THE TRACK WORLD has only so much room for ranting and raving, so T&FN doesn’t allow its editor, E. Garry Hill, to run off at the fingers every month. But perhaps you’ll enjoy hearing the babble he puts up several times a year. The opinions he expresses—needless to say—reflect his personal point of view, not necessarily that of the rest of the editorial staff, and are in no way meant to be construed as company policy.
The editor unabashedly admits that he’s an elitist (the higher the level of achievement the more he likes it) and that his prime interest in the sport is for the professional side of things. And more than anything else, he seeks to ensure that the presentation of the sport keeps it a viable entity on the crowded modern sporting field. Recent, and not so recent, pontifications:
| Issue | Topic |
| March 2023 | Happy Birthday To Us! (in which, gh steps down as Editor) |
| February 2023 | Remembering Bob Hersh |
| 2022 | |
| November 2022 | 10 Ways To Enhance Your Enjoyment Of The Sport |
| October 2022 | Did ’22 Confirm The Feasibility Of An Even-Year Worlds? |
| September 2022 | They Call It TrackTown USA For A Reason |
| August 2022 | It’s Time To Fill Those Empty Lanes |
| July 2022 | A Look At The World Champs Meet Records |
| June 2022 | The False Start Rule Revisited |
| May 2022 | And With The First Pick In The 2022 gh Draft… |
| April 2022 | Where Are The Best Seats At A Track Meet? |
| March 2022 | USATF’s Split Nationals Is A Good Thing |
| February 2022 | The Jesse Owens Challenge |
| January 2022 | The Return Of The Rankings |
| 2021 | |
| December 2021 | What Am I Thankful For? |
| November 2021 | Random Thoughts From An Olympic Year |
| October 2021 | 2021 To 2025: A 5-Year Thrill Ride |
| September 2021 | Watching The Games From Afar |
| August 2021 | It’s Time To Fill Those Empty Lanes |
| July 2021 | An NCAA Anniversary That Wasn’t |
| June 2021 | WA’s Hall Of Fame Still Stuck In Neutral |
| May 2021 | What’s Your Favorite Olympic Men’s 1500? |
| April 2021 | Why Does WA Undervalue NCAA Competition? |
| March 2021 | High-Tech Shoes: Evolution Or Revolution? |
| February 2021 | T&FN’s Publication Schedule Returns To Normal |
| January 2021 | What? There’s No 2020 World Rankings?! |
| 2020 | |
| November/December 2020 | Who Makes This Year’s Podium? |
| September/October 2020 | The Diamond League Gets Creative |
| July/August 2020 | What Kind Of A Fan Are You? |
| May/June 2020 | What If All The Olympics Were Shunted By A Year? |
| March/April 2020 | So What’s Up With T&FN? |
| February 2020 | Is Shoe Technology Moving Too Fast? |
| January 2020 | The Decade’s World Records Revisited |
| 2019 | |
| December 2019 | Landmark! This Is T&FN Edition No. 900 |
| November 2019 | Thoughts On The Diamond League Contraction |
| October 2019 | That’s How A Season Should End!… Or Is It? |
| September 2019 | 4 Decades Of World Championships Memories |
| August 2019 | Timing Of U.S. Trials Meets Still Not Right |
| July 2019 | The U.S. Still Needs Summer Meets In 2019 |
| June 2019 | Say Farewell To IAAF, Hello To… WA?! |
| May 2019 | In Praise Of The Legendary RLQ |
| April 2019 | The 400 Is A Great Race… But It Could Be Better |
| March 2019 | Call me a heretic, but the IAAF’s Diamond League tightening might actually be the right move |
| February 2019 | So who is the G.O.A.T. of men’s track & field? |
| January 2019 | Is the IAAF being innovative in the right places? |
| 2018 | |
| December 2018 | After 50 years, my favorite Annual Edition ever |
| November 2018 | The IAAF rankings run into a roadblock |
| October 2018 | The dichotomy that was Mexico ’68 |
| September 2018 | The mixed-sex relay, firecracker or fizzle? |
| August 2018 | The U.S. needs summer meets in 2019 |
| July 2018 | Maybe you can tell the players without a program |
| June 2018 | As always, the athletes ride to the rescue |
| May 2018 | I missed a major anniversary |
| April 2018 | A leaner, meaner fighting machine? Is that what we might see from Diamond League 2.0? |
| March 2018 | My first track memory is of Roger Bannister |
| February 2018 | When a record isn’t a record… or is only sort of a record |
| January 2018 | Welcome to a brave new (digital) world, episode 1 |
| 2017 | |
| December 2017 | Will we be singing the off-year blues in 2018? (aka, why not a World Champs?) |
| November 2017 | The state of the sport: maybe it is broken, and those fixing it deserve recognition for it |
| October 2017 | To keep track & field viable, presentation is everything |
| September 2017 | Heretical thought: is it more fun watching track on your computer? |
