by Larry Eder
Coffee with Larry for 18 Dec 2023
Thisi is our podcast, #CoffeeWithLarry, the daily podcast from #RunBlogRun on global athletics.
Our topics;
1. This is an extended version of #CoffeeWithLarry, beginning at 10.30 AM Central US.
2. We did this off our phone was our wifi (Spectrum is just a mess many days) on our computer sucked this morning.
3. This morning, we began the day with a Conference call with Seb Coe, President of World Athletics.
4. Seb Coe spoke with us for 30 minutes, on the line was Sieg Lindstrom, Editor at TFN, Jonathan Gault, Senior Writer, LetsRun, Jason Henderson, Editor, of Athletics Weekly, RunnersWorld Spain editor, and myself, editor at RunBlogRun.
5. Seb had been doing these interviews since 10 AM Central European Time. When he spoke to us, Seb was 7 hours into the day.
6. Special thanks to Maggie Durand, Comms manager, and Jamie Foxx, Comms Director, for putting these together.
7. Seb’s theme: His first 4 years were cleaning up messes, his second 4 years were building infrastructure and now, in his final term, he calls it as his hardest work is ahead, he must shake up the sport.
8. Seb Coe does great interviews; he controls his narrative, and it is obvious that he, like the late Steve Jobs, knows that his relationship with the media is key to his and WA’s success.
9. I spoke to Seb Coe on the AOY fiasco. He noted that athletes and key players seemed to want more awards. Jamie Foxx noted that many agents and managers knew of the changes, but some athletes were not told.
10. Seb Coe also spoke about the challenges of putting on the marathon in World Champs, the lack of top fields in WC marathons, and perhaps time to move to half marathon distance or some other change.
11. Seb Coe wants Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2025 to be special years in our sport, like 2023.
12. Seb believes we need a billion fans on our platform each year and wants a longer season (Feb-Oct) and more competitions.
13. ” Fans do not get to see athletes compete enough, we just do not compete enough in this sport,” noted the President.
14. Seb is very good at not saying things as well, as one editor asked if the WC marathon will move to a Marathon Majors event?
15. No more light on 2026 events, but the word is it will be a significant change.
16. Seb Coe stressed that 2023 Budapest was the best WC ever, and WA will expect each future WC to be up to Budapest standards.
Budapest, Hungary
August 19-27, 2023
17. Watch for our story on the Seb Coe Interview on #Runblogrun.
18. The Dubai Marathon is on Jan. 7, 2024 (sponsored), streaming will be available. www.dubaimarathon.org.
19. The New Balance Indoor Games is on Feb. 4, 2024 (sponsored), tickets will be available at www.nbindoorgrandprix.com.
20. USATF Indoors will be Feb. 16-17, 2024, check out at www.usatf.org.
21. World Indoors will be in Glasgow in Scotland, March 1-3, 2024, www.worldathletics.com.
See you tomorrow on #CoffeewithLarry.
