Talking to Ourselves
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to spreading the gospel of our sport will be the un-ghettoization of the running community. Basically, we’ve created little running ghettos that support a conversation meant only for insiders. If we want people “out there” to realize the beauty of our sport and tune in, we’ve got stop being so proud of the exclusivity of our sport and begin to speak to them about it in a language they can understand.
It’s true, if you think about it. Runners and fans of running tend to be so enthralled with their identification in an elite and secretive sub-culture, that they relegate their conversations to insider Web-based communities and running / track clubs only accessible to, well, insiders. Not to knock these communities at all … they serve a great purpose and are a source of inspiration to many. My point here is not to bash the existence of a running sub-culture or the ensuing conversation, but to encourage a broadening of that conversation in order to increase visibility. (this phenomenon isn’t exclusive to the running community, of course. every specialized group struggles with this)
Questions: How does the conversation broaden? How does change realistically occur within the machine that is running, and what role does Runnerville play in that? How does Runnerville avoid the pitfall of being another insular venue for the running community to talk to itself?
Well?
Last 5 posts by Steve Holt- Who's the most exciting athlete on the planet? - September 6th, 2008
- Olympics Hangover - August 26th, 2008
- Yes We Can! - August 7th, 2008
- Gilbert - July 24th, 2008
- Now I can Sleep - April 23rd, 2008
February 1st, 2008 at 11:39 pm |
I talk about running to everyone I can. I’m surprised by how many runners don’t know anything about the sport’s history, pro athletes, basic physiology, etc. They do seem interested when I ramble about it though. So I try my best to spread the word.
February 2nd, 2008 at 6:52 pm |
I think it really needs to start with recreational runners. There are thousands of people who run a race like Chicago or New York but couldn’t tell you much about the race other than “the elites were going REALLY fast!” and some Kenyan probably won.
February 2nd, 2008 at 9:28 pm |
You bring up a great point about the need to broaden the conversation with as many people as possible. As I was watching TV today, one idea came to me - more track and field athletes on Pros vs. Joes. They have had Justin Gatlin and Dan O’Brien on the show, which is a great start, but I think it would be interesting to have the Joes face off versus a distance runner, along the lines of Bob Kennedy, Todd Williams, or Steve Holman. They could race a mile, where the Joes are spotted a lap and a half or a 400 and spot the Joes a 100m. By having more athletes on a show where they have the chance to display their talents it puts their name in the mainstream on a more widespread level.
February 3rd, 2008 at 12:50 pm |
I think the tone of runnerville will be set by the articles that are published on the website. The articles that I’ve seen so far seem fairly encompassing, and are not overly complicated so as to deter non-runners or novices of the sport. An article about a world class runner’s victory in the 5k in some European race should more often than not be replaced by, say, the benefits of joining a running club, or how to form a running club, or funny stories about running club’s, etc.
February 4th, 2008 at 5:47 pm |
Now there’s an idea. 4×400 relay. One team: pick any person off the street and let them bring three friends. The other team: Alan Webb. (Actually, if you’re really picking average people off the street, probably Kara Goucher could take ‘em on.)
February 4th, 2008 at 6:12 pm |
Alan Webb or Ritz running 3000 meters against the nation’s top boys 4 X 800m team. Best time from 2007 7:39.5, essentially the time Buster Mottram ran at Rbk Boston Indoor Games 2007. Or other such combinations of top high school runners versus pros. For Christ sakes, jazz it up a bit. Stop being so pristine.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:16 pm |
See, these are the kinds of innovative ideas that the sport desperately needs. In an era of reality TV, YouTube, and a million sensory stimuli per second, the sport of running (T&F, cross country, road racing…) is operating more or less the same way it did 50 years ago. Break “tradition.” Stop being “so pristine,” as Toni said. Stop catering only to the 2% (?) of Americans who consider themselves fans of the sport.
Stop talking among yourselves.
Any idea is on the table at this point.