Our sport needs spectator friendly and all the help it can get on that side. That adds to the allure of the race. And just from the mental side it helps you stay focused better knowing you do these loops and you're not just off on the course out in the middle of nowhere. |
The crowd's definitely going to bring more excitement for those that have the USA uniform on. |
The Olympic Games tends to be a little more of a coming together of all the nations, so it's different. I really can't imagine a bad reaction. If it was going to be bad [in Athens], it would have been bad in Paris [at the World Championships] with all that went on last year with France. The reception was fine. Just pretty much like all the others we've gotten in other places. |
There was a moment there when we were getting concerned, |
Those of us in the sport who make our profession at it have seen this coming. We're not as surprised as some other people are. We've seen it building. This has been a work in progress for the last five or six years. It's a nice change. |
Well, I think for those of us that are in it, as we make our profession this way, we're not probably as surprised as some other people are, honestly. |
When Brian went by me, I thought he was some guy that jumped on the course. |
When Brian went by me, I thought it was some guy who ran onto the course. |
Yeah, it changes the dynamics of the race because he is such a big-time marathoner. And I definitely think it opens up a spot because someone of his caliber, even if he were coming in at 75 percent, would be a 2:10-type runner. |
You don't want the race to go without you, but you know you have 22 miles to go. It's a balance. |