Grand Prix for North and South America

[Guest]

What would you guys think if there were a grand prix circuit for runners in the Western hemisphere? I would love to see our athletes stay home and promote their sport.I know ther is alot of money to be made over in Europe in our sport,but I would really like to see our athletes do something to put our sport back in the media more often. It sickens me to see a sport that we do really well in have to compete with the likes of the MLS,pro Pool,Cheerleading,Hotdog eating,and X-games all the time for T.V. coverage. Think about major cities in the U.S.,Canada, the Carribean, and some South American cities like Rio,Sao Paulo,and Buenos Aires. Can't forget Mexico City either.

[Guest]

Re: Grand Prix for North and South America

Agreed!!!

[athlete72125]

Re: Grand Prix for North and South America

id like to second that post. t+f gets no tv coverage. we're never live, we're never on sportscenter or any other sports show. this sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest]

Re: Grand Prix for North and South America

Uh, you have heard of that thing called the equator, right? The planet doesn't divide well in North/South configurations, only East/West. Glad to see you care though.

ps--stay away from the Philippines.

[Guest]

Re: Grand Prix for North and South America

I know there is a weather difference Ferdinand, but have you noticed the Brazil GP is run in May? So it can be done. Run the South American parts early or late in the season.(march-may or august-september)

[blacklily]

Re: Grand Prix for North and South America

>What would you guys think if there were a grand
>prix circuit for runners in the Western
>hemisphere? I would love to see our athletes stay
>home and promote their sport.I know ther is alot
>of money to be made over in Europe in our
>sport,but I would really like to see our athletes
>do something to put our sport back in the media
>more often. It sickens me to see a sport that we
>do really well in have to compete with the likes
>of the MLS,pro Pool,Cheerleading,Hotdog
>eating,and X-games all the time for T.V.
>coverage. Think about major cities in the
>U.S.,Canada, the Carribean, and some South
>American cities like Rio,Sao Paulo,and Buenos
>Aires. Can't forget Mexico City either.

I think we're seeing this idea germinate, although it's not a cohesive whole yet. There are the Oregon Track Classic, Prefontaine Classic, & Oracle U.S. Open in USA...which are all IAAF Grand Prix or Grand Prix II meets. Mexico had its Banamex Grand Prix, which seeks IAAF GP status. Brazil has its IAAF Grand Prix meet. Canada has no IAAF GP meets, but I believe had a PacifiCanada series that it unveiled this year. The Caribbean has the Martinique GP II meet, & is trying to jumpstart a few others.

Of course, until the prize money significantly boosts -- the U.S. GP meets have about 1/3 to 1/2 less prize money than the Euro GL & GP meets -- Europe remains the big daddy. I also don't think we need to compete with Europe. North & South America's April-June big meet schedule works well with the global schedule.