After September 26, the track and field world is hitting refresh. Brittany Brown’s jaw practically hit the floor after bagging massive prize money in just 33 seconds. She even joked that her yearly earnings now look like pocket change next to her haul from Athlos NYC. Meanwhile, Masai Russell is probably still side-eyeing her missed payday after coming up short in her race. And Faith Kipyegon? Well, she’s busy twirling in front of the camera, flaunting a Tiffany & Co. crown like it’s no big deal.

But while the sprints are done and dusted, a few things in the track and field world never change. The off-season is here, and athletes are off doing their thing, which means track content is drying up faster than a sprinter post-race. The storytellers of the sport are scrambling for material, and according to sports analyst Lillz, it’s a recipe for déjà vu.

In her latest X post, Lillz threw some shade at those endlessly recycling clips of old races. “no dialogue or context,” she quipped. She warned this content treadmill isn’t exactly keeping fans engaged—more like making them yawn. And she’s got a point: it’s a routine problem once the season wraps up.

Lately, social media’s been flooded with posts like this, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s races seem to be the go-to material. Clips of the Jamaican queen’s legendary performances pop up everywhere—showcasing her blazing speed—but there’s just one thing missing: context. Sure, the clips celebrate all that she’s achieved, but without any background or commentary, they feel more like a highlight reel on repeat than a meaningful tribute.

In her post, Lillz cut straight to the heart of the problem. Track and field enthusiasts and organizations “need to invest in closing that gap!!” she urged, referring to the gap between the clip and the story it tells. Marrying those two would give the posts some actual depth and keep fans engaged. Otherwise, these clips will start to feel like bland leftovers. But what do the fans think? Beneath Lillz’s post, comments started rolling in, and opinions were buzzing. It seems like it’s not just Lillz who’s noticed this lack of connection.

Track and field fans give fresh idea to bridge ‘the gap’

Fans definitely have ideas on how to keep things fresh during the off-season. One fan even suggested Lillz herself should step up, commenting, “I think the short documentaries/training diaries you’ve done before would be q perfect way to plug the gap!!!” Considering the explosion of sports documentaries lately, the suggestion makes total sense. But Lillz quickly shut it down, explaining that financial hurdles made it tough for her to produce such content, though she agreed that documentaries could bridge that gap.

That opened the door for another fan to mention the Sprint series, adding, “Good point. Idk about the general pop, but I know T&F nerds would eat up a docuseries of the athletes’ pre season. Sprint is just the pre-championships competition season.” So, while Sprint might be loved by big names like Sebastian Coe and Noah Lyles, it doesn’t completely fill the gap in track and field storytelling. It’s a valid point, as another fan chimed in, but the off-season engagement struggle remains.

Jul 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; The New Balance FuelCell MD-X spikes worn by Gabrielle Thomas aka Gabby Thomas (USA) in the women’s 200m during the London Athletics Meet at London Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

If old clips are going to be recycled, fans have one clear request: “If you are gonna straight show old content, at least make it stuff that might’ve been forgotten, not just like you say.” Translation? Dig a little deeper into the archives—give us something rare, not just the greatest hits. It would bring a fresh twist and keep things interesting.

One follower added a different spin, saying, “I don’t begrudge them their downtime either tho, but yeah. Other sports spend off-season making or contemplating changes to their team. I’d like to see more Red Bull type matchups, fit celebrities even to show how much better a top athlete is.” Now that would shake things up! But so far, no sign of that happening. So, will track and field evolve during its off-season, or are we stuck with the same clips on replay? What do you think?