Elite and Age Class Sprints

[mharky]

it's not at all like Wimbledon

Congratulations on missing the point.

Is there a veteran Wimbledon? Do you ever see the England over 40's football team on TV. Who is the World Masters 100m champion?

My point is that Juniors Elites are treated like Senior Elites, because in a few years they will be senior elites, they are on the way up. Veterans are on the way down.

Juniors and 35's are to be expected to be at the top. 18,20,21,35 should be one course, not age-class, in sprint, middle and relays.

[SJC]

Is there a veteran Wimbledon? Do you ever see the England over 40's football team on TV. Who is the World Masters 100m champion?

Not quite sure where this argument is going (although there is an invitational veterans event at Wimbledon which the old stars do get to play in).

But it seems to me that if you want a prestigious Elite event which advertises the athletic nature of the sport, the last thing you want is old men in beards and pyjamas running round at the same time. Another reason for keeping the events separate I think.

[mharky]

My point was that junior is the stage before elite and should be of interest and held at the same event. The master, whilst still highly competitive and significant for those involved, so not of the same importance to the governing body.

Other than cost & marketing, are there any reasons why these events should be held together?

With regards to maps, I think there is still a shortage of sprint maps (not necessarily urban) and many smaller areas are suitable for middle races, but might not have suitable maps. Hosting the BEOC would give the club/region an opportunity to get some quality maps which they can then use in the future. I'd say it was more of an investment than a cost.

[awk]

My point was that junior is the stage before elite and should be of interest and held at the same event.

You evoke Wimbledon, but in sports more closely aligned to orienteering (e.g. running sports), you rarely if ever find the junior competition at the same event. Rather, those juniors who are ready to race at elite level, do so but as elite athletes. Otherwise, the competitions are kept separate and the vast bulk of juniors compete at their own level in their own events.

Is there a veteran Wimbledon? Do you ever see the England over 40's football team on TV. Who is the World Masters 100m champion?

Yes. No, but then do England juniors get on TV (actually, they might occasionally now given the need for satellite TV to fill its schedules)? And I don't know who the World Junior 100m champion is either, but I do know that the current World Masters record holders are, FWIW, Linford Christie and Merlene Ottey.

As for the tennis analogy - there is far bigger money in Masters Tennis than in junior tennis, and some ferocious competition and sponsorship that gets far more TV coverage in some parts of the world than the juniors (e.g. the States), completely independent of the elite competition. But there again, I'm not sure how relevant the tennis analogy is.

[graeme]

It's like Wimbledon & Junior Wimbledon.

.. except that junior wimbledon is structured so that there's more than one person in the final.

[graeme]

But it seems to me that if you want a prestigious Elite event which advertises the athletic nature of the sport, the last thing you want is old men in beards and pyjamas running round at the same time.

So I only went to one BEOC Sprint, at Scarborough. But it was the best showcase event I've ever seen in the UK. The elites, running the final alone, were a credit to the athletic nature of the sport. The supporting cast of hundreds made it feel like a real sporting event. The focus on a single race for a single champion brought it all together. No other British Champs at any other length has done this because everyone is primarily interested in their own course. It's a brilliant format for an elite race.

The vets sprint has similar potential: with the existing format the leaders in each class
finish within minutes, so the commentary team can concentrate on one class for the crucial few minutes, then move on to the next. It's a brilliant format for a multi-class race.

Selfishly, I'd like them both on the same weekend...