Where Your Dreams Become
Reality
Where Your Dreams Become
Reality
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2008 Pre Classic Distance Preview The Pre meet is always the top meet in America and this year the distance races are absolutely sick. Our previews below. Men's Mile: Stacked Field Ready to Tangle Dan Komen (world ranked #1 last year) has been most impressive of anyone in the field, coming off a 3:31.91 2nd place finish in Berlin on Sunday. He was closely followed by Shedrack Korir (.08 behind) and Alex Kipchirchir (3:32.16). Lopez Lomong got the win at Reebok last week in NY and Kevin Sullivan won at adidas, but don't expect them to contend here. No doubt, a ton of attention will be on Webb, who is making his 2008 track debut. Webb has struggled mightily in 2008 (fading at the NY 8k with food poisoning, then dropping out of Carlsbad 5000, and then skipping the Stanford meet). Can he return to the amazing form he exhibited in 2007 (American record in the mile)? If he doesn't a few people might hit the "panic button" for Webb heading into the Olympic Trials. Alan Webb Predictions: 1) Korir 2) Webb 3) Komen (Webb ran a 3:53 in high school, and is opening his season at Pre, clearly his camp isn't lacking at confidence.)
Men's 10k Kenenisa Bekele Going for World Record, Abdi for American Record? We however don't think Bekele is in world record shape. He missed some time before the African Champs and came as close as he ever does to losing there. He rebounded with a convincing 5k win in Hengelo (12:58) but fell off the world record pace there. American Abdi Abdirahman is in the field. Abdi has run great from 10k (7th at Worlds) last year to the marathon (until the Olympic Trials where he dropped out) the last couple years. We've got to figure if he's in the race, he's after Meb's American record (27:13.98) from 2001 (This thread on trackandfield news confirms he is racing here because he missed his flight for the 10k in Hengelo). Breaking the record might depend on the pace. If there's a non-record group going out at 13:40 pace it seems like he'd be more likely to get the record than if he goes out and just hangs on to the back of the Bekele group. Prediction: Bekele misses the record. 26:17 is super, super fast. (Bekele ran 26:46 last year in Brussels). We'll split the difference. 26:35. American record for Abdi. (We weren't predicting it until we see he missed his flight)
Women's 5000: Meseret Defar Going for World Record, Faces Challenge from Cheruiyot The other problem is Defar lost in her last race to countrywoman Meselech Melkamu at the African Champs. Defar said she was sick that day and we believe her as the last lap was 61 seconds, and she usually would crush someone running "only" a 61 off a slow pace. But the race is far from a time trials as also in the race is Vivian Cheruiyot. When Defar was running her 14:16.63 last year, Cheruiyot was in her wake running 14:22, breaking the previous world record. When Defar was winning the gold in Osaka at 5000m Cheruiyot was right behind her in 2nd. Prediction: 1) Defar is too good 2) Cheruiyot 3) Kara Goucher (Goucher is returning from injury, but is fit as she ran 31:30 last weekend) Women's 800 Mutola Goes for 16 Straight Mutola is still going strong at age 35 (world indoor bronze) but has announced she's retiring after this year. This is Mutola's first 800m race in a month. She was 2nd to super sensation Pamela Jelimo at the African champs (when no one knew who Jelimo was, only one month ago), then ran a 1500m the next week and now is running Pre. If Mutola will make it #16, she'll have to beat the top Americans and that's about it. The field consist of Diane Cummins (only 2:03.6 last weekend), Miho Sato of Japan, a high shooler Chanelle Price, Nicole Teter coming off injury, 1500m specialist Shannon Rowbury, and the top 2 Americans Hazel Clark (undefeated in 2008 until she dropped out of Reebok with food poisoning) and US #2 Alice Schmidt who is making her 2008 800m debut. Maria Mutola (Mozambique) Prediction: With Hazel Clark's food poisoning don't expect her to have rebounded 100%. Mutola makes it #16. Men's 2 mile: Lagat vs Mottram and Now Ramzi This is we believe the first race for Ramzi over 1500m. It'll be interesting to see how he does. It also is his first race of the outdoor season. The fact he opted out of the 1500 hints that perhaps he is not 100% fit. Lagat will not only be after the win but also Matt Tegenkamp's American record of 8:07.07. Predictions: Mottram is fit coming off his 27:34 10k win at Stanford. Koech clearly is fit with his 8:01 steeple. But we've got to go with Lagat. His finishing speed is incredible, he won the 1500m at Reebok and we don't see Koech running away from him early on. Women's 1500: Jamal versus Burka Jamal ran a 1:58.66 pr in Hengelo and then last week followed it up with a 2:00 in New York. Burka meanwhile won the 1500 at the African Champs and then ran 14:45 to win the 5k in Hengelo. Predictions: We wish Rowbury hadn't switched to the 800 as we'd like to see her try and break 4.  Nick Symmonds Men's 800: Reebok Race + Symmonds + World champ Kirwa Predictions: It should be a great, great race. Take any of the names and draw them out of a hat and you might do a better job predicting than us. But we're paid the big bucks to tell you who will win.
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Runner's World &
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