Jakob 2k WR attempt (4:44.7) in Brussels on Sept. 8th. 2k will replace 1500 in DL standings.

I think Ingebrigtsen can get it.

2000m WR while very very strong by itself (2nd AT is more than 2 seconds behind!), I'd say it's the weakest El G outdoor WR. And Jakob seems to be getting better and better as the season goes on. I predict 4:43.50.

He can get it.

I say he will run 4:44.79

How many pacers will he have this time?

He could run 4 laps at 57 and a 56 last lap. That should be possible if he is still close to peak shape.

Perhaps McSweyn would help again?

He ran 4:51.1 during his 2 mile WR, I would say he has a great shot here.

I think 4:43.50 is possible on a good day, which he’s been having a lot of. 3:33.9/3:48.0 through 1500/1600 and a 55.5 close.

Hopefully we’ll get a super stacked field here as well—imagine how many NRs could fall, and how the all time list could be completely rewritten. Only 5 guys from 4 different countries have ever broken 4:50 (El G, Saidi-Sief, Morceli, Niyongabo, Kibowen) but I’m sure there are several guys besides Jakob currently in the 4:46-4:49 range.

Kenyan NR - 4:48.74, John Kibowen - Doable for T. Cheruiyot and R. Cheruiyot and probably Kipsang too

Australian NR - 4:50.76, Craig Mottram - Doable for both Hoare and McSweyn

British NR - 4:51.39, Steve Cram - Doable for Kerr and possibly others, because Cram didn’t have a pacer the entire race and it’s “only” 3:38.54 pace

New Zealand NR - 4:51.52, John Walker - possible albeit tough for Sam Tanner

Spanish NR - 4:52.40, Jose Manual Abascal - MGR could break it, Katir could make mincemeat out of it

U.S. NR - 4:52.44, Jim Spivey - I think Nuguse could lower this by close to 5 seconds, and if he’s not interested, Hocker and Teare could break it too

French NR - 4:53.12, Mehdi Baala - With 3:29 speed Habz should be capable of 3:39 pace for 2k, and it’s conceivable for Gressier too

4'44"44 incoming.

Bekele did run 4:49.99 indoors. Girma could smash that and probably run 4:46-7. That being said, Komen surprisingly doesn't have a great mark.

Do wonder if this will be more like 2 mile and more of an exhibition with some of the younger athletes looking for experience (Ishmael Kipkirui, Kuma Girma, Laros?) in the field.

I'm gonna go against popular opinion and say he misses it but gets very close.

1. As OP said he may be tired after worlds.

2. In my opinion, he needs to be half a second faster at 1,500m to break the 2,000m.

Great post. Not to be that guy, but Bekele also broke 4:50 and is the only one to do it indoors :)

I see TL beat me to it!

ngl I kinda wish he'd go after the 3k or 5k WRs. If for no other reason than a 3k/5k WR attempt with the DL as stacked as it's been this year would definitely go down as one of the greatest races ever. But also, there isn't a guarantee that he'll ever be at this level again. Forget this if he's just using it as a tune-up for a mile WR attempt at Pre though.

Also, if he gets it, would it be his first official outdoor WR? Seems kinda silly that the 2-mile doesn't count now that it's even stronger than Komen's 7:20. Ig I can understand why 5 miles isn't a WR event, but the 2-mile record is super strong and it's still run in DLs. I'm hoping Jakob runs 4:42 or something crazy so we can all get excited about a 1500/mile WR.

It is likely that Jakob has reached his ultimate peak now, and there is nothing wrong with that. Everything that goes up has to come down again, that is literally physics. He had a great career. It is nice to dream of 4:44 outdoors or 4:49 indoors. Don't forget indoor tracks were slower when Bekele ran the WR, and Bekele didn't have super spikes or wavelights

I have bookmarked your post.

I'm surprised he doesn't try the 3k before the 2k. He has a very good shot at the 3k for sure. 2k is possible but he is still lacking half a second in the 1500 imo. But if he tries, that means he is confident and he his well aware of his current ability. We'll see.

I bet 4:45.10

Wow this is cool. I wonder if this means that he is shutting down the fast 1500's for the season though? Post Budapest there was Zurich, Brussels and then the mile in Eugene and there were/are rumors he might go after a time over 5000m in Zurich which means no more metric miles this outdoor season apart from obviously in Budapest.

Can he get this one? I like his chances. He needs to basically run low 57's for 4 laps and then crank out a 54 high/55 low - a formula that seems very "Jakob'ish" these days. However we have to see how fatigued he is post Budapest and whatever happens in Zurich.

His season is now really starting to feel like one of those prime El G seasons (like 99) where the number of high quality performances one after another is just astounding. Good luck to him, will be fun to watch.

He's knocking down the lower hanging fruit with 2M and 2k this season but he is ready to challenge the 5000m record, to crush the 3000m record, and to break 3:27 with a more aggressive first couple of laps. He may be still better next year but he should take some shots at the 3 and 5k records while he's in this kind of distance shape.

For what purpose? Banana Bread is obviously carrying on a running joke. He’s long been the #1 Bekele superfan, waxing poetic about his muscular thighs while disparaging any challenger to Bekele’s GOAT legacy.

I kind of feel like 2 mile and 2000m and even 3000m records are what you go after once you have records for championship races.

Said Aouita got those oddball records, but he also held the world record for the 1500m and 5000m at the time.