Racing 10K's through a Beer Tent

[aaronk]

Just watched the main races of Great Britain's "Night of the 10000 PB's" via FREE livestream!!
I watched these races in 2016 also!

They're fast, as last year was GB's qualifiers for Rio, and this year for London!

Someone on Twitter asked Why not in the US?
Indeed!!

Want something different in T&F?
Want to keep fans interested during those "boring" (NOT!) track 10K's?
Want to stand in the 4th lane (or so) while cheering your fave along?
Want to sip BEER while watching??

All this happens at these British races!!
So why not in the US?
At Pre?
Payton Jordan?
ANYWHERE??

Anyone else watch this event--last year or this year?
BTW, Andy Vernon ran 28:21 for the win, while Beth Potter's 32:04 was the Women's winner.

The first 2 make GB's team---IF they can meet London's Q time by July 9th.
Vernon said he'll race Hengelo to go for the time.
Just wanted to win today.
Potter made the Q.
Steph Twell---in her 1st track 10K---was 2nd, but missed the Q by 1 second!!
She might do the 5K, however!

Jo Pavey ran 32:43 at age 43 to take 4th, I believe!

ADD: Not sure of exact distance, but it appears the tent is about 50 meters long (on the finishing side of the track)---so in a 10K, runners would run about 1250 meters through the tent!!

[Flumpy]

I was there, It was great. Tents were on both sides of the track. Most importantly they sell beer and wine!!!

Paula, Seb, Dave Bedford and Wendy Sly were all in attendance. More meetings should take note. It's a fantastic event.

[Merner521]

This would be the only thing that would would make me want to go to a 10,000 race (I don't hate distance, 5k on the track is a good race)!

Cool idea, but not completely novel. I lived in St Louis a couple of years ago, and at our spring marathon, there was always a "cheer station" at one of the cooler neighborhoods a couple of miles from my house. If I wasn't running the race, I would jog over because it was a good place to watch, and the nice people of that neighborhood would often offer me a drink. This was at about 730 or 800am.

There was also a criterium race the next month in a hip neighborhood a mile or two the other direction where you could sit on the patio and have some beers while the pros zipped by at amazing speeds.

[Master Po]

Enjoying a good drink while others entertain with their excellence is an ancient tradition. It could not but enhance a track 10k (which is an event I really appreciate already).

[gh]

Given how virtually all U.S. tracks are owned by scholastic institutions, selling alcohol on the oval would be a pretty tough sell.

[Bruce Kritzler]

Given how virtually all U.S. tracks are owned by scholastic institutions, selling alcohol on the oval would be a pretty tough sell.

Yeah, that's only allowed in football stadiums.

[gh]

As of a couple ofyears ago, only 34 college football stadia sold beer

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/beer-map-shows-trend-stadiums-selling-beer/

And jumping through the hoops, so to speak, is probably a finaincial winner for football, but would not be for a crowd perhaps numbering in the 100s for a track event.

Note: the OT in Eugene sells beer, but only at an outside-the-stadium festival zone.

I'm pretty sure beer was available in the stadium at LA in '84, most definitely was at New Orleans '92 and Sacto '00. No particular memory of Sacto '04, but suspect it probably was. And no memory of Atlanta '96, but I'm guessing yes.

[aaronk]

On his last 2 laps through the tent, Vernon high-fived his fans!
A tented race, beer & wine served, the winner mingling with the crowd even as he dashed to a clear victory!!

What more could you want?
Dancing girls?
A brass band?

So I really hope US stadia will allow this!
Payton Jordan & Pre (Friday night) would be perfect!!
I.D. checks would be strict, so students can't buy booze.
No hard liquor!

As if kids aren't boozing it up (and far worse!) at parties already!!
Nothing seemed out of control at the British event!!

[26mi235]

I.D. are not what is required on most college campuses; it simply is not allowed at many places on campus outside of licenses eateries. I do not know the U. Oregon rules (and it has been too long since I taught at Oregon State to be relevant) but I doubt it would pass muster, although it might be easier in the non-school year. What will the rules be for the Worlds?

[Powell]

There was once a track meet in Poland, sponsored by Żywiec (a Polish beer brand) with free beer! It was a pretty good meet, too (I was there in 2002, when Kajsa Bergqvist jumped 2.05), but it was discontinued after 2 or 3 editions.

[mump boy]

On his last 2 laps through the tent, Vernon high-fived his fans!
A tented race, beer & wine served, the winner mingling with the crowd even as he dashed to a clear victory!!

What more could you want?
Dancing girls?
A brass band?

So I really hope US stadia will allow this!
Payton Jordan & Pre (Friday night) would be perfect!!
I.D. checks would be strict, so students can't buy booze.
No hard liquor!

As if kids aren't boozing it up (and far worse!) at parties already!!
Nothing seemed out of control at the British event!!

There was a band and dancing girls and a Q&A with Seb, Paula, Wendy and Snooker legend Ronnie Olympic Sullivan (he's a very keen amateur runner). They all mingled with crowd signing autographs and taking pictures with fans, especially Paula who was there till the bitter end.

[Flumpy]

Wendy and Paula even did a sack race for some reason???

[BCBaroo]

Let's not forget the awesome American Track League meet at Rice last year. FREE beer in a paddock area. Couldn't leave with it. But I did visit it several times. Then watched a future 1500 meter gold medalist face off against a future 800 meter bronze medalist over 1000 meters. I watched from the INSIDE rail - phenomenal opportunity to feel how fast those boys fly. Then posed for pictures with a future silver medalist in the pole vault and a certain future gold medalist in the decathlon. (You guys know the names). And my 4 year ran up and down the pole vault runway for a solid hour having the time of his life.