Could Coe had gone sub 13 in the 5000m

John Walker liked to brag that any top miler could run a 2:12 marathon.

He ran the 5k in the 1984 Olympics and got lapped.

I'm not sure how that works if Walker was less than 20 seconds behind Aouita.

Besides, his statement has no relation to his performance over 5km.

shonuff wrote:

Yes he definitely could have. He just needed to cross the finish line in less than 13 minutes. Just needed to be a little bit faster.

I’m not sure Moorcroft was quite aware of the implications of the time in that race - was breaking 13 minutes in his mind on that day one wonders.

I know the chap who was second in that race thought he’d won as Moorcroft was out of sight.

He assumed that Moorcroft was that pacemaker who’d gone off too fast and dropped out.

J.R. wrote:

John Walker liked to brag that any top miler could run a 2:12 marathon.

He ran the 5k in the 1984 Olympics and got lapped.

Nobody got lapped in the 1984 Olympics (Moorcroft nearly did)

Walker ran a fine race. He hung on the fast pace until just before two laps to go. It was narrowed down to Leitao, Aouita, Ryffel, Tim Hutchings, and Walker late in the race.

After a 62 lap Walker was dropped. I think he 13:20 and was either 5th right ahead of Padilla, or 7th right behind.

Either way you can go look it up.

I don't believe he ever even went sub 14 minutes!

Guys, I cannot believe you wasted so much time discussing this. There is no way on earth Michael Coe could break 13. Go read a book or something - the 'net is breaking you down.

seb

seb geb meb

Coe could have broken 12:30 at 5000m. Does Bekele have 1:41 800m speed?

Frank Horwill:

But where did Coe get his amazing endurance from? The answer came to me in 1986 when I went to Battersea Park Track one Saturday morning with a 13:11 5K performer to do a session of 7 x 800 at 5K speed with 45secs rest. The rep times were fixed at 2mins.08secs because the 5K runner was returning to fitness after injury. Coe was on the track and came across and asked what we were doing and could he join in? I felt a little apprehensive that an acknowledged 800/1500m runner would not survive a 5K pace session with a short recovery. The 800s went like this: 2:08, 2:06, 2:04, 2:02, 2:00, 1:58 and 1:56! Coe led them all. Afterwards, he confessed that he did a 5K pace session at 13:20 speed each week. I ventured the opinion that he could run a good 5K anytime. He agreed, but said he didn't like the event! It is doubtful whether any 800m runner before or since could have completed such a session in such times.."

wow!

Coe got his amazing endurance from a rudimentary form of blood "enhancement." This eventually led to him contracting a well-documented case of toxoplasmosis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis

"Transmission may occur through: ... Receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion..."

Bo-yah.

i believe the story but it seems weird that coe would show up at a track without already having a specific workout planned for day. unless he was coming out to do his weekly workout at 13:20 5k pace.

'Receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion, although this is extremely rare.[9'

..and even less likely if you are using your own blood. You cannot catch something off yourself

ukathleticscoach wrote:

'Receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion, although this is extremely rare.[9'

..and even less likely if you are using your own blood. You cannot catch something off yourself

Ok you Brit, from what I have heard, in the process one's own blood is taken, stored, and re-introduced at a later time. If said blood is stored incorrectly and becomes infected, it could infect the doper.

You are partially right.

Horwill devised the 5 pace training system that Coe used. I don't know the ins & outs of why he was there that day but that's the connection between the 2.

Sure pretty much every sub 3:30 has a shot at running sub 13:00 but there is nothing to suggest he ever had the necessary endurance. Given how much he slowed from 800->1500m I am guessing he is more likely a 13:10 dude.

xxx wrote:

if he had focused on it?? I think so

discuss

'If said blood is stored incorrectly and becomes infected, it could infect the doper'

Maybe if you stored it in the cat litter. It wouldn't just go off & suddenly give you toxo

Mind you on letsrun every fast athlete is a doper!

From you own link - causes:

[edit] In humans

The U.S. NHANES (1999-2004) national probability sample found that 10.8% of U.S. persons 6-49 years of age, and 11.0% of women 15-44 years of age, had Toxoplasma-specific IgG antibodies, indicating that they had been infected with the organism. [4] This prevalence has significantly decreased from the NHANES III (1988-1994). [35] [36]

It is estimated that between 30% and 65% of all people worldwide are infected with Toxoplasmosis. However, there is large variation between countries: in France, for example, around 88% of the population are carriers, probably due to a high consumption of raw and lightly cooked meat. [37] Germany, the Netherlands and Brazil also have high prevalences of around 80%, over 80%[38] and 67% respectively. In Britain, about 22% are carriers, and South Korea's rate is only 4.3%.[19]

Two risk factors for contracting toxoplasmosis are:

Infants born to mothers who became infected with Toxoplasma for the first time during or just before pregnancy.

Persons with severely weakened immune systems, such as those with AIDS. Illness may result from an acute Toxoplasma infection or reactivation of an infection that occurred earlier in life.

'severely weakened immune systems' from training at elite level