What happened to Aaron Braun at LA Marathon?

He said that the surging and the wall got him.

Bummer. It would have been neat to see an impressive debut.

This is fairly typical of successful road guys. He is consistently one of the top 5 guys in the US on the roads and is consistently sub 28 on the track for 10000. These are the kind of guys that think 5 minute pace will be easy and 2:11 should not be tough. Then BOOM, here comes the marathon.

I am only surprised that he didn't DNF.

He was way to ready in Houston when he finished 2nd in 1:01:38. It was 8 weeks out.

They did a quick interview with him on tv and he said the surges got to him and he hit the proverbial wall. He said he had a lot more respect for people who can run one super fast or who can run 50.

It looked like he might have been close to cramping a couple time during the short interview.

Said what a typical viewer would like to hear.

The US Half Marathon lists have many good athletes that found out that the marathon is a different animal. When I was in HS Kennedy and Williams were dominant on the roads and neither can be found on the marathon lists.

Former 10K AR holder Mark Nenow once said in an interview after his marathon debut, "I never had any respect for 2:12 marathoners and now I am one."

Hope he finds a fast marathon course in the Fall. He's got the potential to hit one out of the park!

Actually, it's even worse:

Mark Nenow: "I used to have no respect for a 2:14 marathoner. Now I am one."

http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/ritz-goes-long?page=single

OnePieceToe wrote:

Hope he finds a fast marathon course in the Fall. He's got the potential to hit one out of the park!

Why? What makes you think this?

marathon is a different animal wrote:

OnePieceToe wrote:

Hope he finds a fast marathon course in the Fall. He's got the potential to hit one out of the park!

Why? What makes you think this?

With a 1:01 half marathon time, he has the potential to break 2:10. He will eventually figure out the marathon and run a time close to 2:10 in the near future.

Finally, someone on this board who understands running!Do you think Wariner should go out in 49 for like a neutral split 1:38 or should he REALLY impress people with a 49.5 48.5 NEGATIVE split 1:38?! Dude's run 43.45 so he's gotta be able to run sun 1:40, AMIRIGHT!?!!?

OnePieceToe wrote:

With a 1:01 half marathon time, he has the potential to break 2:10. He will eventually figure out the marathon and run a time close to 2:10 in the near future.

More information Needed wrote:

Finally, someone on this board who understands running!

Do you think Wariner should go out in 49 for like a neutral split 1:38 or should he REALLY impress people with a 49.5 48.5 NEGATIVE split 1:38?! Dude's run 43.45 so he's gotta be able to run sun 1:40, AMIRIGHT!?!!?

OnePieceToe wrote:

With a 1:01 half marathon time, he has the potential to break 2:10. He will eventually figure out the marathon and run a time close to 2:10 in the near future.

Haha. So true.

News flash running a great half doesn't mean you will ever run a full marathon that matches that performance. Think half marathon world record holder......

It was also really hot yesterday in LA. So he might have been distracted by beautiful girls wearing close to nothing...

marathon is a different animal wrote:

This is fairly typical of successful road guys. He is consistently one of the top 5 guys in the US on the roads and is consistently sub 28 on the track for 10000. These are the kind of guys that think 5 minute pace will be easy and 2:11 should not be tough. Then BOOM, here comes the marathon.

I am only surprised that he didn't DNF.

Completely agree.

Although different, it reminds me of the guy from the last Olympic trials who hadn't raced over 10k before yet was talking like the pace was going to be easy. So he went out with meb, hall, ritz, etc only to dnf.

At this point it seems like plenty of these guys should have seen how this plays out and pay the distance a bit more respect. Not saying Braun didn't. Just reminds me of a plenty of examples of people not doing this despite running at the elite level.

At the same time when you do, you might end up like teg. Who runs a good time but nothing to really ever be competitive. At least some are going for it even if the outcome is predictable.

You are out of your mind if you think for a second Braun thought that this was going to be easy.

When a marathon goes south it goes south quick. No need to look into things more than that. Braun has the potential to wear a USA jersey in the marathon. Anyone who's paid much attention to him knows this.

He is as courageous of a runner we've seen from the US. His strength is nearly as good as anyone and truly has underrated wheels. He and Martin will go back to the drawing board and deliver down big the road.

I have no doubt the heat played a role. He probably wouldn't admit it but he just got done with a cold, cold winter in Alamosa.

marathon is a different animal wrote:

This is fairly typical of successful road guys. He is consistently one of the top 5 guys in the US on the roads and is consistently sub 28 on the track for 10000. These are the kind of guys that think 5 minute pace will be easy and 2:11 should not be tough. Then BOOM, here comes the marathon.

I am only surprised that he didn't DNF.

I agree 100%. I also believe that Rupp will never break 2:10. A HM means nothing when it comes to the marathon. A 10k runner can almost always transfer that to the HM but very rarely to the marathon.

rmactonian wrote:

You are out of your mind if you think for a second Braun thought that this was going to be easy.

When a marathon goes south it goes south quick. No need to look into things more than that. Braun has the potential to wear a USA jersey in the marathon. Anyone who's paid much attention to him knows this.

He is as courageous of a runner we've seen from the US. His strength is nearly as good as anyone and truly has underrated wheels. He and Martin will go back to the drawing board and deliver down big the road.

I have no doubt the heat played a role. He probably wouldn't admit it but he just got done with a cold, cold winter in Alamosa.

Try reading what I wrote. I said with 100% clarity that I wasn't saying Braun did this.

But that the post reminded me of the guy from the Olympic trials. As in, what he said brought forward a past memory.