I say he could be well under 2:08.
I say he could be well under 2:08.
no.
-themack
Nope.
Today? or with a year of marathon specific training? I would say no today, yes with training.
I'd say not right now but if he focused his training towards it, yes! Look at what he did at the Olympics; the 1500m/5k...he proved that if he trains for it, he can do it. He's just a very gifted, amazing runner. I'd say that if he set's his mind to it, and gears his training towards it...he could run just about any race you want to throw at him and be successful in it.
I don't think a guy with that much fast twitch could run 2:08 but I pity the guy beside him with 100m left.
At 10km he would be at his top end. Tons of miler guys have tried and not been able to do a marathon. Its a totally different ball game.
Has anyone heard of a guy by the name of Rod Dixon? Of course EL G could run sub 2:08 with the right marathon training.
guys he may be a miler but he's also a 12:50 5k guy, he's always been a strength based miler. 2:08 for sure in the right race, but not easilly
Sala Hissou failed......to run a fast marathon, uses the same training system as ELG
If El G "trained" for it he could do it no problem, Olympic champ at 5k, and one of the greatest pair of lungs and legs ever in running, nough said!!!
Depends whether he had enough drugs.
I too am a huge Rod Dixon fan, who amoung other things ran fast in the olympic 5000 wearing highjump spikes because some knob stole his but he was a one in million genetic freak. TOns of miler guys have tried and failed. Rod was the exception not the rule.
He wasn't the exception because Puttemans also ran a fast Marathon coming from a shorter background. He did run longer on the track as well but he was very quick over 3k-2 miles. Many of those guys from the '70 could have run a quick Marathon. Quax was also originally a miler and ran under 2:11 in his only attempt.
I used to think that he couldn't, because he was too fast twitch. However, after seeing him run in the Olympics, I am sure that he could (if he trained properly).
Track Dude wrote:
I used to think that he couldn't, because he was too fast twitch. However, after seeing him run in the Olympics, I am sure that he could (if he trained properly).
You act like the mile is something other than a LARGELY AEROBIC ACTIVITY..."too fast twitch"
Both mile and marathon are aerobic events, but here's the rub... to be a great miler, one needs a phenomenal VO2 max, since you're very near VO2 max for the entire duration of the race. But for the marathon, you're nowhere near VO2 max, so other factors take center stage. Hicham El Guerrouj's sensational VO2 max won't help him in the marathon nearly as much as it helps him in the mile.
ELG can run 2.07 as kutre dulecha of ethiopia, who used to run 1500 and winner of indoor 1500 at budapest 2004 world champ, manage to run 2.30 this year
Whoever thinks EL-G could not break 2:08 in a marathon is an idiot. He already trains like a marathoner as is-- or at least has marathon elements/principles to his training. What do you think he is doing right now? Most likely running 170+ kilometers a week while in his base/strength phase. With the amount of strength that man possesses, how could he not break 2:08...
Yes definately...Rod Dixon ran something like 2:08 didnt he? and his 1500/5000m times werent even near El G's.
We are talking here about a 12:50 5k runner who runs most of his distance runs at 4:50/mile.
Of course he could hit the wall and run only 2:20 but if he does some long-runs, doesn't start to quick then he of course can break 2:08.I guess El-Guerroujs vLT is about as high Tergats.