Very few track meets are economically viable. Year after year the IAAF loses money, while a handful of major track meets manage to fill stadiums and find their way onto television. To survive, track and field must embrace its strengths and cater to a particular audience. Most events will never match the likes of the Monaco Diamond League, and they need not try. Even major meets like Monaco will struggle to survive when they shell out the majority of their budget to bring in a few star athletes. Contrary to popular belief, Usain Bolt is not the future of the sport. Rather, his charlatan manager is sucking these meets dry – reducing competition and potential for others to flourish. The masses love to see the Jamaican run, but will they still travel with as much zeal to a meet in which he is not participating? The overwhelming consensus is no. Their superficial love affair is with Bolt, not the sport itself. In fact, Bolt’s passion and ability to put on a show is everything most at the top of the food chain in track and field lack.

Meet promoters must clearly outline why they are having a track meet. Often television is used as a reason for a meet in order to ‘reach new audiences’, which inevitably means trying to pocket a few dollars from advertising. Some meets are designed specifically to help athletes record qualifying marks – such as the 1500m organised by Marc Corstjens in Oordegem, Belgium last year, while others are about bringing together communities for various reasons – such as the track meet for Christchurch in Wellington after disaster struck. Rarely do the goals combine all three. Either way, as each city is unique, each track meet must be unique and specific to a particular audience if the sport is to survive.

It can be argued that track peaked in the 60’s and 70’s. In fact, my grandmother has witnessed more men break the four-minute mile barrier than I have for the simple fact that she was in New Zealand in the 1960’s. That’s what you did back then on Friday night, it was entertainment. It may seem cliché, but there really was less to occupy your weekends before sport was ever thought of as a ‘profession’. These days if we want the mob atmosphere of a stadium we will watch the Super 14 rugby, Aussie rules or the NFL. Although track was one of the first sports to dabble in professionalism, it is no longer on equal terms with most sports as they have evolved into a new world of sports-entertainment.

Rather, track meets must be small, sophisticated, and intimate. Imagine fixed-gear bikes in the parking lot, beer gardens, taking bets in a Moleskine - all while sitting on a grassed bank around the track. What happened to the city of Christchurch was a catastrophe, but the new format of the International Track Meet as a result of its consequences is something that deserves both admiration and examination, and proves that necessity is the mother of all innovation.

I have long admired the intentions and efforts of Craig Motley, Leyton Tremain and the countless volunteers and sponsors in attempting to bring elite athletes from around the world back to New Zealand to produce world-class performances. Although it so far has succeeded in being about as international as ANZAC day, it nonetheless did navigate some attention to the tartan, particularly with the consistent support and star-power provided by the only person from the Hutt Valley to receive a college-education: Nick Willis. Before the new grass-track meet format, the burning image I have from the coverage of the previous ITM’s were those of a near empty stadium that was as old and decrepit as its namesake – Queen Elizabeth II. The atmosphere might have been better at ground-zero, and the numbers might have been “pretty good for track” – but hosting a meet in a stadium that size in New Zealand is all sorts of wrong.

Athletes will rarely attempt or expect to run world-class times or qualifiers in New Zealand. Yes, there are exceptions - but in general what they can and should expect with Christchurch’s new format is a warm atmosphere, fun, and excitement as well as a bit of warm weather during the Northern Hemisphere winter. Surrounding a beautifully cultivated grass track with benches full of school kid’s is a way to bring track back to its roots, which is how it will survive in any manner of worth.

So why should world-class athletes buy into this format? Because it is their duty to do so. They are ambassadors and role models for the sport and are often paid rather well for it. Too many ‘professional’ athletes shelter themselves in secrecy and will only race for big money. The drama and gossip within the running community is pathetic and embarrassing. It’s running – no one should give a shit which group Kara Goucher is going too, or what training Chris Solinsky does or does not do. The only people who really do care are the trolls on the Letsrun.com message boards who are going to do nothing but nerd-up track meets with talk of PB’s and what spikes they just purchased on Eastbay.

Spot the difference...

You guys are off to Louisville for Conference this weekend, can you guys emulate the All Blacks and win while doing it the hard way?

