This is a very interesting article. I ran D1 track & field and cross-country a couple of years ago, so I've put a lot of thought into this.

Personally, I think there are huge genetic variations between individuals. I could never possibly train hard/effectively enough to compete with someone like Bekele or Gebrselassie. I also think it is kind of hard for most people (non-athletes) to understand this fact unless they have personally spent years training hard themselves.

That said, these huge genetic variations only set the ceiling of what you are capable of. This is why I think that for the majority of people who participate in sports, it is in fact a very fair endeavor. Even up through the D1 level, I think hard work can more than compensate for most genetic disadvantages. It becomes more difficult as you start to approach world-class, but for 99% of people who are athletes of some form, anyone you would locally compete against can be defeated simply by working harder.

It may not be fair in the sense that I might have to run 80 miles a week vs my competitor running 30 miles a week to achieve the same result, but in the end, all that matters is who has a faster time or a better score. Maybe that bothers some people, but it doesn't bother me.