Runnerville

The Toni & Matt Show #7 [ 1:06:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

From coast to coast in the middle of march madness, episode #7 brings:

The Ryan Shay toxicology report.

The decline of American marathon running is drastic. Bring back dodgeball.

Meb out of London. Are the Olympics next?

The World’s Greatest Track & Field Meet. Zurich? Penn Relays? Rome? Nope, a high school meet in Kingston, Jamaica. No joke.

Is Haile the greatest ever? Would Olympic Marathon gold solidify his spot?

Should athletes take a stand against the Olympics? Toni says yes.

IAAF report says only 0.3% of drug tests were positive. We say, “Who cares? Save your money. Stop testing. Start researching.”

Boston Marathon puts together a solid field despite London’s deep pockets. Go Baba!

Russ Stewart calls in from Baghdad, Iraq. A recent 5K and a move to Tikrit on the agenda.

Special guest Don Janicki joins on the show. Don was a World Championship team member and multi-time marathon winner (2:11:16 PR); now he’s the pro athlete recruiter for the Bolder Boulder. We discuss the course change, the history, and who might make up the US contingent for the International Challenge. (Hint: they’ve already punched their tickets to Beijing.)

Join our conversation. Call the comment line at 206-888-0346.

The Toni & Matt Show #6 [ 1:15:52 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Mary Wittenberg and Bill Rodgers highlight Episode #6 of The Toni & Matt Show. This is a show you don’t want to miss. Let us know what you think; call the comment line at 206-888-0346.

In this episode:

Comment from Dwight: Should marathons split their professional and citizen races? A good argument, although I love meatloaf…

We chat with NYRR President and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
Will she apply for the USATF position?
What can agents do to better the sport?
How does NYRR balance it’s non-profit mandate with the professional side of the sport?
And much more…

Paula Radcliffe is out of London.
Should running promote the sport more like boxing than NASCAR and the PGA?
Will New York benefit from Paula’s withdrawal at London?

Do professional athletes bring value to road races?

Toni gets in trouble at the LA Marathon. Have we reached the point where a white guy can no longer call another white guy a white guy.

Gate River, World Indoors, and Steve Scott.

Comment from Billy Borkus.

Toni runs Jamaica Pond with Bill Rodgers…in 1982. If nothing else, listen to this four-minute segment that starts around 51:30 in the podcast.

What did you think? Do you want to hear more of Toni’s conversations from the 1980′s? Should we henceforth refer to Toni as “Toni the Tangent”? Contribute to the show; call the comment line at 206-888-0346.

[Music is "Sunshine" by one of my favorite artists Raul Midon.]

The Toni & Matt Show #5 [ 1:04:56 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How do you listen to the show? At your computer? On your iPod? In the car? On the run? We want to know. Call the comment line at 206-888-0346.

A great show to kick off the first week of March. More listener comments, including one from “professional” runner Matt Tegenkamp. Toni challenges the audience. And kudos to Lolo Jones for her $25,000 dance. If it’s in the sport, it’s on the show.

In this episode:

I. A call to action: call the comment line; contribute to the show (206-888-0346)

II. We received the following comment from Katie. Great constructive criticism:


I like the way your Toni & Matt show is developing. Criticism is getting a
bit more constructive, conversation a bit more comfortable. The one thing
that bugs me is what feels like a slight double standard – the criticism of
“20 in 10″ and the often non-competitive nature of some aspects of the
sport/disinterest in the common Joe (in Toni’s comments on the Spirit of the
Marathon) next to the reaction to someone like Russell calling in from Iraq.

I feel similarly sometimes, I’m not interested in the ‘one runner’s story’
kinda stuff, but then I MEET one runner, and hear the story in person and I
DO find it interesting – just as Russell’s story is fascinating. Its hard to
separate when/how coverage of that very integral part of the sport is
appropriate and inappropriate.

I don’t have a problem with what you guys have said so far, like I said, I
have similar conflicts. But your criticisms run the risk of going in circles
if you can’t define or sort out those issues somehow.

III. A brief recap of the LA Marathon: live streaming + good tv ratings + untapped potential = for sale?

IV. How can the WMM fix the fact that fans have to wait two years to figure out who wins?

V. Listener comment from Tara in Johnson City, Tennessee: Elite vs Professional

VI. Listener comment emailed to the show. It’s clear we have a bright audience:


I just wanted to make a quick comment on switching over to “professional” for elite fields, starts, etc.  One major problem is that running has really very few true professionals, and a lot of people who still have to do something else to make money, but regularly make elite starts, or get invited as part of an elite field, especially at smaller races.  I am a tier below these runners, but I know that to exclude them from the ranks of elite runners, by limiting it to professionals, would deny some of the richness of the sport.  I still think it’s really cool how many people hold a job they care about and are still passionate about running around in circles.

I have to get back to my lab work (my job as a genetics graduate student), but if I may suggest an exercise, look at the top 10 to 20 American women at the NYC marathon this year, and use the internet to see how many hold a day job.  In other words, how many are true professionals, and how many are just elite?

In a way, I think the elite vs. professional word choice points to a dispute within the sport on the whole. Should distance running in America support a few dozen runners who have been anointed since their high school Footlocker days?  Or is there room to support the next tier down as well, the few hundred who could make olympic trials, go to international cross country races that the professionals are too busy for, and might make the breakthroughs to get them into the true professional ranks?  Honestly, these are the runners that interest me, the ones I love to watch and cheer for, as a fan.

VII. Matt Tegenkamp (recent indoor 3000m champ) calls in with a question about marketing the sport.

VIII. T&M or M&T? You decide.

How would you improve the sport? Call the comment line at 206-888-0346. Just wait for the beep.