| August 2017 | The IAAF’s Hall Of Fame still doesn’t have nearly enough members |
| July 2017 | Seb Coe wants innovation & bravery? How about the sprint straightaway on the infield? |
| June 2017 | I too was in favor of a new World Records list… 17 years ago |
| May 2017 | 2017 is not going to be one of those dreaded Olympic Hangover years: here’s 6 reasons why |
| April 2017 | Usain Bolt has had multiple triples, but think about Carl Lewis’s quads, both real and potential |
| March 2017 | In the Diamond League, all events are no longer created equal |
| February 2017 | With the 2016 version, T&FN’s World Rankings are now 70 years-old. Here’s a look back at ’56, ’66, ’76, ’86, ’96 & ‘06 |
| January 2017 | When did “tactical” become a dirty word? |
| 2016 | |
| December 2016 | My favorite women’s races ever, event-by-event |
| November 2016 | My favorite men’s races ever, event-by-event |
| October 2016 | Are field-event rounds 4 & 5 really necessary? Well, yes and no… |
| September 2016 | The 8 Questions I Most Want Answered In Rio |
| August 2016 | Somebody actually listened to me for once! (An upgrade in signboard presentation) |
| July 2016 | It’s time for another look at the false start rules |
| June 2016 | This restaurant features healthy doses of speed |
| May 2016 | Meets tend to be unkind to those who think of our sport as field & track |
| April 2016 | If ever a sport needed a Darwinian pruning, it’s ours— sorry about that |
| March 2016 | What to do about track & field’s demographics problem? |
| February 2016 | The OT & OG qualifying standards aren’t doing athletes any favors |
| January 2016 | My story and I’m sticking to it: I’m 1-0 lifetime in races against Seb Coe |
| 2015 | |
| December 2015 | 10 ways to increase your enjoyment of the sport |
| November 2015 | Team USA’s stunning lack of seasonal bests in Beijing points yet another finger at the bad timing of the USATF Championships |
| September 2015 | I can’t remember the last time I was so excited for the summer season |
| August 2015 | Both of the IAAF presidential candidates are talking about calendar reform… yesss! |
| July 2015 | The best part about going to a track meet is visiting with your like-minded friends |
| June 2015 | Will the split-sex NCAA Championships dramatically improve the product? |
| May 2015 | I’m still in favor of 3 World Championships in every quadrennium |
| April 2015 | Is there a way to transfer the magic of the vertical jumps to the other field events? |
| March 2015 | The IAAF’s new World Championships qualifying system: are we actually going to end up missing the old hell of A-B qualifiers? |
| February 2015 | So what if we had no choice but to cut Olympic events? |
| January 2015 | It’s already time for USATF to be thinking about the timing of its 2019 Nationals |
| 2014 | |
| December 2014 | Eugene’s biggest strength for a WC bid? The locals actually care |
| November 2014 | 2015 Diamond League: 5 meets in 14 days in May/June? 0 meets in August? |
| October 2014 | A big-league sport can’t survive if its biggest names aren’t going head-to-head |
| September 2014 | Is it time to revisit the no-false-start rule? |
| August 2014 | The World Relays was awesome, but it can be awesomer |
| July 2014 | Do you remember your first sub-4:00 mile viewing? |
| June 2014 | Incomprehensibly, the IAAF has made the spectacle of the jumpoff less likely to happen |
| May 2014 | You can disrespect the rights of the athletes for only so long |
| April 2014 | After Albuquerque, is it time to start thinking about a separate federation for the pros? |
| March 2014 | Hang in there, U.S. throwers—the USATF Foundation cavalry is on the way! |
| February 2014 | Thoughts on how our Athlete Of The Year process works |
| January 2014 | The IAAF & USATF Halls Of Fame need more members |
| 2013 | |
| December 2013 | If we thought the IAAF’s A/B qualifying system was confusing, might the new A-only be worse? |
| November 2013 | Personal highlights of each of the 14 World Championships to date |
| September 2013 | The stuff of dreams: Adam Nelson got a do-over of his ’04 Olympic victory ceremony |
| July 2013 | Reflections on seeing the NCAA Champs in 5 decades |
| June 2013 | It’s not easy to be a fan of NCAA track & field |
| May 2013 | New/upgraded U.S. meets: a ray of hope for domestic competition for U.S. pros? |
| April 2013 | You might be a hardcore track fan if… part 2 |
| March 2013 | You might be a hardcore track fan if… |
| February 2013 | Why Usain Bolt & Allyson Felix didn’t end up as T&FN’s Athletes Of The Year |
| January 2013 | For the first time in a long time, London’s Olympic Games felt like a World Championships meet |
