• Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Road Racing

Why Aren’t there more Matt Dahls in marathoning? The 42k question, by Elliott Denman

Larry Ederby Larry Eder
November 15, 2014
0
0 0
0
SHARES
6
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

MenStart-NYCM14.JPG

2014 TCS NYC Marathon is off, men’s start, photo by PhotoRun.net

Elliott Denman has seen the sport from many venues: in 1956, Elliott was an Olympic race walker, and since that time, Elliott has waxed poetically about our sport, from the indoor tracks , to the cross country race to the chilly day that was the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon. 

Elliot Denmann poses a good question, without a quick answer: where have all the young men gone? 

RelatedPosts

VESTRI RETURNS TO MASTERCARD MINI 10-K WHERE HUGE YEAR OF GROWTH BEGAN

BORN SPLASHES TO DELIGHTFUL RUN VICTORY IN FAST TIME

New York Road Runners to Host World-Class Professional Athlete Field with 10,000 Runners for 53rd Mastercard New York Mini 10K Saturday, June 7

WHERE HAVE ALL THE TWENTY-SOMETHINGS GONE?
WHY AREN’T THERE MORE MATT DAHLS IN MARATHONING?
 
   By ELLIOTT DENMAN

 On one hand, Matthew “Matt” Dahl  placed “only” 118th in the TCS New York City Marathon.

 On the other hand, he beat out 50,751 others in the five-borough trek to the finish line at Tavern on the Green in Manhattan’s Central Park.

 On one hand, he covered the 26.2 miles in “only” two hours, 39 minutes and 39 seconds.

In brutally windy conditions, of course.

  On the other hand, he placed 14th of all Americans in the men’s 25-29 age bracket and left an armada of contemporaries in the dust.

   On one hand, it was only the second full marathon race of his life.

   On the other hand,  he knows that experience is a handy-dandy thing but not really every darn thing.

     On one hand, at his age of 27, he should be in the prime of a runner’s life.

   On the other hand, Matt Dahl took two full years off from running after a quality collegiate career in track and cross country.

  So what’s the point of this exercise?

  So let us tell you that the road running/marathon world badly needs a whole more people like Matt Dahl.

  Very-very sadly, a typical men’s field for a major marathon field like New York can be be broken down – always – into just a handful of ever-so-predictable groups.

  (A)  At the front of the pack – always – will be the small coterie of international e
lites, 
who monopolize the headlines, the TV focus and, most importantly, the prize money.

    Yes, the people like Wilson Kipsang (2:10:59) of Kanya, Lelisa Desisa (2:11:06) and Gebre Gebremariam (2:13:13) of Ethiopia, Meb Keflezighi (2:12:18) of USA, and Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda (2:13:25), who placed 1-2-2-4-5.

  (B) Maybe three-quarters-of-an-hour back of these elites, these pros –  always – will be the semi-serious runners who have no hope in the world of ever winning one of these things, but still turn in respectable performances.

 (C)   And maybe an hour-and-a-half back – and more – of those leaders – always – come the vast multitudes, the thundering herds, the average guys who’ve fueled the whole marathon explosion, who’ve made possible the rewards in dollars and attention awaiting the runners up front-and-center.

  There really should be a huge delegation in the category we might call either A-minus or B-plus. 

  Yes, Matt Dahl’s category.

  But there just isn’t.

 These numbers the story.

  Just 2,593 runners in the 25-29 division finished the race.

  But there were multiples of that figure in the older groups – the ones some wise-guy kids might call the over-the-hill groups.

  Check these figures – 5.009 35-39-year-old men finished the race; 5,985 40-44-year-olds got to Tavern on the Green; 4,744 45-49-year-olds got over all the bridges and all the boroughs;  3,845 50-54-year-olds ran all the avenues, Fourth in Brooklyn, First in Manhattan, Willis and Madison into the Bronx and back,  and on to the Tavern.

  The point we’re driving at:  There’s simply relatively minuscule representation these days for the still-youngish runners who aren’t good enough/fast enough/dedicated enough to be pro elites. They may profess they still love the game, they may say they want to “hang in there” best they can, given the real-life constraints of jobs, careers, families and all manner of serious considerations, but they – by and large – just don’t.

   They just don’t find the way.

    They just don’t follow the enlightened footsteps of runners like Matt Dahl.
   He was a quality runner – 1:57ish 800s, 4:18 1600s – but not a conference champion, a sectional champion, or a state champion at New Jersey’s Raritan High School.

   He was a quality runner – 14:39 5,000 meters, 25:45 8K cross country – but never a superstar for the Rider University Broncs of the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference.

   He took a two-year sabbatical from the running game following graduation – until he realized he loved it too much to stay away any longer.

  By now holding down a major job as an operations manager at WABC Radio in New York – he laced up the old training flats and built a running program into his busy daily routine.   Yes, there were enough hours in the day to register some decent miles after all.

   And so Matt Dahl can call himself a runner once again – not a pro, not an elite, but not a jogger, either.

He has some major ambitions now.   

He’s already planning to celebrate Patriot’s Day in Boston next April.   He’s already thinking sub-2:30.  He’s already looking in the mirror and telling himself – again – “there’s a real athlete.”

 But why aren’t there more Matt Dahls out there?

  Where have all his scholastic and collegiate contemporaries fled to?

 Why have they told themselves they’d crossed too many finish lines to
re-savor the “high” of getting to yet another?

  Why do tell themselves this was a sport fo
r “the kids” when all the evidence
points in a contrary direction?

 Why can’t they see it the way Matt Dahl now sees it?

