chicago marathon predictions?

Why the jealousy toward Hansons? They have produced more sub 2:16 marathoners than any current training group in the United States. It is with their efforts that all of us have changed our attitude toward what is acceptable for American marathoners.

Take a look at the top guys at TC and their credentials.

1. Cabada 28:20

2. Gabrielson 13:30

3. Torres 28:20

4. MORGAN 30:00--14:20

Then there was a 2 minute gap.

Who is doing a better job with this level of talent?

For those that bash Verran. Come on. The guy never broke 30 minutes or 14 minutes in college. He has run on 2 World Championship Marathon teams and 2 world half marathon teams and finished 5th in the Olympic Trials. He has run 2:14 on 4 different occasions. Which 30 minute collegiate 10k runner has had a better career over the last decade?

It's going to be unseasonably warm and humid. Temps already in the 60's at the start and over 80% humidity. It will not be a PB kind of day...

To the REAL Jealous Boy,

Speak for yourself dude! It has not changed my attitude toward what is acceptable for American marathoners, but it has obviously changed yours. And for the record, I never claimed to be faster than any of these guys, so that arguement won't fly.

Verran ran on 2 different World Championship Marathon teams because our best didn't want to. As to why he finished 5th in the marathon trials, it's simple. People go all or nothing in the trials. If it's not happening, they drop out. In his case, place has nothing to do with it, time does. Running 2:14 over and over is fine, but he's not a top American Marathoner when the best have always been about 5 minutes faster on average. Think about it. It's NOT bashing, it's reality. Time doesn't lie.

You can't call him anything but a 2:14 marathoner because that's his best. In addition, I'm sure he works hard, very hard in fact, but he doesn't have the talent to go faster or please explain why after all these years he hasn't. You can't. I wish the guy could run 2:11 or 2:10 or heck even 2:12 and join the higher ranks of America's real top marathoners, but that's not going to happen. Heck, Ryan Hall ran 2:08 his first time out and his best time is about 8 MINUTES faster than Verran's all-time best, and that happened in his SECOND marathon. Yet................people have bashed Ryan Hall, can you explain that?

Verran is a decent runner, but he's not one of America's top marathoners or even close. I doubt one person on this site would back me, but.............I don't care because I speaketh the truth!

p.s. Which 30 minute collegiate 10k runner has had a better career over the last decade, who cares? That's not the point pal.

Thank you. Your rant proves my point.

Name all of the american marathoners that have run 2:09 (5 minutes better than Verran) by year. I believe that is how much you claim his 2:14 is behind the better americans.

1999--?

2000--?

2001--?

2002--Khalid

2003--Khalid and Culpepper

2004--Khalid and Meb

2005--Meb and Khalid

2006--Meb and Abdi

2007--Hall

2008--Hall

So I count 5 american runners that have run under 2:10 over the last decade. Am I missing anyone else?

If someone runs 2:14 3 or more times, I think that the have the potential for 2:12-2:13, especially in an event like as unpredictable as the marathon.

You be the Jealous lil boy wrote:

As to why he finished 5th in the marathon trials, it's simple. People go all or nothing in the trials. If it's not happening, they drop out.

Dumbest post of the month.

Who dropped out in 2004? I was a top 10 finisher and I can tell you that every place mattered. None of us knew if Meb or Culp or Browne were going to run on the track come Olympics time. I thought that Clint made the team finishing in 5th. Even after the race Culpepper was the only one that said that he planned to run the marathon in Athens. Both Meb and Dan said that they would decide after the track trials. Clint has always been a good competitor and a solid guy.

Is Marzuki Stevens running?

Is a list of the elites out anywhere?

He or she is right, he's never run faster than 2:14, regardless of the number of guys who have run 2:10. With Abdi, Ritz, Hall, Sell, Culpepper, Khalid, Gilmore, Meb, Browne, Briney, etc., there have been many who have been consistently faster by at least 2 minutes if not more. I think that was his point, that they've improved and Clint hasn't. Relying on guys to run a 10k after they've already placed in the top 3 is no way to run an O.T. Marathon. If you didn't know who was or wasn't going to run on the track, then you're not really making the team, you're waiting for anyone in the top 3 to move up and therefore move you up. I don't agree completely with the guy or gals post, but your post didn't make you look very intelligent friend. You could be 6th or 7th and then hope that 2 or 3 of the guys on top decide not to run, that's embarrassing at best and not a true way to make the team. Fourth, yeah that's a real possibility because runners unfortunately get injured, which makes you the first alternate. Your point really doesn't make you look very smart so I guess it would be right up there with dumbest post of the month. Maybe you should re-think before you type. Take care and good luck in 2012 and hope for a top 10 finish and then maybe you'll make the team.

Gomez does not have the speed to run 2:25.

There is no elite runner in the men's field who even one in 5000 Americans could name. I might make that 10,000.

doug burke wrote:

here are my picks for the 2008 chicago marathon

women

1. bezunesh bekele 2:18.30

2. constantina tomescau dita 2:19.59

3. lydia gregorieva 2:22.22

4. zoila gomez 2:25.09

5. katie o'neal 2:26.30

men

1. evans cheriyiot 2:04.55

2. emmanual mutai 2:05.22

3. richard limo 2:06.06

4. tim cherigot 2:06.11

5. moses arusei 2:07.43

Mr. Burke,

Have you seen our official preview on the LetsRun.com? I've been slaving away at it all week and am shocked to see my #1 picks mirrored by you. I thought I was going way out on a limb. I guess great minds think alike.