| 2012 | |
| December 2012 | The ink-stained wretches of the world struggle to remain relevant in an electron-driven era |
| November 2012 | Are track’s biggest stars getting enough Diamond League exposure? I think not… |
| October 2012 | Team USA’s men and women were on elevators going in opposite directions in London |
| September 2012 | Heresy coming from me, I know, but it is time to rethink the Olympic Trials format? |
| August 2012 | A new way to stage separate-sex NCAA Champs at the same time |
| July 2012 | The greatest meet on the planet? Not the OG, not the WC—it’s still the OT |
| June 2012 | Which problem should USATF’s new CEO Max Siegel tackle first? |
| May 2012 | For post-collegians, the pre-OT U.S. schedule is a farce |
| April 2012 | 11 ways to increase your enjoyment of the sport |
| March 2012 | Uh-oh! Is there nobody who’s the face of U.S. track & field? |
| January 2012 | Why the IAAF’s 3-per-nation rule is surely here to stay |
| 2011 | |
| December 2011 | There’s clearly frustration with the IAAF |
| October 2011 | 19 days in August…track goes into stealth mode |
| September 2011 | The August issue marked the 800th edition ever published. A look at what happened in all the other 100th-issue markers |
| August 2011 | Words fail me in trying to describe the NCAA Regionals |
| July 2011 | What if they didn’t give any track meets? |
| June 2011 | Two different NCAA meets? |
| May 2011 | Is the Diamond League cursed like King Tut’s tomb? |
| April 2011 | Do you still enjoy T&FN when we get into depressing reality? |
| March 2011 | Would you believe a T&FN without ink or paper? |
| January 2011 | Aural abuse at a meet is aural abuse, whether you love or hate the music in question |
| 2010 | |
| December 2010 | No More ‘Off-Years’ for the World Championships |
| November 2010 | Was the Diamond League’s first year a success or failure? |
| October 2010 | Going back to some old rules might actually be good for the sport |
| September 2010 | Might the radical changes in the ’11 World Champs schedule backfire? |
| July 2010 | WRs are the currency that keeps the sport alive: are we floating counterfeit money? |
| May 2010 | Why aren’t Americans peaking at the Olympics and World Champs? |
| April 2010 | Does track & field need a touch of the X-Games mentality |
| March 2010 | OK, that was the best 4 decades of my life… so far |
| January 2010 | As Cordner Nelson liked to ask, “What kind of fan are you?” |
| 2009 | |
| December 2009 | Without a Chicago Games, when will the U.S. host the World Champs? |
| October 2009 | Is it possible that superstars might actually be bad for the sport? |
| September 2009 | Wiser heads appear to have prevailed in the 2012 Trials schedule decision |
| July 2009 | Programs! You can’t tell the players without a program! But even then… |
| June 2009 | When will U.S. teams start wearing uniforms that are distinctive? |
| May 2009 | Just where did they find all the athletes who hate the 10-day Trials? |
| April 2009 | A single-weekend Olympic Trials? Bad-bad-bad! |
| March 2009 | I’m biased on the subject, but I like the Olympic Trials just as they are |
| January 2009 | EAA presentation tweaks: inspiration or pure panic? |
| 2008 | |
| October 2008 | Forget the dropped Olympic batons! What about the ongoing U.S. men’s field-event meltdown? |
| August 2008 | Two of the all-time greatest words in the English language: Road Trip! (gh & dj head to Des Moines in tornado season) |
| July 2008 | The greatest meet on the planet? Not the OG, not the WC—it’s the OT my friends |
| May 2008 | Watching 3 rounds of dash prelims is as good as a cliff-hanging serial at the Saturday matinee |
| March 2008 | A column dedicated to Willi Krause, who epitomized all that was great about coaches |
| February 2008 | Happy 60th Birthday To Track & Field News! |
| 2007 | |
| September 2007 | Some think the World Champs is held too often; I don’t think it’s held often enough |
| August 2007 | Can’t anybody run a scoreboard properly at a track meet? |
| May 2007 | How about making the NCAA Champs a finals-only meet? |
| April 2007 | Would you believe an NCAA meet that’ll be done in time to go have a beer after the meet and it’s not even noon? |
| February 2007 | Sacrilege! Maybe the finishline isn’t the best place to sit and watch a meet? |
| 2006 | |
| December 2006 | Which of the 8 kinds of track fan are you? |
| November 2006 | It’s time for the rulesmakers to revisit the lane-draw procedures |
| August 2006 | Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to tell where sprinters are relative to each other during a race? |