  Why can’t they reach Matt Dahl’s own conclusions – that he “missed running so much,” that he’d “done it for so many years and it was still so much fun,”  that now that he’s lacing ’em up and pinning on the numbers,  he’s “having a blast.”

Why? 

Why? 

Why?

Call it the 26.2-mile / the 42K question.

Author

  • Larry Eder

    Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

    View all posts
Previous Post

Shoe Addicts Exclusive: Tour of ASICS Global Booth at TCS New York City Marathon, November 2014, video by the Shoe Addicts

Next Post

USARC Title within reach for Sara Hall at .US 12-K Championships, by David Monti, RRW, used with permission

Larry Eder

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

Similar Post

Night of the British PRs – and a National record.
Uncategorized

Night of the British PRs – and a National record.

June 13, 2025
All Diamond Leagues are equal but some are more equal than others
Diamond League

All Diamond Leagues are equal but some are more equal than others

June 13, 2025
Six take-aways from the Golden Gala (Golden Gala Roma 2025)
Coffee With Larry

Coffee with Larry, June 11, 2025, Some thoughts on Rome, Oslo Diamond League

June 13, 2025
This Day in Track & Field, June 12, Walter Tewksbury was first American to break 11 seconds (1900), Kjell Isaksson sets PV WR (1972), written by Walt Murphy
Athletic History

This Day in Track & Field, June 12, Walter Tewksbury was first American to break 11 seconds (1900), Kjell Isaksson sets PV WR (1972), written by Walt Murphy

June 13, 2025
Viva Italia (Golden Gala Roma, June 6, 2025)
Spring Training

2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, June 12, 2025, week 13, day 4, Second week of sharpening, Second week, transition from track to cross country.

June 13, 2025
Coffee with Larry, Bauhaus Stockholm was a rainy success, but what about the protesters?
Diamond League

300m hurdles clash, 5000m WR attempt, Alfred’s 100m debut, and … Mondo (Preview of Oslo Diamond League)

June 12, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to RunBlogRun's Global News Feed

Wake up to RunBlogRun’s news in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll keep you informed about the Sport you love.

*we hate spam as much as you do

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

April 5, 2023
2023 Nike Pre Classic: Two Amazing Days of Track & Field!

Noah Lyles, The Clock Doesn’t Lie

March 7, 2024
USATF / Day Four:  USA’s Assembled Team Is Ready!

Abby Steiner replies via twitter, on the curiosity about her new professional running contract

February 6, 2025
Grand Slam Track’s Kingston Slam Comes to a Close with 12 Slam Champions

2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, April 11, 2025, week 4, day 5, fourth week of year, Friday is an easy day!

April 12, 2025
Mondo Duplantis and the Jump that made him the greatest of all time

Mondo Duplantis and the Jump that made him the greatest of all time

8
What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

7
My Five Biggest Takeaways from the Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon, by Oliver Hinson

My Five Biggest Takeaways from the Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon, by Oliver Hinson

7
Asafa Powell, Considering Longevity in Sprinting

The RunBlogrun Interview: Asafa Powell

5
Night of the British PRs – and a National record.

Night of the British PRs – and a National record.

June 13, 2025
All Diamond Leagues are equal but some are more equal than others

All Diamond Leagues are equal but some are more equal than others

June 13, 2025
Six take-aways from the Golden Gala (Golden Gala Roma 2025)

Coffee with Larry, June 11, 2025, Some thoughts on Rome, Oslo Diamond League

June 13, 2025
This Day in Track & Field, June 12, Walter Tewksbury was first American to break 11 seconds (1900), Kjell Isaksson sets PV WR (1972), written by Walt Murphy

This Day in Track & Field, June 12, Walter Tewksbury was first American to break 11 seconds (1900), Kjell Isaksson sets PV WR (1972), written by Walt Murphy

June 13, 2025

Popular Stories

  • Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

    Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Noah Lyles, The Clock Doesn’t Lie

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Abby Steiner replies via twitter, on the curiosity about her new professional running contract

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, April 11, 2025, week 4, day 5, fourth week of year, Friday is an easy day!

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • An epic pole vault competition

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Night of the British PRs – and a National record.
Uncategorized

Night of the British PRs – and a National record.

June 13, 2025
All Diamond Leagues are equal but some are more equal than others
Diamond League

All Diamond Leagues are equal but some are more equal than others

June 13, 2025
Six take-aways from the Golden Gala (Golden Gala Roma 2025)
Coffee With Larry

Coffee with Larry, June 11, 2025, Some thoughts on Rome, Oslo Diamond League

June 13, 2025
This Day in Track & Field, June 12, Walter Tewksbury was first American to break 11 seconds (1900), Kjell Isaksson sets PV WR (1972), written by Walt Murphy
Athletic History

This Day in Track & Field, June 12, Walter Tewksbury was first American to break 11 seconds (1900), Kjell Isaksson sets PV WR (1972), written by Walt Murphy

June 13, 2025

Recent Tweets

Next Post

USARC Title within reach for Sara Hall at .US 12-K Championships, by David Monti, RRW, used with permission

runblogrun

RunBlogRun comments on the global world of athletics, sports & ethics, and the Olympic movement. @runblogrun

Browse by Category

Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Home page
  • My Account
  • Sample Page

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

Select a password for yourself. (minimum length of 8)

Paste here the user biography.

Provide here the twitter screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the instagram screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the facebook profile URL. i.e. http://www.facebook.com/RunBlogRun

Provide here the linkedin profile URL. i.e. https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-eder-5497253

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Home page
  • My Account
  • Sample Page

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved