Alan Webb Runs 3:41.16 1,500m (3:58.90 Mile) And 14:15 5k In Antwerp, Belgium

By LetsRun.com
August 28, 2010

*Full Results
*Alberto Salazar Talks About The Race
*Webb Post-Race Video

Alan Webb's comeback from Achilles surgery and a switch of coaches (from Scott Raczko to Alberto Salazar) took a major step in the right direction Saturday in Antwerp, Belgium.

Two weeks ago to the day, Alan ran a "D" level race in Europe and ran a 1:52.32 for 7th place at 800m.

Now he's a sub-four minute miler and winning races again as he ran 3:41.16 to win the 1,500m in Antwerp, Belgium (3:41.16 is equal to 3:58.90 in mile). In the final 100m, Alan outkicked Cornelius Ndiwa, who has run 3:36 twice this year (although to be fair, it should be pointed out that Ndiwa ran 3:36 earlier in the summer on June 8th and July 1 and hasn't broken 3:40 since July 15th).

Alan, however, was not done yet. Perhaps most impressively, he came back less than 10 minutes later according to the meet schedule to run 14:15 for 5,000m and finish 9th (American Ryan Vail (former OSU Cowboy) won the race in a five-second PR of 13:32). We were not at the meet but fortunately message board poster Seb was in Belgium (we confirmed his ip address). He recaps the races for us. (Video footage of the race is now posted at the bottom of this article.)

Saw the race:  pacemaker went through 1k in 2.26 with Alan in 3rd position, afterwards (3rd lap) pace slowed down a little bit until last 100 when Alan kicked. Was impressive to see how he ran away from Ndiwa.

Fortunately I was standing next to Alberto Salazar right after the race when he was discussing it with Alan. His comment: you're back with a big smile! And by the looks on Alan's face, he was really happy as well. Especially with the kick.

15 minutes later he ran a 5k. Original plan was 4.40/mile (said Salazar). First mile was a bit faster (4.35) and with a fast last lap, 14.15. Not bad!

Coach Alberto Salazar is famous for making his athletes do workouts after races. Earlier this month, Galen Rupp tripped in the last 1,000m in Stockholm and then Alberto had him do an interval workouts after the race.

Alberto Salazar was not worried after Webb's opening 800m as he said Webb had only broken 30 seconds for 200m for the first time three weeks before his 800m. He said, "we can see the acceleration curve is going up tremendously ..."

Alberto also said, "I would have to say that even my athletes agree as a group - Galen Rupp and Dathan Ritzenhein - we all know he (Webb) is the most talented in the whole group."

So maybe we weren't going out on too much of a limb after Webb's 800m to guarantee with $3,350 that Webb would break 3:35 or 13:20 if he stayed healthy in the next 2 years. But he definitely appears to be going in the right direction.

Alan Webb captivates us all because not only is he so talented but also so human.

His run today makes 2010 already more successful than his 2006 season, at least at 1,500m, and the mile. In 2006, despite running 27:34 for 10k, he never went under 3:46 for 1,500m or 4:00 in the mile. The next year, he had the top time in the world at 1,500 (3:30.54), mile (3:46.91) and was #2 in the world at 800 (1:43.84).

Video of Alan Webb's Win in Antwerp:

*Full Results
*Alberto Salazar Talks About The Race
*Webb Post-Race Video

On The World Famous LetsRun.com Message Boards: *Discuss Alan Webb's 3:41

Recent Webb Archives:
*Our $3,350 Guarantee Alan Webb Breaks 3:35 For 1,500m
*Alberto Salazar Says Webb Is His Most Talented Runner *Alan Webb Says He Wants To Still Be The World's Best

Before His Comeback:
*"A great comeback story is when something really debilitating has happened to someone. With Alan, he just had a couple of bad years of running, and then he had a simple surgery. When he runs well, it's not going to be a great comeback story or a coaching story. It will just be a guy doing what you would expect at this level. When he is this young, with no chronic injury, he is going to run as fast or faster than he has before."

- Alberto Salazar talking in a great Portland Tribune story about American mile record holder Alan Webb's comeback. Webb's comeback will begin on August 14th in London. The article also outlines Galen Rupp's racing schedule for the rest of the summer. It's also full of humor as Salazar jokes about Webb and Rupp starring in "Hangover II," as both are getting married this fall.

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