53.74 last lap for Defar!!!

Great work! Also, Meseret Defar won the Doha 1500m in Mid May in 4:06. She was in top 5k shape at the time because 2 weeks later she attempted the 5k wr in Hengelo. So that is how fast they can go, although probably 2-3 seconds faster later in the season?

No, the time initially stopped at 14.59.xx and indicating 53.74. Later the time was 'corrected' to 15.02.xx so the last lap should be 56 or 57 (still impressive).

Paul

Chartbreaker wrote:

What makes you think they are friends??? They are not that's why Defar ran her heart out to beat Dibaba.

bogale wrote:

i am a litle bit unhappy and can`t understand why defar won the race. she could give her best friend the chance to win 125,000 USD. that`s too much money. i am sure the people in ethiopia will give the olymp.champ a hard time

The race in Paris was the first and the most thrilling of the many Dibaba versus Defar battles over 5000m of the year, but in Dibaba’s words it was “the most difficult race of my career. We are both in top condition this season. We are not enemies as people may think. We are very good friends off the track. She is like a sister to me.”

If I were Defar I would have said to Dibaba before the race: " I will try my hardest to beat you, and if I arrive at the finish before you, I will stop and turn around before the line, and slap hands as you finish. You then will donate the extra winnings to Ethiopian charity".(I would let teh race organizers know this as well, to prevent a DQ).

Good for the Ethiopian women! I am proud of them.

Their ethics is worth much more than a stinking 125k

Ure aclu less twit wrote:

kickersrace wrote:

Why is it suspect...when they probably can run 14.10 with even splits. The first 4600 in a 14.30 race, basically no anaerobic activity, they are fresh.

Well...they are fresh....the reason is subject to debate.

Well maybe! But I bet my 1500 time of 3.49 is faster than Defar can do. How do you explain that?

Does anyone else here think it is a little fishy that these women can kick a faster last lap of a 5k than most of their fellow elite competitors can run for the 400 fresh?

I just can't buy that they have that much more natural talent.

Not drinking the kool-aid wrote:

Does anyone else here think it is a little fishy that these women can kick a faster last lap of a 5k than most of their fellow elite competitors can run for the 400 fresh?

I just can't buy that they have that much more natural talent.

Really don't see why people think there is anything fishy about this. I've run low 14 for 5k and have done a 60s last lap. When fresh I doubt I could go more than a second or two quicker. Seems entirely plausable that Dibaba and Defar could run 55 fresh and 56/57 at the end of a relatively sedate race.

I used to train as part of a group that included Sonia O'Sullivan when she was at her peak. My 5k best is about 2 seconds a lap quicker than hers, but she would comfortably beat me on 200m reps, she clearly had the better basic speed. At 15 minute pace, over the final lap, she would almost certainly have beaten me.

Just admire this for what it is, two very well matched rivals each with devastating finishing speeed. I can't wait to see them race in the World Champs next year.

BenM wrote:

But I bet my 1500 time of 3.49 is faster than Defar can do. How do you explain that?

How about:

Your 1500 time and how quick you can run the last lap of a 5k aren't linearly correlated.

There, I've explained it.

LessThanJake wrote:

that's because you're a slow white boy with minimal fast twitch muscles and a smaller achilles heel muscle

yup. that smaller achilles heel muscle gets ya every time. damn.

Something stinks and it isn't the fish market.

calm down everyone wrote:

BenM wrote:

But I bet my 1500 time of 3.49 is faster than Defar can do. How do you explain that?

How about:

Your 1500 time and how quick you can run the last lap of a 5k aren't linearly correlated.

There, I've explained it.

So, I have a faster 5000m PB and a faster 1500m PB, yet they still have 3 or 4 seconds on me at least on the last lap of a 15min 5k. So I have speed and endurance covered, but yet will still get whalloped by them. It must either be:

a) genetic/altitude etc

b) some great training implementation

c) synthetic aids.

Any ideas?

BenM wrote:

So, I have a faster 5000m PB and a faster 1500m PB, yet they still have 3 or 4 seconds on me at least on the last lap of a 15min 5k. So I have speed and endurance covered, but yet will still get whalloped by them. It must either be:

a) genetic/altitude etc

b) some great training implementation

c) synthetic aids.

Any ideas?

What makes you think you "have speed covered" just because your 1500 is better? They have better 400 metre pace, as they have just demonstrated. So the answer is most likely (a), they have more basic speed than you.

BenM wrote:

So, I have a faster 5000m PB and a faster 1500m PB, yet they still have 3 or 4 seconds on me at least on the last lap of a 15min 5k. So I have speed and endurance covered, but yet will still get whalloped by them. It must either be:

a) genetic/altitude etc

b) some great training implementation

c) synthetic aids.

Any ideas?

So you're slower over 400 than these chicks, but you can beat them over 1500 metres? Hmmmm, fishy, been tested recently?

When I saw 53.74 for their last lap I was shocked. That would be like 49 or faster for a guy. I'm quite relieved to find out it was 56 since I doubt I will ever come close to finishing a race in 53. 56 maybe, but not 53.

Who said I was slower over 400m? No idea what their 400m PB is but I can run about 52/53. How fast are they? 50secs? You really think they are that fast?! If so, they should be able to run an amazing 1500m, which maybe they can.

53.74 would indeed be a shocking 5k finish for 2 LADIES!

I can understand you being shocked by that mistaken

time for their last 400 meters ... but what I cannot

understand, and you're not the only one to express this,

is why you are "RELIEVED to find out it was only 56"?

Why should you, a guy I assume, be threatened by the amazing kick of the 2 best women 5k runners in the world?

If you are a chick it is understandable because this kind of finish is other world-like ... but if you're a middle of

the pack 14 minute male 5k specialist ... its kind of shameful for you to be "relieved" that these ladies "only"

ran 56 for the last 400 ... I think you should be overjoyed

to live during a time of such never before witnessed female

excellance.

We may actually be able to imagine a woman breaking 4 minutes for the mile now. Listen to this ... with a finish of 56 seconds for a 5k ... you would think that one or both of them could run a 1:51 800 meters. That is the time most experts say you need to be able to run for the 800 to

have a realistic chance at breaking 4 for the mile. That

kind of speed/endurance suggests that they both should be able to handle 3:03 at the 3/4 mile point ... finish with a 57 and they've got it.

BenM wrote:

Who said I was slower over 400m? No idea what their 400m PB is but I can run about 52/53. How fast are they? 50secs? You really think they are that fast?! If so, they should be able to run an amazing 1500m, which maybe they can.

There is no way they can run 400 in 50 seconds. I would guess they can run about 54/55.

At the end of a 5k, even off a reasonable pace for me (14.30-14.45) I can get within a couple of seconds of my fresh 400 metre time over the last lap. You clearly think you can only get within about 7. People seem to be different, I don't have much pace but what little I do have I seem to be able to draw on quite well at the end of a race. I'm guessing that they are the same.

qucassidy wrote:

Listen to this ... with a finish of 56 seconds for a 5k ... you would think that one or both of them could run a 1:51 800 meters.

Listen to this....you're so so wrong. If either of them could break 1:58 then my arse is a banjo.