LetsRun.com: The Week That Was In Running: February 22 - February 28, 2010
By LetsRun.com
March 1, 2010
To read last week's LRC Week That Was, click Here.
To read any 2010 LRC Week That Was, click Here.
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This week we hand out praise to underdog US female runners, heavily-favored US male runners, Usain Bolt, Ryan Gregson, Martin Lel, Kim Smith and Japanese marathoners while we give a Thumbs Down to Kenya. Along the way, we wonder why we can't purchase a Mercedes for less than a quarter and then we actually give out praise to the Boston marathon and wonder if they are finally narrowing the gap with London.
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Last Week's Homepages |
Good Week/Bad Week
- In a week that featured plenty of distance races at all of the big NCAA conference meets (save the Big East) and USA indoors, we'll start our weekly recap with professional sprint action.
Let it be officially known that it's now officially just a matter of when, not if.
A matter of when Usain Bolt sets the 400-meter world record.
The greatest short sprinter in history soon will be the greatest 400 meter runner in history - mark our words. We're writing this prediction on February 28, 2010 and when Bolt breaks the record, all we'll say is "We told you so."
We are so confident because Bolt ran a ridiculous 43.58 split over the weekend. A 43.58 in February. With no outdoor Worlds in 2010, Bolt should go for times. He should first find a machine to rabbit him to a sub-19.00 200 time and then he should go break the 400 world record. We wish there was a betting line on when Bolt breaks the 400 WR. The over/under in our minds might be the year 2010. More: Bolt 400m! 43.58 Relay Split In February - But Bolt wasn't the only phenom impressing at 400 meters last week. Kenya's 800 phenom, 21-year-old David Rudisha, who set the African record of 1:42.01 last September, impressed with a 45.5 - pretty impressive stuff for an 800 man. More: David Rudisha 45.5 400m. Making The 400/800 Man Stylish Again
- But the law of averages state that not everyone can have a great week. Those with disappointing weeks included the US distance star of the present, Dathan Ritzenhein, who pulled out of the World's Best 10k and World Cross-Country due to a nagging foot injury, as well as the (hopefully) US distance star of the future in German Fernandez, who stepped out off the track in the middle of the Big 12 mile with his own foot injury.
- In our minds, Kenya also had a bad week because it was revealed very subtly in an article that the reason they only are sending 7 to World Indoors is because they only have the money (or are given the money from the IAAF or some sponsor) to send 6 for free. American-based Kenyan Boaz Lalang will pay his own way. Maybe LRC should sponsor a
Kenyan?
More: Kenya Only Sending 7 To World Indoors Only one woman on the squad. Thankfully, she's quite good - 2009 world 5k champ Vivian Cheruiyot. This article explains why Kenya is only sending 7 and it's because there is only money to pay for 6 to go. 
A Thumbs Up is certainly needed for former ING NYC Marathon champ Hendrick Ramaala for announcing
that he intends to run for the presidency of the Athletics South Africa to replace the disgraced Leonard Chuene. Ramaala, who holds a law degree, is viewed by everyone as one of the class acts of the road/marathon circuit. - Chuene, on the other hand, continues to generate more negative news even though he no longer in office. If being
largely responsible for the whole Caster Semenya debacle wasn't enough to ruin someone's reputation, then buying a Mercedes Benz for 12.8 cents certainly has to put one over
the top.
Prison would be a good place for Chuene in our book, but it may be hard to put this guy behind bars as computer files were deleted and documents shredded. - It contrast to Chuene, it was a good week for 19-year-old Aussie Ryan Gregson. The LRC visitor certainly is proving to be the real deal as he knocked 2 seconds off his PR to win the Sydney Classic in 3:35.42. Even more impressive than the time and the win in our book was the fact that he blitzed his last 400 in 53. Tactical speed is something that is hard to develop, so it's good to see that he has it.
Ryan Gregson's 3:35.42
More: LRC Mboard thread On Ritz LRC Mboard Thread on German Fernandez *Aussie Phenom Continues Romp: Ryan Gregson Wins Sydney 1,500 In PR 3:35.42 *Recap Of Entire Sydney Classic - Hooker, Vili And Samuels Impress In Field Events
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Inaugural Mardi Gras Half Marathon
LRC Visitor Don And His Girlfriend
Camille At The Mardi Gras Marathon
Also having a good week was Martin Lel. Lel is the man many have forgotten about as he was totally snake-bitten in 2009. He was forced to pull out of both the 2009 Flora London Marathon as well as the 2009 ING NYC Marathon with an injury the week of each race even though he had a sub-1 hour half marathon win to his credit leading up to both of them.
