Can Solinsky be the first non-african under 7:30 @ Rieti?

But - let's not take anything away from the meeting itself:

Here are the track records and one should have no doubt why this is a special track meet:

100m Asafa POWELL (JAM) 9.74

200m Franck FREDERICKS (NAM) 19.96

300m Pietro MENNEA (ITA) 32.28

400m Michael JOHNSON (USA) 44.21

800m Wilson KIPKETER (DAN) 1.41.83

1000m Noah NGENY (KEN) 2.11.96

1500m Hicham EL GUERROUJ (MAR) 3.26.96

Miglio Nourredine MORCELI (ALG) 3.44.39

2000m Venuste NIYONGABO (KEN) 4.49.00

2 Miglia Moses KIPTANUI (KEN) 8.13.40

3000m Daniel KOMEN (KEN) 7.20.67

5000m Daniel KOMEN (KEN) 13.04.43

It still blows my mind how Mark Carroll (13:03) ran 7:30.

Christ compels you wrote:

It still blows my mind how Mark Carroll (13:03) ran 7:30.

Well yes, that 7:30 was an amazing run by Carroll, but it should not come as a complete shock since 13:03 is no joke, and Carroll was 3:50 miler, and probably capable of even faster. Once saw him run 3:54 COMPLETELY SOLO (from the gun, no rabbits, low key race) indoors. So he was probably capable of sub 3:50 mile, and 13:03, and thus maybe 3k was his likely best event. Kennedy was not as fast as Mark at the mile, and also ran 7:30. So Carroll's 7:30, while amazing, is not a complete shock.

Solinsky, while a pretty good miler in his own right, has shown his true strength is his strength, and appears more likely a 5k/10k guy than 3k/5k guy, and certainly not a mile/3k guy. His 5k and 10k times are 1.024 and 1.027 x the existing WR's in those respective events. If we multiply those #'s x the existing 3k wr of 7:20.67, we get a 7:31 or 7:32. So assuming the 3k WR is on par with Bekele's 5k/10k records (and many think it is at least as good, if not superior), Solinksy would have to run BETTER at 3k than he has at 5k/10k to run 7:30, let alone break it. Now again, if were more a miler type like Carroll, he'd probably have a better chance.

Of course Solinksy has run better than Kennedy at the mile, but Kennedy showed good mile speed early on in his career, and didn't really attempt a fast one as he got better. So Kennedy was probably capable of a faster mile than he actually ran.

All this is conjecture of course, but it would likely take a run on a level that is probably better than what he has already shocked us with at 5k/10k to better 7:30. I wouldn't expect it.

Why hasn't anybody pointed out that a white guy ALREADY HAS gone under 7:30 for 3000m?

Isaac Viciosa, 1998, 7:29

Also, his 5k PR was a paltry 13:09! He was a 3:30 1500m man, though.

Nice post

No- he lacks the basic speed. 7:31 at best.

In 2004 I talked to Mark Carroll in St. Moritz and he told me about that race where he ran 7:30. He said he knew at that moment that it was the very peak of his career, and he would not be able to run faster than that. He said his training up to that race was ideal, and gave everything to run under 7:30, and he knew he would not be able to meet or exceed that race and the training leading up to it. I had a nice 90 min. training run with Mark in St. Moritz. Nice fellow and I am happy to see that he is still doing well.

@ChrisSolinsky

Just finished a pace workout for the 3k., 60 second pace is feeling pretty good especially knowing I only have to do it for 7 1/2 laps.

- from his twitter

I predict 7:33

On his twitter site CS says he is feeling comfortable running 60 second laps and because there are just 7.5 laps to run he seems optimistic that he can maintain this pace. Not sure if I would bet against him this year. BK, your going down!

Isaac Viciosa. Something suspicious about him. His longer distance PRs don't even come close to his 3k run. He has this "magical" year in 1998. Then the following year onwards he mediocre again.

It could also be argued that he is not 100% white. The Moors, of Black African and Arab descent from Northern Africa, conquered Spain for nearly 800 years.

http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/letter=0/athcode=3037/index.html

It's MOOPS!

That's not Moops, you jerk. That's a misprint.

Truth Sayer wrote:

Isaac Viciosa. Something suspicious about him. His longer distance PRs don't even come close to his 3k run. He has this "magical" year in 1998. Then the following year onwards he mediocre again.

It could also be argued that he is not 100% white. The Moors, of Black African and Arab descent from Northern Africa, conquered Spain for nearly 800 years.

http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/letter=0/athcode=3037/index.html

Well no sh*t, he's a middle distance runner. He ran 1:46 in the 800 and 3:30 in the 15. Also, it's silly to suggest that he "maybe" has some moor blood in him, so he's not totally white. Who knows, maybe Solinski has some "non-white" (a silly term to begin with) blood in his family tree.

I would just like to point out that this thread is full of constructive and interesting comments and information - I'm amazed!! No stupid comments, trash talking, absurd tirades. Has the LR community gone soft? Or are the idiots just out today? Anyway, thanks for a good thread without the bickering etc.... Oh yeah, I have no prediction for Solinsky - 7:30 seems really fast for him but I have been amazed too many times this year.

historian of things wrote:

Why hasn't anybody pointed out that a white guy ALREADY HAS gone under 7:30 for 3000m?

Isaac Viciosa, 1998, 7:29

Also, his 5k PR was a paltry 13:09! He was a 3:30 1500m man, though.

Not to mention some white guy named El Guerrouj. I hear he was pretty good.

Look Me wrote:

On his twitter site CS says he is feeling comfortable running 60 second laps and because there are just 7.5 laps to run he seems optimistic that he can maintain this pace. Not sure if I would bet against him this year. BK, your going down!

I agree. He's as consistent as BK was at 5k, only about two seconds faster, and he also has better PRs than Kennedy at 1500/mile if you want to go there. With the 26:59, he's obviously aerobically superior to BK. He certainly CAN do it. Judging by his confidence and performances of late, I think he will.

I remember watching Carroll's 7.30 run, I think it was in Monaco. He ran a perfect race. As was the case back then, not too long after Komen's 7.20 run, all the African's went out really quick (58's and 59's for 1st few laps) and Carroll was off the pack running even splits, then with about 1k or so to go Carroll caught the group as they slowed after the pace maker dropped out and getting ready for the finish. Carroll went straight by the group into the lead and kept on his pace, leading into the last lap when a few athletes went by him. It was an inspirational run to watch and it would be great to see Solinsky doing something similar. Having watched his last couple of races I thought he looked comfortable enough inside the last 1k, but just didn't have the belief to hit the front and keep the pace strong, if he had done this in Zurich he may have had a shot at the AR. I'd love to see him really going for it over the last 800m like he did in Stanford.

All humans are from Africa. We all share one common mother and one common father who lived in the Rift Valley, Kenay, appx 60,000 years ago. Everyone is of the same race. Everyone. With no exceptions, including Solinsky.

Chris races to win and you can't win any top notch european meets if you go for it with 800m left. He's already racing on his limit, I thought his last race was brilliant.