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Troll much? Search and replace on any human endeavor practiced by a few elites and a host of enthusiastic but untalented amateurs (golf, music, acting, beer making, blogging, etc.). In none of those cases does it follow that the elites aren't good anymore because there are too many amateurs around. In fact, just the opposite is true. Participation in amateur athletics/music/whatever increases interest in general and builds the pool from which the elites can eventually be found and nurtured. Plus, it's good for business. The running bums I know, who do still work at shoe stores, are the most friendly and welcoming semi-pros I've ever met (just try to join a poker club sometime--those guys are pricks). The running bums are genuinely enthusiastic when I mention that I finally ran below an 8-minute mile for the first time ("Hey, dude, that's awesome!"). And then they hand me a flyer for the 10K they're running this weekend.