In LetsRun.com's book, if Sammy Wanjiru isn't the greatest marathoner on the planet, then Martin Lel most likely is the best. LetsRun.com remembers that Lel was the last guy to defeat Wanjiru in a marathon (2008 London when he ran 2:05:15 to Wanjiru's 2:05:24). Plus he's won London four times and New York twice. Well, Lel defeated Wanjiru last weekend in New Orleans at the Mardi Gras Half Marathon, as he ran 61:07 to Wanjiru's 61:33. Barring injury, Lel and
Wanjiru will square off again next month in London
and that race will be must-see television in our book.
Also having a great day on the men's side in New Orleans was former Oregon Duck Shadrack Biwott, who surprised with a third-place 61:40 showing.
The women's action was even hotter than the men's, as Berhane Adere (67:52) and Kim Smith (67:55) ran faster than anyone ever had before on American soil. A definite Thumbs Up is in store for them as well as for the people at Elite Racing for attracting such a good field for a first-year race.
More: *Martin Lel, Berhane Adere Win Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half-Marathon *Lel (61:07) Returns To Defeat Sub-Par Wanjiru,
Adere (67:52) Wins Close Race Over Kim Smith (67:55) *On The Boards: Shadrack Kiptoo Biwott Fantastic Run
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2010 USA Indoors
Going into the 2010 USA indoor meet, American 800-meter man Nick Symmonds thought he was in great shape, as he told David Monti in a pre-race interview, "I feel pretty good ... My last three months of training have gone perfectly without a
hitch." Well, we want to give Symmonds a big Thumbs Up for backing up the big talk with a win in the men's 800, as he ran 1:48.10 to Duane Solomon's 1:48.41.
We also want to give him a Thumbs Up for being honest in his pre-race interview. Far too many track stars try to be coy. The public needs quotes to talk about. We had saved that one, so no matter what Symmonds did, he'd get a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down for his performance as a result.
In many ways, Symmonds' victory in the 800 was appropriate, as on the men's side of things in the mid-d and distance events, the main story line was that the big "names" came through. Symmonds is the best 800 man in America and he won. Leonel Manzano was clearly the most accomplished guy in the men's 1,500 and, despite having finished behind Will Leer in Boston, Manzano won, with the 2nd-most accomplished man in the field, Leer, second. In the 3k, more of the same, as the biggest name, Bernard Lagat, was the victor, while the 2nd-biggest name, Galen Rupp, was 2nd.
Metivier Baillie Pulls Of A Shocker!!!
The women's action at USAs was the complete opposite of the men's. The story of the weekend at USAs for the women was two big upsets and two thrilling races. In the women's 3k, Renee Metivier Baillie bolted to a big lead in the first lap, which she covered in 32. She'd keep the lead until she was caught with 100 meters to go before finding something in reserve to rally to get the narrowest of victories to the delight of the sold-out crowd (3,150) in Albuquerque. Metievier Baillie ran 9:14.90 to Sara Hall's 9:14.92. Heavy pre-race favorite Shannon Rowbury was third in 9:15.41. The bad news for Metievier Baillie is that she won't be headed to Worlds as she doesn't have the 9:03 qualifying time.
But Metivier Baillie deserves a big Thumbs Up for pulling off the upset and for running from the front. She also gets our
Quote Of The Week #1:
"I could tell that just everyone was putting on the brakes and I was like, screw it. I'm going to go."
Rowbury was at the wrong end of another big upset the next day in the women's 1,500 when Cornell grad Morgan Uceny pulled a stunner and won the 1,500 by nipping Rowbury, who won a bronze in August at Worlds in the 1,500, 4:19.46 to Rowbury's 4:19.48. Uceny also doesn't have the Worlds qualifier and won't be going to Worlds.
In the women's 800, Uceny's training partner Anna Pierce took down the title in 2:00.84, making it a great weekend for the females coached by Terrence Mahon, as the Mammoth Lakes runners took first in the 800 and 1,500 and got 2nd in the 3k (Sara Hall is coached by Mahon). It was good to see Alysia Johnson in 2nd place in 2:01.45. Hopefully, she's on the way back to the form she showed in 2007 when she won NCAAs and USAs before being slowed by injury in 2008.
We do want to give out a Thumbs up to the people of Albuquerque for supporting the meet with two sellout crowds of 3,150. We also think USATF deserves credit for putting the meet in a smaller market like Albuquerque, as it had grown stale in Boston (USATF also deserves credit for putting the 2012 Marathon Trials in Houston,
but we'll praise them next week for that). As long as the thing is broadcast nationally, having it in a smaller market is fine and possibly preferred in our book. It's just a shame that USATF won't give athletes in the hunt for the Visa Championship series an altitude conversion. For that and for Doug Logan calling 5,000 feet of altitude "relatively moderate", they also deserve a Thumbs Down.
