These guidelines are especially prevalent in events like the men’s 1500 meters where none of the likely contestants have yet achieved the ‘A’ standard. Without this flexibility, athletes overexert themselves in time trials the weeks leading up to the championship meet rather than focusing on performing their best at the championship itself.

Without reading the guidelines particularly carefully, I just assumed the top three placers in each event would have the privilege of chasing for the standard if they didn’t already have it. I was soon corrected by UC Davis head track and field coach Drew Wartenburg that the top FOUR actually get to chase.

Confusing? Consider this case study.

Heading into the women’s 5000 meters at the 2011 USATF Championships, only one women starting the race, American record holder Molly Huddle, had the ‘A’ standard.

Huddle won the race handily, but the drama came in the next two slots, where Mammoth Track Club teammates Amy Hastings and Angela Bizzarri finished second and third, respectively. Since neither had the ‘A’ standard of 15:14.00, both headed to Europe in pursuit of the mark. If either hit it, the other would also go to Daegu. But after extensive chasing – and arguably but understandably over-racing – neither was able to dip under the standard.

Huddle and Hastings were on the team. Since the U.S. is allowed to take up to two ‘A’ and one ‘B’ qualifier, USATF expanded its scope beyond just the top four at nationals, thus technically violating its own rules. Going down the order of finishers at USA’s, the next person with an ‘A’ qualifier was Desi Davila in sixth place, but since she already started fall marathon preparation, the Hansons-Brooks team member passed on the opportunity. Next in line was Lauren Fleshman, who despite finishing just eighth at USA’s looked impressive in winning a Diamond League race at Crystal Palace with an ‘A’ standard time.

In this case, reaching down to select Fleshman was clearly a wise decision as the Stanford grad went on to finish seventh at the World Championships, one spot higher than she placed at USA’s. I do not blame USATF was what they did in the Fleshman case. However, I do fault the organization for having a lack of clarity about the rules. If more than just the top four are allowed to chase for standards, then that must be explicitly stated in the guidelines. All I’m asking for clarity so that sthletes outside the top four at U.S. championships can plan their European seasons according to whether they have a real hope of being selected for the U.S. team.

Then again, the bottom line may lie in a tweet from agent Dan Lilot: “The simple answer is that USATF reserves the right to decide what to do on the fly.”

The word doesn’t exist in the dictionary of track and field.

A few recent events inspired this post. One was a piece written by Ben Rosario lamenting the lack of public displays of professionalism in running. Not only is there a lack of professionalism among athletes but also among the so-called track and field media. We rely on Deadspin and The Smoking Gun to report on the juicy stories since no one in the sport has the guts to dig around for the truth. I’m equally as guilty of this, but I’ve never considered myself a professional in this field.

Journalists around the world engage in the noble task of presenting news to the public. Whether it comes to covering D.C. politics or the Tokyo stock market, reporters seek the truth on issues they cover. In the world of sports, mainstream outlets like ESPN are often ridiculed for skewing coverage towards the high-profile teams and athletes, but they generally do their job of uncovering the dirty side of sports, whether it be drug scandals, off-the-field misconduct or imaginary girlfriends.

Journalism in track and field operates at an amateur level much like the rest of the sport does. Reporters are stuck in a SID (sports information director) syndrome in which they follow the college press release format for most everything. In other words, just presenting the facts and throwing a few quotes and pictures on press releases. No hard-hitting investigative questions that we like to think journalists engage in.

Back in 2005, a reporter named Damien Ressoit writing for the French sports newspaper L’Equipe was the first to report drug allegations against Lance Armstrong based on analytical evidence after years of rumors swirling about Armstrong’s drug use. There’s been plenty of speculation in recent months surrounding a certain Pacific Northwest training group and Therapeutic Use Exemptions. But unlike cycling, no track and field reporters have the guts to do some any digging. They’re scared of exposing the sport’s stars and stirring up shit with the Nike-industrial complex that rules track and field in America.

The root of the problem? There’s no money in objective running journalism that provides the job security to seek out controversial but potentially groundbreaking stories.

