USAFA Marathon Club

marathoner94

marathoner94

5-Year Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2014
Messages
27
Can someone give me info on the marathon club at the academy? Like, how hard is it to get on and get an LOS? I'm a veteran marathon runner with many marathons under my belt and would love to be in the club.
 
Hey,
I have several friends at school that are on the team. From what I've heard, there is a wide variety of skill on the team. If you are a serious marathoner, you shouldn't have any trouble getting on the team. I believe that Captain Silva is the POC for that team. I'm not positive whether or not they have LOS status, but even if they don't most of the club teams are being folded under AD next year, and there probably won't be LOS anymore.
 
Blackbird said:
Hey,
I have several friends at school that are on the team. From what I've heard, there is a wide variety of skill on the team. If you are a serious marathoner, you shouldn't have any trouble getting on the team. I believe that Captain Silva is the POC for that team. I'm not positive whether or not they have LOS status, but even if they don't most of the club teams are being folded under AD next year, and there probably won't be LOS anymore.
Click to expand...

In English please, what do you mean that Club teams are folding up under 'AD', and won't be 'LOS' anymore...? Club teams are going away at USAFA? Thx
 
pointguard said:
In English please, what do you mean that Club teams are folding up under 'AD', and won't be 'LOS' anymore...? Club teams are going away at USAFA? Thx
Click to expand...

AD= Athletic Department
Many of the club sport (ie. Rugby, Cycling, Softball) that currently fall under AFCWCC (cadets clubs) are being moved under the athletic department and will eventually be full fledged sports teams. This means that while the teams might be more competitive, LOS will no longer be needed, because they will be under AD. I'm unsure if the marathon club will fall under the same situation, but seeing as they are a relatively successful team, I bet that they will.
 
That appears to be good news, yes? I wasn't thinking to go there before your explanation given the current climate of cost issues.

LOS = ?
 
LOS = Limited On Season

It's a status which grants cadets some opportunity to focus on their club sport rather than other mandatory intramural sports. Usually, the Academy wants LOS status to go to cadets who compete at the national level in their club sport. In fact, competing nationally is generally the requisite for a club sport to stay active and funded at the Academy (granted they get hardly anything compared to NCAA sports).

The marathon team has a limited number of LOS slots available, which are parsed out by the Cadet Wing Permanent Party in charge of Cadet Clubs. Yes, some of these slots will go to the more talented runners on the team, but some will most likely also go to dedicated members who show potential and determination.

These slots are extremely valuable for freshman, because it often let's them focus more on their sport than freshman training. You might think "won't the rest of the freshman squad hate me if I get out of stuff? " Really, the answer is no. People respect the work it time and energy it takes to be on LOS status (it generally makes club practice mandatory).

I've heard about Cadet Clubs moving under the Athletic Department, but we're not sure exactly how that will change their operation, nor does it guarantee that these sports will enter the realm of the NCAA.
 
I just finished up my first year as a freshman on the marathon club. As far as your question about LOS is concerned, everything is relative to the year. I originally did not receive LOS status in the fall tryout which was a 10-mile time trial. I lost a significant amount of endurance between the altitude and a lack of running during basic, but by about mid-semester, I was back to where I wanted to be and have been running LOS since. Anyone can run with the team, but for freshmen it is harder to train consistently without LOS because of the training previously mentioned (Still not impossible though)... And the team's competitiveness for LOS? It does vary by the talent pool, and there are a specific number of spots allotted for men and women. This past semester had 4 men and 3 women slots open. I'm not aware of any changes that have been made to our club status with budget cuts, but if you want to contact the OIC (Officer in Charge), Captain Silva is the outgoing officer and Captain Robinson is taking command. Both should be able to answer any questions you have about the team's current status, what practices will be like, how they will be willing to work with you LOS or not, and more.
 
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