to be a champion long-distance runner you had to “run on the edge of death.”

We’ ve certainly seen that philosophy in rather stark terms over the years fromrunners who admittedly were not the most talented but who worked their asses off and who raced on the edge of death, with an intensity that radiated from them like a fever. Emil Zatopek, Derek Clayton, and Steve Jones come to mind.

Is it racist to have American-only races? Not necessarily. Other countries have races that are restricted only to their own citizens.

Do we help U.S. athletes become betterrunners by restricting their competition? Of course not. A runner doesn’t improve by avoiding competition. Quite the opposite.

Do we help U.S. athletes become better runners by making up excuses for them or feeling sorry for them? Nope.

It’s all very nice to talk about a need to find ways to support promising runners so they can train under ideal conditions, but ideal conditions don’t make tough runners. Tough conditions do.

Although long-distance running certainly isn’t in the realm of bigleague professional sports, there are

September/October 1998

megabucks involved in today’s running compared to what was available 20 years ago, yet how many U.S. marathoners are breaking 2:10 these days? How many of the previous generation of U.S. marathoners were breaking 2:10 while fitting their training around jobs because there was little or no money in marathoning? Let’s see. There was Bill Rodgers (twice), Alberto Salazar (four timers), Dick Beardsley (twice), Greg Meyer, Ron Tabb, and Benji Durden.

If money is the problem, what’s the problem? It’s there to be had—in bushel baskets. New Balance has its million-dollar carrot. And we’re so hungry for at least one world-class marathoner that any American runner who is prepared to do whatit takes to gounder 2:08 can literally write his own contract.

Will there be one U.S. runner who uncorks a consistent string of worldclass marathon performances, or will there be a squadron of such runners erupting onto the world scene any day now?

Notifthey hide behind protectionist policies. A fire in the belly isn’t stoked in a protected environment. Focus isn’t possible in a kingdom of myopics.

—Rich Benyo