#1 is going up soon. Overall preview on Friday.

Men's Top 5 Countdown/Preview:

Women's Top 5 Countdown/Preview:

no i did not see the letsrun predictions when i started this thread, i picked the mens and womens potential winners because evan cheriyiot has a 59:05 half marathon best and is consistently under an hour for the half marathon and he ran 2:09 in winning his debut. i picked bezunesh she is my favorite runner and my penpal, she is a real tigress when she ran her 1:08.07 half marathon she went by 10k in 31:20, which is 10 seconds off her best 10k and when she ran her 2:23.09 marathon debut she went by the half marathon in 70 minutes, she is young, very small about 4 foot 9 and 80 pounds and she is motivated especially since the ethiopian federation had told her she was going to run in the olympic marathon and they told her to go to the olympic marathon camp and that is why she did not race except for dubai this year, then about 2 weeks before the olympics the ethiopian federation told her that she would not run.

he/she is not all wet, to me. wrote:

He or she is right, he's never run faster than 2:14, regardless of the number of guys who have run 2:10. With Abdi, Ritz, Hall, Sell, Culpepper, Khalid, Gilmore, Meb, Browne, Briney, etc., there have been many who have been consistently faster by at least 2 minutes if not more.

I would agree that all 6 of the Olympians have had better careers than Clint and Khalid and Abdi. No way has Gilmore or Briney or anyone else. Briney is a one hit wonder. During Gilmores career he has lost to Verran at both Olympic Trials (2004 and 2008). They were teammates at the WC in 2006 and Verran also beat Gilmore there (in Helsinki).

Before you start trying to come up with other names, Lehmkuhle was also part of that Helsinki team. He also finished well behind Verran.

Only on Letsrun.com

The Top contender does not get a mention except in the opening Thread.

TUNNEL VISION.

You didn't get it Mr. Top 10 finisher.

Peter Gilmore and the others have ALL run faster. I wasn't talking about better careers, but maybe you and the other person were. Peter Gilmore has run 2:12 plus for a marathon. Clint has never broken 2:14.

Briney is not a one hit wonder, he had the misfortune of being injured and never recovering but at least he actually ran 2:12, did Clint? The answer is no, Trent ran 2:12:34 and Clint has never broken 2:14 in a decade of trying!!!! Alan ran 2:09, Dan ran 2:11:35, etc. are you understanding now?

As other posters have said and I agree because it is a fact that is indisputable, even by you, Clint is a 2:14 marathoner. Actually, Clint has had the best career out of every marathoner that I mentioned, at consistently running 2:14 over and over and over with a 2:17 thrown in every now and then. Yeah, you're right, he's had one hell of a career.

Lehmkuhle ran a 2:12 plus at the trials and how many marathons has he ran? Dan Browne ran 2:13 and did not have a great race by any means. Clint ran 2:17. Yeah, you're right, I'm wrong. I read somewhere on this site or another site (RW?) that Clint is going after the course record in a marathon in a couple weeks and it's a record that is faster than 2:14. He won't run 2 sub 1:07 halfs in a row. Do you think he'll break it?

Did Clint beat you up in high school or sleep with your mom or something? What's with all the animosity towards Clint?

And, there's no shame in trying? If somebody has run 2:14 on multiple occasions, wouldn't it make sense to at least try to run 2:13? Running is about personal growth and improvement...there is no shame in falling short when you've made an honest effort towards either.

Now that was uncalled for! LOL

He's right, Clint Verran is a 2:14 marathoner and you're right, there's nothing wrong with trying. But, he's near the end of his career in terms of PR-ing and I agree with the poster, he's not going to run 2:12 when his half marathon best is 1:04 (I think) from 4 years ago. He can try to run 2:13, but I don't see that happening either. How long ago was his last 2:14 plus marathon? I don't know, I'm just asking. Realistically, he's running out of rope and I have to agree, his 2:14 best will probably be his PR for life. He would have run faster by now if he was capable of doing so, don't ya think? That's my opinion anyways.

I think he was saying that many more have broken 2:14 with less than 8 years of running at the elite level. Your post and all of the years listed was a waste of time. I think he (or she?) named many runners who have run faster and did so more consistently and that the Hanson runner hasn't. On paper and using simple logic, he's got you beat buddy. You wasted too much time compiling that list. You seem to be a bit too obsessive over a post. Let it go, lifes to short, so you were wrong, who cares, move on! You can't beat his math. The guy hasn't broken 2:14, I checked myself. His pb is from Boston in 2006 and he was right, it was 2:14. Get a life pal!

Maybe we should stick to the topic at hand, the runners with potential to win the race and who will be over a mile in front of Verran no matter if he has a terrible race or the race of his life.

don't even try to suggest that Kate O'Neil will run under 2:30 or come in any place in the top 5

she will run around 2:33 and place over the top 10

the only American runners of any significance:

Shalane Flanagan

Dathan Ritzenhein

Ryan Hall

Nick Symonds

that kid from Oregon who went to Beijing in the 800

Kara Goucher

Deena Kastor

Meb Keflezighi