There is zero marketing for Track and Field in the US. NBC only promotes the USATF Nationals while it is broadcasting the early season meets. USATF needs to spend some real money to market/promote the sport, not just have ads on Letsrun.com, Runnerspace, and Flotrack. You never see a separate commercial(s) for the meet. There is no pre-meet coverage/news on ESPN, FoxSports, etc. (exceptions are the NY and Boston Marathons) Outside of the diehards, no one even knows track meets are on TV in the US unless they accidentally tune in while changing channels. Until a real push to promote and market the sport happens, nothing will change. The leadership structure needs to change and they need to be prevented from paying themselves large amounts of $ (Max) and all the travel perks, etc need to go away for the lackeys who keep the same people running the show in charge. The Athletes need to stop talking and actually do something to change this. The MLBPA sued the league to drastically change how the free agency and trade rules worked. Similar things have happened in other professional sports. Things will never improve until the Athletes force the change. Just talking does nothing.
There is zero marketing for Track and Field in the US. NBC only promotes the USATF Nationals while it is broadcasting the early season meets. USATF needs to spend some real money to market/promote the sport, not just have ads on Letsrun.com, Runnerspace, and Flotrack. You never see a separate commercial(s) for the meet. There is no pre-meet coverage/news on ESPN, FoxSports, etc. (exceptions are the NY and Boston Marathons) Outside of the diehards, no one even knows track meets are on TV in the US unless they accidentally tune in while changing channels. Until a real push to promote and market the sport happens, nothing will change. The leadership structure needs to change and they need to be prevented from paying themselves large amounts of $ (Max) and all the travel perks, etc need to go away for the lackeys who keep the same people running the show in charge. The Athletes need to stop talking and actually do something to change this. The MLBPA sued the league to drastically change how the free agency and trade rules worked. Similar things have happened in other professional sports. Things will never improve until the Athletes force the change. Just talking does nothing.
Vin and Max are ruining and continue to kill the sport.
The attendance was quite poor when it was held at Drake in 2019.
I was surprised at how bad the attendance was when the championships were held there. From the pictures, the high school state meet has a better crowd!
Icahn was pretty full for NYC Grand Prix and it's a PITA to get to via public transportation. Millrose Games is always full. Not so long ago Usain Bolt broke the 100m world record in NYC. USATF needs to prioritize getting the Diamond League meet back to Icahn. Pre is a great meet but like Warholm is saying the travel is a pain for athletes who do the DL circuit (many of them already skip the China meets). And it's untenable for fans; only a diehard Jets fan would travel to Medicine Hat, AB to watch them play but tens of thousands will show up in East Rutherford, NJ.
Are we talking about THE New York City? And THE historic Millrose Games, The World's Most Prestigious Indoor Track & Field Competition? Are we to believe 4,000 fans attend? In a city of over 8,000,000 people? And that Diamond League meet at Ichan was embarrassing. The Grand Prix meet only slightly less so. Thank God for all the Jamaican devotees or you could have heard a pin drop (not unlike the last 10 or so Millrose Games held at Madison Square Garden)
Icahn was pretty full for NYC Grand Prix and it's a PITA to get to via public transportation. Millrose Games is always full. Not so long ago Usain Bolt broke the 100m world record in NYC. USATF needs to prioritize getting the Diamond League meet back to Icahn. Pre is a great meet but like Warholm is saying the travel is a pain for athletes who do the DL circuit (many of them already skip the China meets). And it's untenable for fans; only a diehard Jets fan would travel to Medicine Hat, AB to watch them play but tens of thousands will show up in East Rutherford, NJ.
Millrose is always full because they downsized the facility. In the late 80s, early 90s they used to fill Madison Square Garden for Millrose. Attendance dropped drastically in the 2000s. That with the desire to switch to a faster running surface instead of the 10 or 11 lap to the mile wooden board track, resulted in the meet being moved to the much smaller, but much better track at the Armory.
This type of thread always depresses me as this is just a lost cause. About a decade ago I knew some people who knew some people who knew some people as the saying goes.
So one morning Mike and Mike started to discuss T&F. I reached out directly to Jill and we had an exchange. I essentially said, they have an interest in this, you have an opportunity here, Max, athletes, background, yada yada etc.
It went nowhere as they are, and remain, utterly incapable of marketing and guiding the sport. Virtually anyone posting to this thread could do a better job at unearned media than they do. They are a disaster at paid media. I believe there is very little that can be done beyond blowing it all up and hitting reset. (or maybe it is the weekend already and I have just had too many bourbons on a Friday night.)
Vin has been gone for 2 years he is coaching at University of Virginia and has a solid distance team! Guess you will have to find another name to blame...
Guess I disagree about Hayward Field and Eugene! I absolutely love going there and I fly from the East Coast either directly into Eugene or Portland to then take a scenic train ride to Eugene love renting bikes to get around and they even have a bike valet for the trials. My son (12) has run Nike Outdoor Nationals and just recently USATF Junior Olympics and LOVES Eugene! I miss the old Hayward but enjoy the the new Hayward as well. Hoping the trials are there again next year cause I know my son will be very excited to go