The guys and I are really looking forward to this weekend. We’re expecting it to be just as much of a nail bitter as the AB’s had over the Frogs (Editors note: The Runner’s Tribe does not take responsibility for Mathews racial comments regarding the sovereign state of France). However, we do have a few Kiwi’s in our way, with the boys at Providence running awesome this year, but we’re looking forward to the showdown. The Big East is such a big deal for both the team and the coaching staff and this is the first time in a decade we have had a legitimate chance at taking home the title. So we’ll take it anyway we have to run it (be it ugly or not).

Typically you have finished the money-end of each season as Villanova’s no.1 guy both on and off the course, are you starting to find some form?

This year definitely hasn’t gone according to plan. I’ve really come to realize how big of a toll stress can play on a runner. Unfortunately this is part and parcel with being a student athlete at such an academically rigorous school. It has been a combination of a few things that we think (my coaches and I) has left me pretty drained. Things are turning around for the better, and after a great summer and an even better opener at the Mainline Invite I know the form is there. It’s really great to have a team of studs who have stepped up and kept us competitive while a few of the guys get back on track.

Two years ago your team was 11th in the country and you were All-American, yet last year you didn’t quite match the same success. What happened?

Last year was one of those years where things didn’t seem to click across the board, which is a tough thing to swallow on the back of such a good season the year before. We had a few injuries and illnesses take down some of our top guys early, but again we had guys step up to keep the momentum rolling. In fact I would say that a lot of guys left the season on a high note. We really got up and had a stella run at regional’s (considering the circumstances) placing second behind a very good Princeton team. NCAA’s was always going to be tough running against such a high caliber field especially when things aren’t going exactly to plan. We ended up 23rd which is honestly where we were probably expected to fall.

Your team mates Matt Gibney and Keith Capecci are both running well this season and will be huge factors at Conference, who do you think would win in a mud-wrestling fight between those two?

To your first point: The boys are really leading the charge out there this season! It’s great to see Gibney showing us distance boys how it’s done, and Keith being a Bawse as usual.

Now to the meat of your question: That’s a huge call. You have two large Alpha males squaring off. This thing is definitely going late into the 12th. If I’m going to go with my gut I’d have to go with Keith. Having had experience with the big guy in the ring I can say first hand that he knows how to get the job done. However if you’ve ever seen the Gibinator with 100 to go you know he won’t go down without a fight. I say Keith gets it in a choke out- give or take some hair pulling.

I heard that you are engaged to be married, is that true?

Mathew declined to offer a legitimate response to this question obviously due to the seriousness of the situation. We at The Runner’s Tribe wish him all the best.

Heading into the World Championships this year is a new Craig Mottram. He’s engaged to be married, has a new coach, and a new passion for both life and running.

 Getting Back To Europe

This summer marks the first full European track season since 2008 for Craig Mottram as he attempts to qualify for this year’s World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Before heading to the Athletics Australia base in Cologne, Germany a few weeks ago the Bronze medallist from 2005 in the 5,000m had been based at altitude in Boulder, Colorado for five weeks. It was the second time Mottram had trained on the famed Front Range of Colorado – the first being after the Commonwealth Games in 2006. “To be honest the first time I trained in Boulder I didn’t really like it, going half way across the world for a training camp then having to drive everywhere for training was annoying, but I thought I’d give it another go and this time around I am loving it – I want to find out what works for me, I don’t want to still be guessing this time next year”.

Like many athletes, Mottram is a creature of habit, so days in Boulder were simple. Five weeks of running twice day, plenty of coffee from the local Starbucks, and three hours of the CBS TV series ‘Criminal Minds’ to end each evening with a little excitement. Usually Mottram likes to break up the monotony of training camps with a race. This time around the plan was a 5,000m at the Diamond League in New York, but a couple of days missed on the track forced a slight change of plans. “It wasn’t worth going to New York to run 13:25 – it was more important to just get the work done. There will be plenty of opportunities in Europe to run fast”. This is part of a strategy to stick to the basics in training, and let the races in Europe bring him along – the biggest of which will be the Diamond League Meets in Birmingham on July 10^th and Monaco on twelve days later. “Birmingham will be to just get the time for the World Champs, then Monaco will be about having a stab”.

Although Mottram now handles all his own management in regards to sponsorship and his ambassador roles, he has been working with James Templeton (agent to David Rudisha) to finalise his European racing schedule.