| July 2006 | There’s a simple solution to the logjam that is Nationals scheduling—some events have to go |
| April 2006 | I say take the relays out of the NCAA Championships |
| January 2006 | Does the idea of a new set of World Records still have real merit? |
| 2005 | |
| December 2005 | The worst year of track is better than the best year of just about any other sport you can name |
| November 2005 | The final rounds in field events deserve their own private window on big-meet schedules |
| October 2005 | There aren’t too many tries in the field events; it’s just that the wrong people are taking too many |
| August 2005 | As affiliations go, is “unat” the University of Nat? |
| July 2005 | Would it be too much to ask to have a uniform uniform-policy? |
| June 2005 | Only a hard mile relay leg can turn you from Michael Johnson into Michael Jackson |
| May 2005 | The sport has suffered this year from the rash of young collegians going pro early |
| February 2005 | Meets tend to be unkind towards those who think of the sport as field & track |
| January 2005 | Having Craig Masback and Bill Roe set for additional terms at USATF is a big plus for the sport |
| 2004 | |
| November 2004 | The 500lb gorilla on T&FN’s back: how can we remain relevant in today’s Internet world? |
| August 2004 | Is it wrong to stand up for the sport we all love so much? |
| July 2004 | My dictionary doesn’t seem to define the NCAA’s ‘honest effort’ dictum very well |
| June 2004 | It’s getting hard to appreciate out-of-the-blue performances |
| May 2004 | What’s the most popular event in the sport, the mile or the 100? |
| April 2004 | Pictures really are better than a thousand words |
| March 2004 | The Olympics—just like Christmas, only way better |
| 2003 | |
| December 2003 | The latest rounds of drug revelations have left ugly fingerprints on the World Rankings |
| October 2003 | Paris—more proof that the U.S. Trials meets need to be moved later |
| September 2003 | If T&FN doesn’t speak out for the track fans of the world, who will? |
| August 2003 | Little things can mean so much in increasing spectator enjoyment |
| June 2003 | It’s time for the rulesmakers to leave the pole vault alone |
| May 2003 | Paula Radcliffe vs. U.S. men—ugh! |
| April 2003 | presentation—presentation—presentation! |
| March 2003 | Landmark issues of T&FN: Nos. 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 |
| February 2003 | 2003–the year collegiate track came back to life |
| January 2003 | 2003 is shaping up as a truly vintage year for the sport |
| 2002 | |
| December 2002 | More bang for your T&FN buck! |
| November 2002 | It’s time for me to be mean to the Hall Of Fame again |
| October 2002 | Rabbits on the Euro Circuit: is this a race or a damned parade? |
| September 2002 | Why the year 1971 should inspire you in 2003 |
| August 2002 | Adam Nelson helped show why the sport can be field & track |
| July 2002 | 10 ways to increase your enjoyment of the sport |
| June 2002 | The most successful track meets are successful because they’re more than just track meets |
| May 2002 | When you crank the tunes during a race, you remove the most viscerally satisfying part of the sporting experience |
| April 2002 | Question: are the timetables at the Nationals hampering the U.S.’s international efforts? |
| March 2002 | The significance of an experimental Millrose Games high jump (a jump mandated every 45 seconds, only 3 misses total) was missed by many |
| February 2002 | The “amateur” label continues to hurt track’s development |
| 2001 | |
| December 2001 | Ultimately, the World Rankings belong to you, the readers |
| November 2001 | I’d rather watch a tactical—aka slow—race than an El Guerrouj World Record attempt any day. Death to all rabbits! |
| October 2001 | Edmonton is the perfect kind of city in which to stage a World Championships |
| September 2001 | The answer to the Maurice Greene wild card problem is a simple one |
| August 2001 | Would it be premature to declare we’re seeing a renaissance for track in the U.S.? |
| July 2001 | Are sprinters cheating when they try and second-guess the starter? |
| June 2001 | Proposed new IAAF rule changes range from the ridiculous to the sublime |
| April & May 2001 | Standing up during track meets: a way to alienate longtime fans of the sport? |
| March 2001 | Sadly, field-event presentation hasn’t kept pace with the technological revolution |
| 2000 | |
| March 2000 | How Jesse Owens came to be our Trackster Of The Century even though he wasn’t our choice for top athlete |
| 1997 | |
| April 1997 | The track world has undergone a lot of changes in my half-century on the planet |