Why is it that everyone but the people in charge understands the problem?
“It’s part of the Peachtree’s charm. People won’t know the people who win or their name, but they’ll know that it (Peachtree) attracts some of the best talent in the world.”
That’s John Curtin of the Atlanta Track Club quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about tomorrow’s 42nd Peachtree Road Race, which doubles as the USA Road 10K Championship and PRRO Race of Champions.
If it weren’t so stunning an admission, it might actually be horrifying. Maybe I misread. No, that’s correct, having people not know who your anonymous, interchangeable champions are is now considered “charming”. Not a blight on the sport, not an indictment on the last generation of leaders who allowed a totally unregulated marketplace and stagnant prize purses to create the image that road racing is boring, even as race coffers continued to swell with participant entry fees, it’s charming. Kind of like how Antebellum life in and around Atlanta was charming, I guess. (more…)
