Running Times with Karno vs Scott Jurek

Running Times wrote this article on Dean Karnezes titled 'Dissing Dean.' It ask the question why are there so many Dean haters out there? And while I agreed that there was no need to hate on Dean the writer went on to say "when people like many - time Western States winner Scott Jurek (she doesn't know Scott) say nasty things about Dean it makes the whole sport look pissy. No one hates Scott Jurek. He's Vegan,for petes sake. But no one is going to put his scrawny figure to sell magazines or pay him to give business advice. So why is he bother to dis Dean?"

Let me say I was pretty pissed off reading that, the writer basically admitted that it was more important to look the part of a champion than be one. What if say Denis Rodman had gotten all of Michael Jordans credit for being the greatest baller ever because he looked cooler? What if the Monkees got credit for all the Beatles songs? Yeah they'd be pissed and you would be too. So here's the letter I wrote Running Times which may appear in a future issue.

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"I enjoyed your article on Dean Karnazes and I feel you made some valid points: hey, Dean inspired me and a few friends to run ultras (no 100 miles for me though.) But I thought it was a little hypocritical on your part to go on and disrespect Scott Jurek, I have met both men and both were really nice and genuine people.
In Scott’s defense, here you have someone who is basically the Lance Armstrong of the sport breaking every record in sight but acts like it's no big deal, and then sits around after each race to cheer every last finisher, a guy who also volunteers for many races himself if
he's not running them and has not made or asked for a penny out of winning any race he's done. So from his perspective you might be a little annoyed that someone is getting all the credit that, by and large, is due to Scott.
Like I said I think Dean is great and he inspired me many people to go out there and do it but let's give credit where credit is due: Scott is the real champion.
It's not about stunts to keep you in the press but it's about the love of the sport."

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By the way, unlike the writer for RT I have met both runners on separate occasions and like most runners they were extremely nice to say the least. What Scott had said about Dean was a couple of years ago and when asked about Dean and his publicity machine (probably for the jillionth time)he said, in so many words he had said "it's getting old" And from his perspective it would be, Scott with all his accomplishments in the sport of ultra running hasn't even made the cover of Runners World or Running Times. Imagine if Lance Armstrong had never made the cover of a cycling magazine and your biggest write up is buried in 'the weight loss issue' of Runners World? Now that's being dissed.