 sections? if there are too many entries, put the slower ones in a slower section. coming from manitoba, there arent a whole lot of races out here. i realize that there are a bunch of faster runners in the race, but if the field is so huge that you arent letting pretty decent runners in, then it would be nice for a national team coach to try and help out some up-and-comers to canadian developmental national teams.

[Bubba]

Seems to me like you should put on a steeple in Manitoba instead of critiquing the Harry Jerome meet. The race organizers want to put the most competitive field together. This happens all over the world, you better get used to it. The best thing to do is go out and run your ass off. Your right though, it would be nice if there were more steeple races out there (complaining about the ones that exist isn't gonna help the situation).

[Chris Moulton]

Although I understand where you guys are coming by defending Marek.

Here is a different prospective how often do we see in the big european meets (not necessarily golden leagues but the GP 1s and 2s) local runners in the fields to give them the opportunity to compete, Kristjan is a young CANADIAN runner and should be allowed into the meet just like Winters. He has run 9:00.00 very early on this season to win, this time would not put him in contention he would still be competitive in the field and it would allow one of our young athletes a chance at some good international competition.

There are some weak americans in the field like Aaron Saft (who is an 8:56 guy, he ran 8:52 6 years ago!).

[Bomba]

hunter...guy in seattle is looking for steeplers for this weekends meet...here's his email...... his name is Tom Cotner...good guy, just tell him u know me.....he'll give u any info on the field, etc.....

[e-mail]

Bomba

[EL Presidente]

Moutlon I am going to argue you when you said that they should put Kristjan in the race because he is a "local runner". Why do the people from Burnaby want to watch a guy from Manitoba and feel like he is one of them. Chris Winters is the freebie with the local side. He should be the slowest guy in the field and sit in the back and then pick off the guys who die and hopefully run 8:50. That would be great for your local guy. The races in europe don't just put guys in the race because they grew up there. That's cookie talk. I know they put guys in but usually we're talking about 8:20 guys.
Also saying that they should be more than 4 Canadians in the field is stupid. The weakest race in Canada(other than the womens 400 hurdles) is the mens steeple. For crying out loud 3 people went under 9 minutes at nationals.
I'm the one who told marek not to let more than 16 into the race. In Palo Alto there were way too many guys and the race sucked for everyone who had to go out harder and get away from the guys who filled up the track. The lead pack at a km was 4 guys and two ended up dropping out and the other two ran 8:42 and 8:44. Was it that we weren't fit--no. It's that we were forced to try to run 8:20 the hard way. It's that there were too many people in the race and it went out like a 1500m.
Also the point of senior nationals this year is to pick an Olympic team. Therefore keeping the field small and giving Kerr the proper situation to run standard is what the Jerome's mandate is. Marek has a very good rabbit and the race will be all that it can be. The opportunity is there for a few of us to get a standard. So in fact Jerome is setting up senior nationals.

[Bomba]

..i would almost argue the opposite....hunter won't be near the front, so he really won't impact anyone.....

....in this situation if hunter is told to not go out hard, and instead tuck in the back my marek (ie he won't get in anyone's way) then i say let him in.....

.....yes having too many people can be a problem, but only if 1) everyone is at the same ability or 2) try to do something they shouldn't and go out too hard and get in people's way.....in this case i say let him in under certain expectations...

...maybe hunter will be in over his head, but it's a Canuck race, setup by canadians, and IMHO should allow leeway for Can athletes.....

.....I seem to recall a certain steeplechaser who ran about a 15 second PR at jerome one yr...under some of the opinions expressed so far, that Canadian steepler would never have been in that race....

[kristjan]

okok, Ill clarify some things. when i said i wanted marek to help me out, I wasnt saying to put me in the fast heat. he told me himself, and I quote,
"there is too many very good guys.I have request for another 10 athletes 8:40-8:45 to get in.and they will not."
I realize I wont be in competition with the 8:30 guys, but if there are another 10 guys in the 8:40s, then at least me have a go at them. wouldnt making a slow heat seem like the logical thing to do? now I realize he is probably exagerrating, because if there were that many fast guys not getting in, Winters would probably not be in there either, but honestly, would it have killed him to make a slow heat?
All this being said it doesnt even matter. Ill just run the meet on the 29th anyways.

Hunter

PS thanks for supporting me guys, i really thought I was gonna get it hard for thinking it would be nice to run Harry Jerome

[donniefromnextdoor]

just a couple points,

i really do belive that certain athletes should be snuck into races for chances to PB. its really good that winters is in the race, as had this race been in california or something, he wouldn't be. this special treatment is really important, and helps us develop our athletes (you have benifited from such a situation otherwalter)....

however, i don't see why hunter would be in any line to benifit from special circumstances. he has no ties to the kajaks, UBC etc, and not even the province i believe. yes he is canadian, but did he not initially leave to run in the states right away, and go to school there? let the americans fit him in into their races then - and keep the spots open for someone with local ties.

just my two cents.

[Jon]

I thought this was supposed to be about Hunter lookin for another steeple race somewhere? Its a canadian race..hunters canadian..and wether you beleive it or not he does attend a canadian university.I figure if they already have 17 why not just round out the field to 18? whats one more guy. But anyways...Hunters a good clean kid...just let the boy run a race somewhere ;D

thats my 33 cents...just figured I would toss that in there since everyone else is and besides im bored.

[Bomba]

hunter..u could also try BC champs next week....

[kris]

Kristjan is in Harry Jerome now.

Kris-