 Too Much Running, Not Enough Rest

After the Beijing Olympics, Mottram needed a break. Since the end of 2006 he had been battling chronic achilles pain, and it finally got the better of him. “The problem with achilles is that they creep up on you. For me, the Olympics were around the corner, I didn’t feel like I could afford to take a break, so I kept pushing. The Olympics is a trap in that regard, you don’t listen to your body. Eventually my achilles just couldn’t take anymore. It was too much running and not enough rest”.

The straw that broke the camels back came one night not long after the Olympics. Mottram’s dog Miles (born on the day of his semi-final in Beijing) needed to go outside. However, at this stage Mottram had to sleep in boots to keep his feet at 90degrees and keep strain off of his achilles. “I couldn’t get the boots off in time. I couldn’t even get out of bed to keep my dog from having to go on the carpet – I had to stop. I wasn’t enjoying running anymore”.

From there Mottram saw the best tendon specialists on the planet. They all said the same thing – they won’t get better unless you stop. Almost eighteen months later Mottram is back at work and getting close to his best. “It’s still more than twelve months until London. I’m going alright, I’m not flying – but twelve months is a long time. Maybe in 2007 I was going too well before Beijing and the only place I could go was down. Either way, I’ve had my rest and I’m ready to go”.

Changes For The Better

Arguably the biggest change Mottram has made is the switch in coaches to Chris Wardlaw; a move that Mottram believes is what will take him to the next stage of his career. “Chris and I speak regularly each week. The program is pretty basic; I don’t need someone standing over me at the track. With Chris it is a very different scenario to what I’ve had in the past. It’s refreshing. I decide a lot of the sessions I do. Chris will give me suggestions, I’ll give him feedback and then we agree on what is required – more of a sounding board. I’m really enjoying the relationship”.

Many have suggested that Mottram wouldn’t change much from what he had done in the past – but the reality is quite the opposite. “I’d be lying if I said it was the same. The whole point of changing was to change everything. In saying that, its still running. There is still bread and butter type stuff that I’ll always do”.

Heading into a full European track season is new territory for Mottram and Wardlaw as they embark on the fine-tuning that comes with racing frequently. “It will be interesting to see how that unfolds. The sessions are not as long as what I was used too. I’m 30 now – I don’t think I need to be doing 10km sessions on the track”.

Some of the changes were simple and began with running less.  “I don’t run 180kms a week now, I run 150. I have more rest now – I took two weeks off after World Cross-Country, and I took a week off after National’s. As you get older you have to listen to your body and accept that you can’t run that much without ramifications”.

“He’s Back” – World Cross Country

The World Cross Country Championships in Spain was the first real test for Mottram back on the world stage. Although things had been going well – his preparation was limited compared to years past. After September’s Great North City Games in Newcastle he had a long rest, then endeavoured on two months of base training at Falls Creek over January and February. This was followed by a 6^th place finish (2^nd Australian) at the Melbourne Track Classic in March in a time of 13:25 that Mottram described as ‘not a bad result’. “Leading into World Cross I thought top 40 would be solid, top 30 would be fantastic – If I got around 20^th that would be a hell of a run. I worked my way through – was conservative the first 5k and then ran them down that second half. I really enjoyed it. I’ve been to World Cross before and gone out through the first kilometre in under 2:30 and then come unstuck. This time I knew my fitness wasn’t where it has been, but I ran to my level and I ran really well”.

There’s More To Life Than Just Running

During his break from the sport, Mottram undertook new challenges – including finishing his University Degree. “I needed the challenge, I needed to get it done. Balance in life is crucial to performance in anything. You don’t realise how single minded you have been until something goes wrong and how much of the other aspects of your life you’ve let go”.

Being away from athletics allowed Mottram to get back to his roots. He spent time catching up with friends, family, and doing the things he says that he should have always been doing. “Running at an international level shouldn’t stop you from being a good person, friend, or family member. I may have been lacking it, but now I think I’m in a good spot. Running is going ok – it takes time. This time around I have other things that I enjoy doing that take me away from worrying about how my running is going all the time".