[Music is "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show]

The Toni & Matt Show #4

The Toni & Matt Show #4 [ 57:40 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Chris Lear joins Toni & Matt on Episode #4, without a doubt the best one so far. Not because of Chris (although he provides brilliant insight), but because of you – the listeners. Four audio comments made it into the conversation, which adds an entirely different dynamic to the show. If you have a question, comment, criticism, or suggestion, send it to 206.888.0346. Does that number scare you? Then record it as an mp3 file and email it to comments (at) runnerville (dot) com.

In this episode:

Impressions from US Indoors in Boston, MA
- Best races.
- Difference in atmosphere from Rbk Boston Indoor meet?
- Should World Indoor Champs stay on an annual cycle?
- Listener comment from Dwight.

Recap of US XC Champs in San Diego
- Ritz & Shalane dominate competition.
- San Diego shows itself off well.
- We need to package this event for the long-term.
- Listener comment from Tom Borish of TrackShark

Who Takes Performance Enhancing Drugs
- Listener comment from Joel asks Chris Lear about a comment he made referencing drug use of foreign athletes.
- Chris responds.
- Matt advocates for the devil.
- Toni stays mum.

A Message from Baghdad
- One of our growing legion of podcast listeners joins the conversation with a fascinating look at running in a war zone.
- Listener comment from Russell Stewart. Unreal.

“Spirit of the Marathon” Review
- Toni is lukewarm; prefers dodgeball and tag at recess, not “everyone is a winner.”

A Quick Look at the Women’s Oly Trials Marathon
- A run-down of top four or five contenders.
- Matt speaks with Terrence Mahon, then confuses his podcast host (Libsyn) with host of one of the world’s fastest half marathons (Lisbon. Toni laughs.
- Are Mammoth and Madison the new hotspots, and Schumacher and Mahon the new hot coaches?

One Minute Close Outs
- Toni previews the LA Marathon, which, apparently, still exists.
- Chris and Matt stir up old rivalries – Heps Weekend is Here!
- Georgetown and Villanova: the rivalry is back.
- USATF wants a new CEO by June 1st; hires consultancy to look outside of the sport (hooray!).

Call the comment line: 206.888.0346

[Music is "When We Say Goodnight" by Jonah Smith.]

The Toni & Matt Show #3 [ 59:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode:

Running USA Conference in San Diego: Building the Industry? That’s right, 20 million a decade. That was the theme – 20 in 10 (20 million participants in 10 years).

Peter Englehart, new head of Competitor Group, Inc. (which recently acquired Elite Racing, Competitor Mag, Triathlete Mag, and Velo News) intros self to running USA and outlines the future.

Who will be new CEO of Running USA after Basil Honikman steps down?  They won’t even say who the three final candidates are.  As David Hannah, founder of Houston Tenneco Marathon and co-founder of Running USA says, “we made a subconcious decision (as a sport) to remain a closely held secret.” We succeeded beyond our wildest imagination.

Rite-Aid Cleveland Marathon can’t get financial help from Cleveland Sports Commission, because they are not looked upon as a sport.  ”We are not in the business of assisting recreational activities”, says the head of the sports commission. A real world indictment of our leaders and industry.

Tom Fox, principal of Wasserman Media Group, says future of running and track viewing is on the web because there’s not broad enough appeal for over-the-air TV.  An attitude that allows the sport to reinforce its fragmentation and niche status. Once again in our disunity lies the opportunity for others to capitalize on our fragmentation.

Hospital Hill 1/2 in K.C., ING Hartford marathon, Mardi Gras Marathon, Dallas White Rock Marathon, Green Bay Marathon, Mohawk River Albany Marathon, join others in asking “Why even have elite athletes?  They do nothing for us, can’t speak english, just take away from improving amenities to average runners.”  Is this the beginning of the end of our sport, or the wake-up call that will finally ring the alarm?

Dathan Rites-Hyne and Paul Banya.

The “Meat Wagon” has become the “Sad Wagon”

Why do we use “Elite” and not “Professional”?

US XC this weekend. No Balboa park and only $1,200 for the winner. That’s not a typo…the best cross country athlete in the country will only take home $1,200. Talk about

Call the comment line at +1 206-888-0346. Join the conversation.

[Music is Nighttming by Coconut Records]

The Toni & Matt Show #2 [ 43:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome to Episode #2 of The Toni & Matt Show.

In this episode:

Mo Greene retires from the sport – who will entertain us?
Millrose attendance is down – should athletes have to commit to more than one race on the circuit?
Kara Goucher to the marathon – is this a positive trend for the sport?
Super Bowl and Super Tuesday have come and gone.
Listener comments – we play and respond to our first two audio comments.
A touching and powerful email from Godfrey Kiprotich.

Call in your comments to +1 206-888-0346 or email us an audio file (mp3, aif, or wav) at comments (at) runnerville (dot) com.

The Toni & Matt Show #1 [ 37:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome to the first episode of The Toni & Matt Show, featuring Toni Reavis and Matt Taylor. In this episode:
Intro
- Welcome
- Listener expectations
News
- The track season is underway, but with no Defar v Dibaba showdown.
- Craig Masback’s resignation. What it means and where we go.
- Violence continues in Kenya. Will it effect performance?
- Honolulu Marathon timing woes.
Runnerville Weekly Recap
- Has track lost touch with it’s fundamentals (i.e., racing)?
- Chris Lear ponders how much we want to know about our athletes.
Outro

Comments?
- Send them to comments (at) runnerville (dot) com
- Call our comment line: +1 206-888-0346. The first caller will get some as-yet-undetermined prize.

Music is “Over My Head” by Jeff Mallon.

The Toni & Matt Show Bumper [ 0:25 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If it’s in the sport, it’s on the show.