byLarry EderThe Sound Running TRACK MEET was held at San Juan Capistrano High School on May 6, 2022.
Some tremendous performances and some huge appearances by global athletes. Remember, the line from the movie, Field of Dreams, “if you build it, they will come.”
Too many track meets have misunderstood that. Many in the sport feel that if they put on a meet with good athletes, almost on time, mediocre video, fans will just show up. Au contraire, mes amis.
Sound Running has made cool little meets. In making cool, little meets, Sound Running has attracted a world-wide audience.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Sound Running, TRACK MEET, May 6, 2022, photo by Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
- Sound Running developed events during the pandemic, with the athlete in mind. Jesse Williams, Craig Vanderoef, and their team have put together a series of meets with the care of the athletes foremost. During the pandemic, they kept the locations under lock and key to keep the crowds down. As local ordinances changed, Sound Running began to build a live audience. During the pandemic, Sound Running had to house athletes, and manage testing, food, and training for up to a week. This attention to detail did not go unnoticed by the athletes.
- Sound Running developed a revised approach to streaming video. My belief is that most track & field video should be free, as we are trying to build our audience. Paid video, such as Flotrack and Runnerspace has their place, and both have done well. Sound Running shares its revenue from streaming video with the elite athletes who compete at their meets. Fans liked the hosts of the events and enjoyed the video, which was very good. The streaming audience is growing. They want to see the races and are willing to pay a modest price ($5.99 to $19.99) to watch the programming.
- Sound Running is serving athletes from most major brands and clubs. Sound Running has had the likes of the Bowerman Track Club, On Running, Brooks Beasts TC, Union Athletic Track Club Nike, among others, competing in their meets. The quality of the races, the quality of meet management, and the success of pacemakers are among the reasons why the SR events are a success. In March, when Sound Running moved it’s meet 24 hours, their consideration for the athletes, training to get a 10,000m qualifying mark, reinforced their motto, keep the athletes in mind.
- Sound Running events, their bespoke meets, have become a global phenomenon. The 5000 meters, which happened on May 6, 2022, featured Jakob Ingebrigtsen, showing that Sound Running TRACK MEETs have become events that elite athletes should support. Jakob Ingebrigtsen came to the US, to race in the US. The meet atmosphere has been praised by the athletes there, and most of them will be back.
- To learn more about Sound Running, please check out our two interviews with Jesse Williams: https://www.runblogrun.com/2022/03/socialing-the-distance-featuring-jesse-williams-founder-of-sound-running.html#more
