Has anyone ever led more than 27% of a race and won!? (I doubt it.)

Sam Chelanga, NCAA XC this year. That was probably over 90%. There have been plenty of others.

Um, ANYONE? ANY race? EVER? uh, yeah, it's ocurred millions of times...

Wire to Wire races in the mile for sure

During my senior spring, I led 100% of all of my dual meets and won all of them. Which would be impressive, except that I suck. I guess you would be impressed.

Paula Radcliffe has led many marathons more than 75% of the way and won.

Pre won lots of races from the front.

Bill Rodgers won lots of races from the front.

Wanjuri led almost the whole freakin Olympic marathon and won.

In 1972 Shorter broke away before 10 miles and won.

Maybe you need to reexamine your theories.

I simply cannot believe there are this many responders who took the OP seriously.

Galen Rupp indoor 3K at NCAA's. Led 90 or 95%, and countless others.

The real question is, has anyone led a race LIKE saturdays for that crucial 27% and still won with worthy competitors riding?

It probably doesn't happen all that often. Think to races where Komen sat on Geb or Geb sat on Komen or on Tergat in a WR or even near it race. It's very hard to be the work horse in that kind of effort during that part of the race and still come away the winner.

And it doesn't happen very often that people will actually sit that long without taking a lap in a race like that. Very few people have the nerve to use others that obviously. Geb did it a lot, Komen did it to him out of pay back.

The Stache wrote:

I simply cannot believe there are this many responders who took the OP seriously.

True, he's an obvious troll and trying to get a rise out of Galen supporters, but I don't think he actually understands the difference and difficulty of what Galen did VS. an average "race".

There are very few races run like this with even 2 guys ready to run a monumental time and one is stuck leading during the toughest part while the othe sits. In this case there were 4 and only one led. My immediate recollections go to Geb/Tergat/Komen.

The key point is leading a championship race or any other race that goes slow is one thing. Leading a short race is one thing (still difficult if on record pace). Leading a 10K on AR pace is a major task.

Shoot think what Rupp did to Ritz last year when Ritz had to take it in the guts of the race at USAs and look how well Ritz did at worlds when he didn't have to.

fam went pretty much wire to wire in the steeple at the trials. He tries strange stuff like that a lot tho.

Anyone know what happened to Fam at brutus? He doesn't DNF too often, i wonder what the deal was.

Kipketer lead literally every step of both his 1997 indoor and outdoor world championship wins. First 200 splits 24.22 and 23.47, total times 1:42.66wr and 1:43.38. Most people overestimate the benefit that tucking in behind someone gives.

The OP is clearly making fun of the guys that said Galen led for a ton of the race, and the idiot who said that if it was Galen who was drafting the entire time that he would have did what Solinsky did.

the reality of it wrote:

Kipketer lead literally every step of both his 1997 indoor and outdoor world championship wins. First 200 splits 24.22 and 23.47, total times 1:42.66wr and 1:43.38. Most people overestimate the benefit that tucking in behind someone gives.

The OP is clearly making fun of the guys that said Galen led for a ton of the race, and the idiot who said that if it was Galen who was drafting the entire time that he would have did what Solinsky did.

Umm, something tells me "leading" 2 laps of a long sprint race is a little different than leading the toughest laps of a record pace 10K while being stalked.

Some of you clowns really down understand the meaning of circumstance.

And yes the OP is a troll who also doesn't get the meaning.

The Stache wrote:

I simply cannot believe there are this many responders who took the OP seriously.

This is the right answer.

Ritz was in WAY better shape at Worlds than he was at USAs. USAs was his first "hammering" race of the year, just a month or so after getting with AlSal. (Do you seriously think it was because he didn't have to lead any of it?) Galen would have kicked away from Ritz even if he had been leading the whole thing.

OK, OK, you know what? We all agree with you two- leading a quarter of the race is really, really hard. It is so hard that it deserves to be considered a win. And, if that win happens to earn a record, then the person that lead the second-most (behind the rabbits, who led 65% of the race) should AT LEAST share the record. We all agree that is the only "fair" resolution here.

Here you go:

Galen Rupp USA 27:10.xx AR

The OP asked a question and I answered it. Of course a 10000m race is different.

But Solinsky closed in 56 and 1:56, Rupp closed in something like 62 and 2:06. Solinsky closed his last 400 at close to mile wr pace and his last 800 at around 2000m wr pace. Galen closed both around 10000m wr pace. He just isn't there yet.

haha, YO (super serial) wrote:

Sam Chelanga, NCAA XC this year. That was probably over 90%. There have been plenty of others.

25 year old Chelanga defeating 19 year old Chris Derrick. Well, played "haha, Yo", well played. What a stud.

Bill Rodhers would usually make a move from the front pack into the lead between mile 13 and 18 of the marathon. He reviews many things including all four of his wins at Boston and NYC at http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Rodgers.aspx

Psshh. This was over at least 70% of my races in high school and middle school (two-time state champion in cross country).

has anyone ever tried to troll more than 27% of posters and succeeded?

i think i know of one...