Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 117, April 2019 | Page 37

Anybody who witnessed Stephen
Mokoka break the SA 10,000m Record
in Stellenbosch in 2016 will understand
that with knowledgeable commentary,
even a 25-lap race can become enthralling
entertainment!
Don’t just tell me the field covered that lap in 62
seconds. What does that mean in terms of the final
time? How does that relate to the average runner? Put
things into perspective. Get the viewer excited and
in awe. You are dealing with thoroughbreds who are
doing something exceptional.
Of course, it doesn’t help that producers will often
cut away from the middle distance races to go to
a field event. Uhm, split screens much? Separate
commentary channels? This is all doable. Sure, there
is a cost factor, but if you are not going to invest in
the sport, then please just walk away. You’re not
helping. And that comment is aimed firmly at the
guardians of the sport, i.e. the IAAF and its member
federations. If they are not assisting the broadcaster
in the presentation, well then, as I said, please find the
nearest exit.
Drama and Excitement
As Editor of the Guardian Newspaper and author,
Adharanand Finn, says, “No, endurance events
aren’t inherently boring to watch. When the story
of a race is told well, when the fans can connect
with the competitors, long-distance running can
be a compelling drama in many acts, with lots of
unpredictable, gut-wrenching plot twists. Think back
to London 2012. Everyone in the UK was glued to
their screens for the men’s 5000m and 10,000m
finals, because the tension had been built up. We had
our man to root for, the lone Brit against the might
of East Africa. Sport works when you take sides,
when you know the personalities, their histories and
their rivalries. What is most often lacking in distance
running is the storytelling.”
As for the argument of so called ‘dead time?’ Well,
allow me to present this:
Sport is supposed to entertain, so then please make
sure that your presentation is entertaining. Start with
the producers of the athletics broadcasts. How many
of them actually understand the sport? I have come
across maybe three in the world who truly understand
athletics, and are therefore able to present an exciting
broadcast. In other words, knowing when to go to
specific shots, which informative graphics to put up,
and the vital element of managing a good team of
commentators.
Middle distance races tend to start unfolding in the
second third of the race. While it does happen, it is
rare that an athlete will attack from the gun, so once
you hit roughly one third of the race, the real racing
starts. Testing surges. Suicidal attacks. Ramping
up of the pace. It all starts then. And you can only
tell that story if your commentators actually know
what is happening, which requires a knowledge
and understanding of the race, the athletes and the
tactics. And they need to be able to bring that across
in an exciting manner, not just rattle off stats that the
viewer doesn’t understand. That art is now rare.
just not in the televised part of the meeting, this still
does not develop the sport, and here is why:
That is exactly what will happen. I spoke to Jurrie
van der Velden of Global Sports Management and
he was visibly upset about the rule. “Anyone who
tries to do this has no passion for the sport,” he says.
Like me, Jurrie is passionate about middle and long
distance running, so that was the emotional side of
his argument, but he quickly reverted back to his role
as an expert in the field. “With no coverage of the
middle distance events, apparel sponsors, who are
the biggest investors in the sport, will not get their
coverage and will look somewhere else. You are killing
the sport.”
(That being said, the apparel sponsors are not helping
at the moment, because putting all their athletes in
the same kit doesn’t help an already struggling sport
to stand out.)
Dissenting Elites
Meanwhile, the elites are also voicing their opinion
about the IAAF’s decision. South Africa’s 10,000m
record holder and arguably our best marathon runner,
Hendrick Ramaala, feels that the decision needs to
be rethought. Like so many athletes, he cut his teeth
on the track before moving to the road.
Perhaps the strongest argument comes from the
current marathon World Record holder, Eliud
Kipchoge of Kenya. He is not only the fastest ever
marathon runner, on a legitimate record-legal course,
but has won 10 of the 11 marathons he has run,
including the 2016 Olympic Games Marathon. In
addition to the World Record, Kipchoge boasts the
third- and fourth-fastest times ever for the marathon.
He won the World Champs 5000m title in 2003, was
third at the 2004 Olympics, and second in 2008. So
when ‘El Kip’ says this, maybe some people should
listen...
Now Steve Magness is not merely some ‘fan boy.’
He has real credibility in the sport. If you want to
know more about Steve, have a look at https://www.
scienceofrunning.com/about?v=68caa8201064.
By eliminating the 5000m from the main programme
of the Diamond Leagues, the IAAF effectively stops
middle and long distance running development in its
tracks. While the IAAF has since then changed its
stance and now says the 5000m will still feature, but
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Manfred Seidler is a freelance Olympic sport journalist who has been in the industry
since 1994, in both print media and broadcasting, covering four Olympic Games for SABC Radio, and
producing various athletics shows for the SABC. Follow him on Twitter: @sportmansa; Facebook: Sport Man
SA; Instagram: ?????????, and check out his weekly podcast: RunnersGuideRadio - https://soundcloud.
com/sportmansa.
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