Athletics fans prefer short and sharp

It seems it's only a matter of time before one of my favourite track events, the 10,000 metres, is scratched from the sport of athletics.

- Wesley Botton

For anyone who enjoys distance running, it can be a thrilling event to watch, and as the longest Olympic distance on the track, it offers the most value in terms of tactical battles.

The reality, however, is that we're living in a world where people are losing patience, and they want short and sharp, not long and tactical.

It was decided some years ago that 10,000m races would no longer be held in the main programmes of Diamond League meetings, and the event has subsequently taken a significant knock.

I get it. World Athletics is not wrong. When you have a main programme that lasts two hours, having events that take nearly half-an-hour to complete seems like a waste of time.