What's the point of a 4k xc? Everyone except high school girls in Texas can run that. Make it one race. Just 8k.
What's the point of a 4k xc? Everyone except high school girls in Texas can run that. Make it one race. Just 8k.
Edward Teach wrote:
What's the point of a 4k xc? Everyone except high school girls in Texas can run that. Make it one race. Just 8k.
Everyone can run an 800m too. Should we cancel that event also?
I guess Farah is still struggling to get back into good shape following his marathon attempt. I for one don't think he'll return to the level of dominance in the 5k/10k + the 3:28 1500m speed he had before, time for the Kenyans and Ethiopians to get back on top I guess.
flent wrote:
You might be right, you might not be. But the brojos would never accept your idea. They prefer to call out NOP for ducking competition.
Look dude. I'm not calling out the NOP. I'm calling out Mo Farah.
This isn't the first time. In August, after he skipped the Kenyans at Commonwealths but beat the white guys at Euros, people were saying he was ducking the competition again (so that means he'd done it before. his races in Britain are consistently total jokes:
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4777013) when he skipped out on the DL final to run the Great North Run. In that race, many people inluding Paula Radcliffe wondered if the kenyan in the race let him win:
Let this refresh your memory:
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=5977405and
http://www.letsrun.com/news/2014/09/wtw-8/Haile G used to largely run time trials at marathons. That drove me nuts as well. His marathon career did little for me as a fan despite his WR. Maybe he had HORRIBLE ALLERGIES but his decision to not even race the Olmpic marathon in 2008 was a bad one. That was the year he ran 2:03:59 in Berlin. Imagine if he'd been in Beijing against Wanjiru.
-Robert
PS. People if you know of the other instances of Farah not running with the big boys, please post it as it's early and I can't remember them all.
It's hard to label him this way. I'm not a fan of Mo AT ALL and I think he is way over hyped. But, he raced Bekele AND Haile in that half a couple years ago. He ALWAYS shows up at the races that matter (Olympics/Worlds). He dove in head first to the marathon against maybe the best marathon field in the world that year (because that's what champions do). Yea I wish he was running the 4k against the top guys because that's what I would do if I were him, but I'm not him. And currently, none of the "studs" in the 4k race are at his level of accomplishment either, so maybe he/Alberto knows what he/they're doing. It's in our human nature to focus on the negative but when you truly analyze Mo's racing habits, "ducking" the comp is a relatively rare occurrence.
rojo wrote:
PS. People if you know of the other instances of Farah not running with the big boys, please post it as it's early and I can't remember them all.
In addition to the ones you mentioned, he ran the 2 mile at the Diamond League meet in Birmingham this summer against no competition. There were high quality 5ks in Stockholm (8/21) and Zurich (8/28) but Farah ran Birmingham instead (8/24). I get that he wanted to run on home turf but the field he faced wasn't nearly as good as those 5ks.
Its not hard to label him that at at all. The marathon wasn't a head first dive for him. He did it for the money. Showing up to the 10k doesn't mean anything when you are a 3:28 runner. It means that you are dodging competition in the 1500. There is no competition in the 10k anymore.
No one said he and Alberto don't know what they are doing. We are saying the exact opposite. They are purposefully ducking the competition. They know it. That means they know what they are doing.
That half against Gen and Bekele was the most legitimate race he has been in. And that was probably only because he thought Bekele would still be out of shape.
Finally someone with common sense posts.
I am a huge Mo fan, and wish the constant negativity towards the NOP would go away, as 99% of the time it seems completely unjustified.
The post directly above yours is better.
Criticism is justified because this sh!t happens with Mo every season now. You can check the entrants for every competitive race as this season develops and absent will be Mo Farah. Maybe he'll run another no-name 5k at Stanford and no-name 2 mile in Englan'.
God I hope someone can beat him in 2016. Very tired of this paper champion.
In reply to RoseTintedA--ole. So Mo doesn't turn up unless he's in top shape. So what ! He has won the races which count , every year since 2010. His preparation and race programme are what he and Al Sal decide and it has worked. You haven't a clue as to what competing at that level requires. He hasn't broke world records - so what ! It's more important to him to be in his best shape for the Championships. If you are so great and knowledgeable about it please tell us either what you have achieved or who you have coached . If he had ran in the 4k at Edinburgh no doubt you would have said he was just running for money and wasn't interested in running for his Country. As to you becoming tired of this paper champion I'm sure he will be devastated to hear that.
Maybe the rest of the competition is ducking Mo... Why even bother racing XC if you're only going to run 4k anyway?
