The Twin Cities Marathon will implement a new policy that limits prize money to Americans, according to a Star Tribune article.

The article claims this will prolong the careers of American runners and help them develop into world-class talent, and that very few high-caliber runners bother with the Twin Cities Marathon anyway.

However, banning Kenyans or other non-Americans from receiving prize money is not the best way to go about encouraging American runners to do better.

In the first place, increased competition is not going to render American runners hopeless; they’ll train and work harder. And, secondly, it takes the honor out of the prize money if you win it by coming in fourth behind three Kenyans.

Rich Kenah, the marketing director of Global Athletics & Marketing Inc., which represents Ethiopian and Chinese runners, said in the article that it is difficult for American runners to make a living in the sport. If they are not good enough to make a living, however, perhaps they should pursue other careers.

Limiting prize money to Americans in any sport sets a bad precedent in ethnocentrism. Will NBA star Yao Ming be shunted aside because he’s taking up a spot on a team that could be filled by an American? Lance Armstrong has dominated cycling since 1999, but there is no outcry against him winning the Tour de France all the time, and no one is trying to keep money from him in the competition.

Part of the value of competitions, such as marathons that draw from beyond the American borders, is the cultural exchange that comes with international competition. It should be encouraged, not stifled.