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'Our system stinks' American runners shut out since Salazar in 1982
Posted: Friday November 05, 1999 10:59 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Don't expect an American to win the New York City Marathon on Sunday. First-time participant Dan Middleman doesn't think the system allows that to happen. No American has won this race since Alberto Salazar in 1982. And Middleman, normally a 5,000- and 10,000-meter runner, thinks that won't change anytime soon. "Our system stinks," Middleman said Friday. "Training systems are set up in the rest of the world. There are coaches and clubs to take adult athletes and make them world class. Here there are no marathon coaches and no post-college coaching. There is no support for U.S. athletes after college, especially for distance runners." Middleman used David Morris of Eagle River, Alaska, as an example. Morris set an American record of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 32 seconds in the Chicago Marathon two weeks ago. "He lives and trains in Japan," Middleman said. "He is subsidized by the Japanese system with a Japanese coach. It's a system that's breeding success. They do the right kind of training. "The Kenyans, the Moroccans, the Portugese have all done that. They have professional people, doctors, trainers, training partners, all subsidized. They're working all the time and it's to their advantage. "Our distance runners do all their training by themselves, coach themselves and make up their own game plans. That's not the path to success. You need a professional coach who knows what he's doing. I don't see any world class marathon coaches in the United States." That will all change if Barry Frank has his way. Frank, who heads North American operations for TWI, the television division of IMG, made a formal proposal Friday suggesting that $1 be added to the price of every entry fee for every U.S. marathon. "With matching corporate funds, we could reach a goal of $1 million to establish an elite runners program." Frank's plan would divide the funds three ways -- pay the runners, hire the best coaches and establish high altitude training camps. "This is not brain surgery," he said. "The concept is simple. In a year, we could have it up and running." That might not be soon enough. Middleman thinks there won't be three Americans fast enough to qualify for the Olympic marathon. "There's Morris and nobody else around 2:14," he said. "That's a sad case. It's never happened before. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there are five guys out there who'll run 2:13 or faster. But I don't think so." Don't look at Middleman. He still views himself as a 5,000- and 10,000-meter runner. New York will be his first marathon. "This is my introductory course," he said. "It's a great place to start. I'm a novice in this event." He knows he must make a major adjustment between his usual distances and the grueling demands of the marathon. "I have to show serious restraint the first 10 miles," he said. "I'm so fit, I could easily go with the leaders for the first 10 miles and be content." A running pal of his tried that last year and wound up passing out in Harlem at Mile 22. "I have to run my own race at my own pace," Middleman said. American marathoners would understand that.
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