Nobody has mentioned yet that the Edinburgh 8k is a team competition. It might be that he's racing the 8k to help Great Britain win that competition.
I'm not a Farah fan, but we owe it to the guy to at least consider that possibility.
Mo was one of the first elites to commit to this meet and he probably did not know who was running and which race. Also, Mo is a 5K/10K runner probably running 120 mpw right now; why would choose to contest a 4K when there is an 8K available. Mo is the Olympic and World 5K/10K champion...you can easily say the athletes choosing not to race Mo are ducking the competition. Btw, coaches and agents for the most part choose the competitions for elite athletes.
Please let me know if I am not being clear enough.
Thinker of Thoughts wrote:
Maybe the rest of the competition is ducking Mo... Why even bother racing XC if you're only going to run 4k anyway?
Some people on this board think the sport exists purely for the die hards, and the stat geeks. If we want athletics to be a professional sport, we have to think of what's good for the average fan and spectator, and, most importantly, TV. Sure, it'd be great if Farah lined up against the very best in the 4K. But if he can run in a British vest and it means twice the number of viewers on the telly, and a few of those become athletics fans, subscribe to Athletics Weekly, go to a few meets, etc., I'm all for it. Much better than if he didn't compete all together.
Farah has won a lot of gold medals at two world championships and the Olympics. He ran 3:28 or something in a 1500m race, an event probably not in his top 5 events. He's one of the most successful distance runners if all time. He wins more than anyone. He has a family.
I don't necessarily think it's fair to say he's ducking competition when you have no idea of his fitness, his state of mind, physical health, his contractual obligations, his long term racing goals.
Haile G used to largely run time trials at marathons. That drove me nuts as well. His marathon career did little for me as a fan despite his WR. Maybe he had HORRIBLE ALLERGIES but his decision to not even race the Olmpic marathon in 2008 was a bad one. That was the year he ran 2:03:59 in Berlin. Imagine if he'd been in Beijing against Wanjiru.
-Robert
PS. People if you know of the other instances of Farah not running with the big boys, please post it as it's early and I can't remember them all.[/quote]
Well Haile made the right decision as the temp was too hot. You just get the best runner in the heat not the best runner as Paula found out. She said afterwards she did not feel to hot just weak but that is exactly how you feel when you overheat.
Farah was actually beaten in the 4km by my someone from my old club Steve Vernon. He nearly beat Kiprop as well the following year. I actually think he would still have a good chance of winning the 4km as a lot of those mid distance guys can't hack it over xc but they have taken our the steep hill in Edinburgh which has spoiled the race somewhat
I would much rather watch a competitive race myself ( I ended up rooting for Bekele in the GNR!), mind you half the European team on the list I saw seemed to be African
Sour grapes wrote:
In reply to RoseTintedA--ole. So Mo doesn't turn up unless he's in top shape. So what ! He has won the races which count , every year since 2010. His preparation and race programme are what he and Al Sal decide and it has worked. You haven't a clue as to what competing at that level requires. He hasn't broke world records - so what ! It's more important to him to be in his best shape for the Championships. If you are so great and knowledgeable about it please tell us either what you have achieved or who you have coached . If he had ran in the 4k at Edinburgh no doubt you would have said he was just running for money and wasn't interested in running for his Country. As to you becoming tired of this paper champion I'm sure he will be devastated to hear that.
+10
So Mo, who has 12 Golds since 2011 in elite championships (2 Olympic, 3 world Champs Outdoor, 5 Euro Champs Outdoor, 2 Euro Champs Indoor) doesn't meet the BroJos and the anti-anything associated with Nike/NOP/Salazar mob on LRC.
Question for BroJos - do you have any actual facts regarding Mos entry into the team 8k to support your allegations? Direct conversations with Mo, Salazar, event organizers, anyone with direct knowledge of anything? No, just the usual innuendo, mud slinging, make it up and then finds some facts, after the fact, to try to support it? Thought so.
It's almost like Mo Farah is better at and trains for distances closer to 8K than 4K
I don't care if he does the race or not. But what does he have a family got to do with anything?
Wipeyereyes wrote:
Farah has won a lot of gold medals at two world championships and the Olympics. He ran 3:28 or something in a 1500m race, an event probably not in his top 5 events. He's one of the most successful distance runners if all time. He wins more than anyone. He has a family.
I don't necessarily think it's fair to say he's ducking competition when you have no idea of his fitness, his state of mind, physical health, his contractual obligations, his long term racing goals.
Wipeyereyes wrote:
He ran 3:28 or something in a 1500m race, an event probably not in his top 5 events.
Lol was this a serious statement??
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