David Monti, the publisher of the subscription newswire Race Results Weekly, is by all accounts a great guy. But writing running news simply doesn’t pay the bills, so in addition to publishing RRW he works for New York Road Runners on the side as an elite athlete coordinator. If not a direct conflict of interest, he or anyone on his RRW staff certainly cannot be 100% objective when it comes to covering NYRR events.

Flotrack is more of a fan site than a serious journalistic venture. The boys out in Austin occasionally try to dive into the business of asking the tough questions but for the most part lay off any controversial for what they claim is in the best interest of growing the sport, which is also in the best interest of their bottom line. Without being friendly with top coaches and athletes, they wouldn’t get the access they do to film workouts and behind-the-scenes footage. Maintaining those relationships means staying mute on any overt negativity.

Then there are smaller sites out there like this blog and the recently defunct The Trailer, but their minimal audiences diminish what true influence they could have.

I’d say LetsRun probably asks the tough questions more often than anyone else out there. I give them a ton of credit for doing so, even if they choose their victims selectively.

Many argue the negativity of LetsRun and its infamous message boards tear down the sport rather than build it up. But should reporting the facts be sacrificed for growing the sport? I don’t think so. After all, the attitude of unquestioned positivity that’s so pervasive in running is precisely how we got ourselves into the drug scandals of the Marion Jones-era in the first place.

For everyone so interested in elevating track to the levels of the three major sports, let’s not forget it takes an objective media to do that. I call on all track and field reporters to avoid shying away from the risqué and the controversial and start asking the tough questions  worthy of the great sport we cover.

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Lopez reppin' Tide (LopezLomong.com)

The sport of track and field often goes overlooked in four year segments by the rest of the world until it is time to hold the Summer Olympics. Then the fireworks, cameras and notoriety swarm on the athletes like a pack of half starved Dobermans looking to get the scoop on the big names and feel-good stories.

Though often viewed as the uncaring outside world peering into the insular community, the attention has the positive effect of shining a spotlight on very deserving performers who otherwise would be unknown outside of the quarter-mile oval. With that said we get to see these stars of the track be placed on advertisements often reserved for the likes of Tom Brady or Derek Jeter; some good, some bad and others just plain entertaining.

Since the record obliterating 2008 Beijing Games, Usain Bolt has been able to put a face to track not only for his native Jamaica but for the entire world. Appearing in Gatorade commercials sweating the iconic neon colors of the post workout beverage to the hilarious baton passing of the Puma commercials by whom he is endorsed, Bolt has brought much needed personality and comedy to a sport that needs both in scores. As the London Games get closer, be prepared to be bombarded by the ubiquitous visage of Jamaica’s biggest export since reggae.

For the American squad there has been a recent rush to plaster our notable athletes on some famous brands. Banking giant CITI Bank decided to hang their name on the shoes of Meb Keflezighi, the 2012 Marathon Trials champion as he runs to find his banking information. His yelp for happiness lends itself to a chuckle. Not shabby for a silver medalist.

The blades of Gillette are now gracing the well shaped facial hair of sprint star and American record holder Tyson Gay. The shaving and toiletry brand has put Gay as their front man for the Olympic Games and he comes through with his signature chin strap stubble. If he can place and stay healthy at these games he may get to take Tiger Woods’s place as the smiling face of shaving royalty.

A personal favorite is the sponsoring of Sudanese born Lopez Lomong who was the flag bearer for the 2008 Opening Ceremonies for the U.S. The feel good story and struggles that Lomong overcame from his dangerous homeland have made him be an example of the American dream. In doing so, Tide, the brand that keeps your clothes sparkling clean, has given Lomong a commercial where he is able to flash that infectious smile of his. After his recent lap mishap maybe the jovial Lomong can “clean up” with Tide by fighting for a space on a very competitive distance squad.

Though it comes around only every four years we must show our appreciation of the sport by being glad that the stars of the sport are given publicity in such a random yet critical method as advertising. With a sport hanging by thread with low viewership and dwindling funds for its athletes this maybe a spark to get the names and faces of the sports best into a captivated audience.

Meb Keflezighi – the happiest a man has looked after depositing a check. Must be the Skechers.

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