American long-distance runners are sick and tired of losing to the Kenyans. They’ve had it with pounding the pavement for 15 kilometers and collapsing across the finish line only to find a dozen or so of the fleet Africans already have showered and changed into street clothes.

What to do? Train harder? Persevere, hunker down, suck it up, learn from the best? Lose graciously? Admire excellence?

Nah. Let’s ban ’em.

That, sad to say, is exactly what’s happening in race after race throughout the land, from the Bolder Boulder to the Pittsburgh Marathon to the Gate River Run in Jacksonville. Yesterday’s Boston Marathon, in which Kenyan men finished in the top two places, will only reinforce the resolve of race directors elsewhere to keep the fleet of foot away.

This institutional wimping out takes two forms. Some events cap the number of Kenyan entries at three, thus ensuring a spirited contest for fourth place. Some skew the prize money so the American coming in 11th gets more than the Kenyan who actually won. Some employ both measures just to make sure the playing field is really, really level. So far, no one has proposed making the Kenyans run in ski boots, but just wait.

It doesn’t take seeing this pathetic tale on the front page of the New York Times to realize this is a sports story that transcends sport. In fact, it’s anti-sport. And, in the context of an increasingly competitive real world, it does not bode well. Why bother trying to measure up when it’s easier to cut the competition down?

The racing establishment defends this absurdity by saying the foreign runners are just too, well, foreign. They don’t give effusive after-race interviews, they have funny names. The corporate sponsors and the shoe companies want marketability in the winner’s circle.

Perhaps they’re on to something here, perhaps home-grown mediocrity sells better than excellence with a visa. The National Hockey League is puzzled why its newest outfit, the Carolina Whatevers, despite having a passable first season, drew roughly 35 fans per contest. The problem couldn’t be over-expansion and watered down competition. There’s just too many blasted Canadians out there. Put a good ol’ boy in goal, even if he doesn’t know a puck from a cheeseburger, and watch the turnstiles spin. Baseball isn’t stagnant because the teams of free agents are nondescript and the interminable games soporific. Too many Ramirezes, not enough Smiths.

And American students finish at the bottom of the pack in international math and science tests. Got to be something wrong with the tests.

Good parents urge children to participate in athletics — something to do with building character, striving, endeavoring, falling down and getting back up. Sports still can teach kids how to be good losers and gracious winners. Just make sure they look away when the Red, White and Blue runs by.