SUPER BOWL NOT ONLY SHOW ON T.V.
Sure, even runners like to watch football. We'll be amongst the 95 percent of folks who will be watching the Super Bowl this afternoon.
But how about our sport? USATF recently announced the 2007 TV lineup which includes nine exposures on NBC and CBS. Ten shows will be broadcast on ESPN/ESPN2, and 20 hours on Versus. I cannot find Versus in the local listings and certainly not while scanning up and down for it, so have to assume it is only in some markets. The shows being touted are track and field events, it is true, but most road runners enjoy watching track races, especially the middle and longer distances.
Some of the televised events have already taken place. The Reebok Boston Indoor Games has already taken place. On Friday the Millrose Games was televised live on ESPN with a shot of New Jersey high school star Danielle Tauro as she won the his school mile in 4:52.81. A one hour taped show of select Millrose events were shown on NBC yesterday afternoon.
Next up in the lineup is the Tyson Invitational with coverage on ESPN on February 11th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. The indoor season wrap-up will be the AT&T USA Championships from Boston on February 25th on ESPN2 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.
The Penn Relays at the end of April will kick off the outdoor television season. The full schedule of track and field events is listed on the national USATF website www.usatf.org.
TIME TO GO INDOORS
With images of lithe athletes racing around the oval, now is the time for you road runners to make a brief excursion into the land of track racing. 2007 is the perfect year to make that temporary switch, thanks to changes on the racing schedule.
A very strong rumor has it that the Newark Distance Classic is moving this year to May from its usual spot in March. The USATF-NJ Open and Masters Track and Field Championships are being held at the Jersey City Armory on Sunday, March 4th. With nothing better to do, all you road runners can dust the snow off your shoes and come inside for a fun day at the races.
You can have your pick of a short, quick one, like the 400 meters, or a little longer at 800. For a few minutes you can imagine yourself as miler legend Eammon Coughlan or if you are a bit younger, as Alan Webb and make like a miler. If even that is too short for you to get your speed up, there is the 3,000 meter run, which is just 400 meters shy of a mile. You start that at 5K pace for the first half and then pick it up for the last half.
Many road runners are shy about getting on the track and feel way too visible, but there are two reasons why that should not matter this year. For the first time in my memory, New Jersey is teaming up with the association in New York, Metropolitan, to hold the meet in what may become a tradition of a dual meet championship.
That means there will be more bodies to hide amongst. The other is that if you bring your buddy and he brings his, you can be responsible for adding another flock of runners to hide amongst. You will be seeded with runners who run around your own pace and even if there are super stars who breaks away fast, there will still be fellow runners near you.
CHECK USATF WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION
Budding track stars need to check the USATF website for up-to-date information on the meet according to Managing Director Pam Fales. The schedule has been altered from the one that was printed in the Winter USATF newsletter. The first event will start at noon rather than at 10:00 am as was originally planned.
Fales also pointed out that USATF membership is required for all competitors. Runners can sign up or renew on-line now, which is what is recommended, or wait until the day of the meet.
Road runners need to be current members to run in USATF-NJ road championships and to participate in the long distance running grand prix. With the March racing season just a short month away, now is the time to attend to your membership.
Originally published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey on Sunday, February 4, 2007
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2007