For a while it seemed that all Mottram had was running, which meant when running wasn’t going well, nothing was going well. “That’s what happened after Beijing. It was disappointing. I didn’t perform how I wanted and how other people wanted me too. That’s why I was proactive in making changes and trusting in those changes that I have made".

Mottram is now a balanced person as well as an athlete. He is an Education Ambassador for the Australian Olympic Committee, a member of the IAAF athletes commission, and also works for and is the face of the Adidas school’s Fun-Run. A school based program in Australia and New Zealand that promotes a healthy lifestyle and outdoor activities instead of selling chocolate and junk food for fundraisers. “That’s what I spend my time doing. When I’m in Aussie, I am working until around 4 or 4:30, then back home to run again. Its something I would have never done before. Its good for the sport and its good for the kids – encouraging them to do something healthy instead of sitting in front of the computer all day”.

The Next Generation

Mottram understands what is needed to get to the highest level in the sport of athletics, but makes no secrets about that fact that his rise was different to most. “If I had the chance I would encourage young aspiring Australian track and field athletes to go to school in America. The system that is in place in America whereby athletes study via their participation in college athletics has a lot going for it and creates opportunities that are often harder to come by on your own. I’m lucky that I was quite good at a young age - but not as many athletes are necessarily going to be at the level I was at that stage. They might get to that point eventually, but may just need a few more years to get there, and the states allows for that. The economy is hard at the moment; some of the best athletes in the world are struggling to get the support required. I think the college system is fantastic”.

Athletics is not the most lucrative sport, and many throw in the towel well before their peak, particularly when they leave university - something which Mottram believes needs addressing. “I would encourage people to continue if they enjoy it - that’s the most important thing.  It’s about consistency. If someone can run in the 13:20’s for 5k at University, there is no reason they can’t run in the 13-low range a couple of years later. It’s just figuring out what you do in between. You can get a job – I did it. I worked as a lifeguard, a swim instructor, even in a bar because I wasn’t good enough at first to get paid to just run. The thing is though, John Landy, Herb Elliot, John Walker – they all worked and they ran bloody well”.

 What Does The Future Hold For Craig Mottram?

Mottram has run world class times from the mile to the 10,000m, but is adamant what is in store for him come London 2012. “I want to run the 5k in London – I want to improve on my 8^th from 2004. I can do better than that”.

He does however plan to approach next years Olympics differently than the last. The plan is to make the team, then the final, and then reassess. Simply put, he will be breaking it down into steps that are more achievable. “I want to take it more relaxed and have fun. It won’t be all about the Olympics for me next year – it will be about running the best I can every time I step on the line, and see where that places me”.

After the London Olympics Mottram will then decide whether to stay on the track or head to the roads. “I want to run a marathon – I’ve never made a big secret about that. I want to get to 30k and see what all the fuss is about. I watch them all the time and it fascinates me seeing someone looking so good to so bad in ten minutes!”

As for what really matters – Mottram just wants to focus on keeping his life balanced, getting some good performances out of running, and seeing where he ends up.

"Like" this article on the Facebook button below as well as our fan page here to go into the draw to win an official race singlet signed by Craig Mottram!

This Friday in Nancy, France will mark the return to the European Circuit of the real Big Mazungo – World Bronze and Commonwealth Silver Medallist Craig Mottram.  

For almost two years Mottram has been on the sidelines, and despite a couple of flirtations with the track that included a 13:25 performance at the Melbourne Track Classic in March, this is a new beginning for the Australian Record-Holder as he endeavours on his first full track season under the guidance of coach Chris Wardlaw as they seek to build upon his 21^st place at the World Cross Country in Spain earlier this year.

As runner up to Ben St.Lawrence in the Australian 5,000m champ’s which were run as part of the Melbourne Track Classic, Mottram will need to run 13:20 to gain automatic selection for the World Titles that begin on August 27 in Daegu, South Korea.

Mottram has spent the last five weeks training hard at altitude in Boulder, Colorado and heads to the Australian base in Germany today before opening up with a 1500m in France.

Mottram’s first crack at the A Standard over 5,000m will be at the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix on July 10^th.

Stay tuned to The Runner’s Tribe for an exclusive feature interview with Craig Mottram as well as results from this season.

Daniel Wallis for The Runner’s Tribe

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