True's Last Mile of the 15k - He really did go sub-4!!

Thanks for the reply. Great race and duel at the end.

If the course was mismeasured, would this affect the legitimacy of Shalane's record, or is it just the last mile (and the course was accurately measured)?

True never claimed to run a sub-4 last mile. Runnerspace brought this up in the post-race interview (~45 sec in).

http://www.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=2512&do=videos&video_id=108359

True blew it off himself and said "the downhill helped."

The pre-race smack talk was pretty entertaining where Derrick compared himself to Ivan Drago in Rocky ("I must break you") and True flipped it:

https://twitter.com/CDerrickRun/status/444648647905783808

Per the new USATF rules, in which course certification folds into IAAF rules, our course was pre-certified by 2 IAAF approved officials .. So stringent is the new standard that the course does NOT even have to be measured afterwards. It is 100% on the money !! The steel tape measurement the last mile was just an extra step we did for fun.

Per the new USATF rules, in which course certification folds into IAAF rules, our course was pre-certified by 2 IAAF approved officials .. So stringent is the new standard that the course does NOT even have to be measured afterwards. It is 100% on the money !! The steel tape measurement the last mile was just an extra step we did for fun.

I think next year we will throw a timing mat down at the exact mile to go mark ... would be fun for every runner to get a recorded split rolling down that bridge !!

Here is map of final mile ... go back and watch tape and count pilons on bridge ... clear as day ...

Success. Your route permalink is:

http://www.runningmap.com/?id=687066

Just watched it again .. as I wanted to be 100% sure of the split

22:47 into telecast - right when they pass Alexi Pappas - 1 mile to go - you can see the little white marker sign on the right

23:47 - right when they pass Amy Van Alstine - 1200 to go

24:47 - you can see little white sign at 1200 to go

25:47 - True runs right by little white sign right on sharp hairpin turn

26:45 - FINISH

3;58 on RunnerSpace clock ...

Oh, derp. Didn't even see that.

R Fannin wrote:

I think next year we will throw a timing mat down at the exact mile to go mark ... would be fun for every runner to get a recorded split rolling down that bridge !!

This would be cool. Please remember to do this. Personally I think it would be a cool little perk. Maybe throw in a little prime money.

CyndiLoper wrote:

[quote]R Fannin wrote:

I think next year we will throw a timing mat down at the exact mile to go mark ... would be fun for every runner to get a recorded split rolling down that bridge !!

If you are going to doing the mile do the last 440 yards too!

While we are working the "downhill conspiracy theories" .. the fastest close I ever saw was Tim Nelson attempting to reel in Anthony Famiglietti in 2009 ... I timed has last 600m (via this tape) in 85 seconds .. which id 56.6 per quarter ... great video .. check it out !

rojo wrote:

A US Pro wrote:

Ben True's last 5k was 14:11. If he ran 3:57 as reported he would have covered the other 2.1 in only 10:14. His 7th mile was 4:30 and 8th mile was 4:46 so the math just doesn't add up!

Maybe the last 1600m was correct, but the other intermediate splits were not accurate.

And that settles it. this is why gate is a premier road race No detail left out. Great job Fannin

The 8th mile was up the other side of the bridge.

if they were going to make such a big deal about measuring the last mile so precisely, why did they only measure 1600m and not 1609m?

R Fannin wrote:

I think next year we will throw a timing mat down at the exact mile to go mark ... would be fun for every runner to get a recorded split rolling down that bridge !!

At one time the Flying Pig Marathon had a mat at the one mile to go mark and offered a premium for the fastest last mile. Not sure if they still do that.