More: *Results *Day 1 Race-By-Race Distance Recap *Day
2 Distance Recap *Watch A Replay Of The USATF Meet On ESPN360 (Verizon, AT&T, Charter, .Edus, Military Bases And Others Can All Watch Ato Boldon On The Broadcast) *Erin Donohue Rallies In Half Hour Between Events
To Get Worlds 1,500m Qualifier By Slowing Down Final *Men's 3,000: Bernard Lagat Kicks For Win Over Galen Rupp, Chris Solinsky *According to OregonLive.com, Rupp lost 8 pounds this week with
a
stomach virus. *Renee Metivier Baillie And Sara Hall Defeat Shannon Rowbury *Quotes From Day 1 Of USATF Indoors *LRC: USATF's Decision To Not Offer Altitude
Adjustments For Performances At USA Indoors Is Raising Ire In Mid-D And Distance Circles
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Japanese Show Their Toughness
We very seriously considered starting The Week That Was this week with a Thumbs Up to the Japanese. Thumbs up to them for a few reasons - 1) For being tough bad-asses in the marathon and 2) For being such big supporters of distance running as, thanks to the support of their corporate teams, they have a ton of sub-2:15 guys in the country.
2010 Tokyo Marathon Results
1. Masakazu Fujiwara (Team Honda) - 2:12:19
2. Arata Fujiwara (Team JR Higashi Nihon) - 2:12:34
3. Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 2:12:35
4. Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) - 2:12:36 - PB
5. Tomoya Adachi (Team Asahi Kasei) - 2:12:46
6. Joseph Mwaniki (Kenya/Team Konica Minolta) - 2:12:53 - debut
7. Rachid Kisri (Morocco) - 2:12:59
8. Takaaki Koda (Team Asahi Kasei) - 2:13:04 - debut
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Salim Kipsang (Kenya) - 2:13:16
These thoughts came to our head thanks to the 2010 edition of the Tokyo Marathon. Let's just say that the weather there was less than ideal. Brett Larner of japanrunningnews.blogspot.com described them as follows: "(42) degree temperatures at the start, strong winds, rain turning to snow as temperatures fell, and a tsunami warning for the waterfront finish area."
But bad weather doesn't stop the Japanese. This was the 4th edition of the Tokyo marathon and third year that the weather has been bad (2007 - cold rain, 2009 - big winds). No worries. Lots of Japanese semi-studs showed up and lots of them ran fast which brings us to our...
1st Stat Of The Week:
6* - # of Japanese that ran 2:13:16 or faster in the 2010 Tokyo marathon where there was a tsunami warning, high winds and freezing rain.
7 - # of American men who ran 2:13:16 or better in all of 2009.
Yes, that's right. The Japanese had more almost as many runners run 2:13:16 or better in terrible conditions than America had in all of 2009. Go Japan. (*note: originally we said nine Japanese runners broke 2:13:16 but really it was six, as three of the top-9 in the race were Kenyan or Moroccan. Thanks to an avid LRC reader for pointing out the mistake.)
Read more about the race at the Japan Running News website and, while your at it, subscribe to their premium service of exclusive interviews.
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NCAA Conference Action
The majority of the NCAA D1 conference action took place last week. It would be impossible to recap it all here, but we will give you the links to read all about it and we will give you the team winners of the BCS conferences plus list the 18 new national leaders that were set last weekend.
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ACC: Results |
Big 10 |
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Big XII *Results |
Heps (they aren't a BCS conference, but we're biased and need an extra one to make our table work) |
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PAC-10 (Oh wait - they don't care about indoors) MPSF - Results |
SEC *Results |
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National Leading Marks From Men: |
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National Leading Marks From Women: |
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Other than that, we guess we'll just give a Thumbs Up to the Arkansas Razorback men for living up to the John McDonnell tradition by winning SECs thanks to 77 of their 123 points coming from the mid-d and distances with the breakdown as follows: 800 - 9 points, mile - 16 points, 3k - 26 points, 5k - 16 points, DMR - 10.
Also, the most interesting development may have been that Virginia Tech lost the ACC meet because Will Mulherin did his best Jimmy Wyner impersonation and got himself DQ'd despite crossing the line first in the 3k. The DQ is obviously creating a ton of discussion on the LRC message board under a thread entitled ACC
Men's 3000 DQ -- Cost VT the team title, but the thread has a ways to go until it reaches the 281 created in the aftermath of the Wyner controversy. Those Ivy Leaguers sure do like to talk smack.