Love it - Sinead Diver slams running influencers.

Several people on this thread have blamed pro runners for being boring, but nobody's mentioned the "war" on merit. It's true that influencers have developed successful brands for themselves, but I've also seen people (and the media) actively disparaging the quest for excellence. Instead of using success stories as inspiration, many people bend over backwards to explain why the pursuit of excellence is a sign of unearned privilege and/or why other people cannot and should not put forth the effort.

Underneath all of this is a sense of nihilism, especially among young adults. Many cannot appreciate beauty, excellence, or truth because they've been taught subtly (or not so subtly) that there is no such thing or that all remarkable human achievements are an effect of oppression.

It's most disturbing to see these ideas spread by successful athletes or former athletes. Foremost in my mind is Lauren Fleshman (there are others, but she is probably the most prominent of the former pros), who made her way through grit, mental toughness, and of course, natural talent. Now she's wrapped up in a social justice mindset that claims to liberate people but instead erodes any sense of reverence for the human spirit.

I'm surprised that a 46 year old female runner who is running 2:21 for the marathon and shows no sign of slowing down isn't getting a trove of endorsements from drug manufacturers.

I’ve never understood why “older” athletes that are still performing well don’t get better contracts. Even if they were 1 year contracts. You can’t escape aging, and the majority of our audience “people buying running shoes or watching races” are going to be past their prime sooner or later. That older athlete still hanging with the young guns always seems to inspire the masses, occasionally just as much as the top stars. I’m 35 and athletes like this always excite me. Not that I’m going to be a pro runner, but a cool reminder that you can age and still be bad ass.

For someone like her, a company could create tons of relatable content around her busy life that people could relate to. Busy moms/dads working jobs and squeezing in runs can relate to her more than say…..a college lifestyle.

side note: the OG aging runner that is my all time favorite is Jack Foster!

Totally original post! Well done!

But you didn't think of it. Or were you - but it simply goes without saying?

I completely agree with her. Nobody wants to see a 2:59 (or slower) marathoner being filmed running 7 minute pace like he's having a documentary made about him. Or these "hybrid athletes" that run 30 miles a week and still claim to be training for a marathon. If anything I feel like it's giving people the total wrong idea of how to actually train for a race.

You bet I thought of it. I thought of it before you did. I thought that you would write what you did, because you can't accept that other people age better than you. You can't accept that clean athletes can be faster than your heroes. You are predictable. You are unoriginal. You are a fart in the wind.

Ciao!

Diver can hire an agent and a video producer and compete for the attentions of the casual fans. Being a media influencer is a career by itself with its own challenges and risks. They have to provide entertainment. Is the training life of a even the best runner in the world today Jakob Ingebrigtsen interesting to even other serious runners? What makes the docuseries about the family compelling are the family dynamics and the possibility of finding clues about whether and how the brothers are doping.

By the way, who are those other three ladies in the photo? No one's asking how they feel about their stories not being told.

Where did this narrative come from? How do you guys know that Mclaughlin's life is controlled by her husband? Was there some kind of expose or something that suggests this or are yall just pulling it out of thin air? Something you built up in your own heads? Is the fact that she's religious now the only bit of evidence you have?

Actually, I know of rupp more than what I do Bare.

*Rupp. I didn't realize that there was a time limit on making edits to posts.

The likelihood she is doped like so many others now certainly draws a reaction. Painful realities.

46 years old?

To the Gills

I may be off but I think it's in her own vlog of her race day, maybe in Paris where she lost the 400m attempt. Or around that time, people were saying she looks to her husband or her coach for validation after a race. And before a race, she (and Athing Mu) usually just say it's whatever Bobby decides.

I saw a little of her vlog and her husband does seem coach-y in a general way, like he tells her to get up and talk to the press and be humble in loss and victory, be thankful to God. Like, in a conversational way, but it definitely fits in with the model a Christian church has for a family/couple—that one person (usually the guy) is supposed to be the moral leader to follow the path of God and whatnot.

Never heard of Nick Bare