Kenenisa Bekele vs Eliud Kipchoge in ChicagoMarathon:what do you think about this duel?

Kipketer_Pumpkin_Eater wrote:

And what happened at the Beijing Olympics 5k? Bekele left the Kenyans in the dust: Eliud Kipchoge and Edwin Soi

That was an awesome 5k, one of my favorites of all time.

Ex-doper wrote:

Kenny is way better than kipchoge on the basis that Kenny has more speed and could always just win in the last mile even if he's behind because his pr is 2:05:03 so he can hang in there and even if he's 5 seconds behind because he can't keep up with the way-before-the-finish speed-ups he can always split 4:35 in the last mile (25.2 to 26.2) and clutch it out by 10 seconds.

The reason Westerners suck at the marathon is their obsession with basic speed.

TAA wrote:

Match ups like this almost never happen. Either one will DNF or not start because of an "injury".

Bekele had some injuries late in his track career but looked fine in his debut and the half against Mo and Haile (Great North)

Honestly these guys are two of the all time greats. I really can't remember one guy ever dodging the other and I can't see that happening now. Both of these guys are just starting their marathon careers.

I'm tempted to make the 6 hour drive to watch the race in person. Might be my only chance to see KB run.

After this race, Kipchoge will be the new WR holder! Mark my words!

He has been my favorite runner for a long time!

This has to be one of my favourite Kipchoge moment :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTaMdJVFdhw

It's hard not to like him. He's in phenomenal shape.

Thanks for posting the video. Great run.

Pretty fun to look at PRs and the range that these guys have.

1500 Metres 3:33.20

One Mile 3:50.40

3000 Metres 7:27.66

Two Miles 8:07.68

5000 Metres 12:46.53

10,000 Metres 26:49.02

Half Marathon 59:25

Marathon 2:04:05

1500 Metres 3:32.35

3000 Metres 7:25.79

Two Miles 8:13.51

5000 Metres 12:37.35

10,000 Metres 26:17.53

Marathon 2:05:04

1500 Metres 3:33.73

One Mile 3:52.39

3000 Metres 7:25.09

Two Miles 8:01.08

5000 Metres 12:39.36

10,000 Metres 26:22.75

Half Marathon 58:55

Marathon 2:03:59

What I meant: Kenny owned eluid in track and recently got 28:23 in a road 10k. I personally just think its kenenisa who's gonna win.

Eliud owns Bekele over 42.2 km!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiF7iXVB16M

in the know, man! wrote:

After this race, Kipchoge will be the new WR holder! Mark my words!

He has been my favorite runner for a long time!

This has to be one of my favourite Kipchoge moment :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTaMdJVFdhw

Dennis Kimetto, though not mentioned yet, intends to chase the WR in Berlin in September. I know his shape and fitness this year seem questionable(going by his dropping out at Boston in April) but from what I hear, he was recovering from an hamstring problem and just dropped out as a caution. In Berlin, he will definitely run faster than his 2:03:45 from Chicago. And if my instinct is right, he will run 2:03:17. It will be interesting to see Kipchoge and Bekele chase the new world record established about three weeks earlier! Lets wait and see but one thing is for sure: the WR is going down!

Kipchoge and Kenny B go way back, we all know that it stared with Kipchoge winning the worlds 5K in 2003, Kipchoge winning against Bekele and this dude El G.

On paper, you gotta go with Kipchoge. But what has he been doing all year? He was great last fall of course.

Bekele is the man, but I tend to pull for Kenyans over him. I guess it's the cheer for the underdog thing...

Horst Girth wrote:

On paper, you gotta go with Kipchoge. But what has he been doing all year? He was great last fall of course.

Kipchoge won the Rotterdam in 2:05.00 pretty easily (with strong winds) on april 13th 2014.

He'll be ready for Chicago! Don't worry!

Horst Girth wrote:

Kipchoge and Kenny B go way back, we all know that it stared with Kipchoge winning the worlds 5K in 2003, Kipchoge winning against Bekele and this dude El G.

On paper, you gotta go with Kipchoge. But what has he been doing all year? He was great last fall of course.

Bekele is the man, but I tend to pull for Kenyans over him. I guess it's the cheer for the underdog thing...

Kipchoge ran Rotterdam in April, winning by more than a minute from a 2:04 guy! His time of 2:05:00 may not have beaten his PR but the overall performance shows a man on fire. I am sure this duel with Bekele will produce, in Kipchoge, the best performance ever!

I will give a $1000 bonus to any american male that can finish within a 1/2 mile of the winner if its a fast day , meaning sub 2:05 for the winner.

Bekele doing his thing and Kipchoge paying the price

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y-SHZLPevNg

I must break you wrote:

Bekele doing his thing and Kipchoge paying the price

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y-SHZLPevNg

This is what I'm talking about. WC2003 wasn't a fluke per se, Kipchoge earned it. But it's ridiculous to conclude Kipchoge has more speed than Bekele by that result. The same rationale would put Kipchoge ahead of El G in terms of speed and that's simply false.

But XC hard-hitting Kenny is gonna be coming the road. Just relentless.

Bekele' four 5000 meter splits from Paris in 2003 would probably still make him the greatest at that distance in most countries. In the 10000m he ran a 13:52 split followed by a staggering 12:57 (American 5000m record at the time was BK's 12:58) and then ran a 13:38 heat and 12:53 final - and that's just one week at a single meet. Eliud is still a badass so you really can't go wrong in watching these two guys race. Too bad Songok isn't still around.

I must break you wrote:

Bekele doing his thing and Kipchoge paying the price

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y-SHZLPevNg

Thanks for the link! Always great seeing XC video and I'd never seen that before. Great footage, great race. And as a YouTube commentator said, Kipchoge made a big mistake not "racing for second." The pace and task of keeping with Bekele up to the final loop over the hurdles and undulations proved too much and he was out of it at the end! He started walking before he crossed the line and in the end was passed/bested by two runners and placed fifth. Long long time ago (almost a decade now) but still fascinating. A relatable one here. I'm always astonished how the top elites can be so prepared and fit/within themselves that they can race hard and not be "dreaming" of the finish line and just wanting the race to end (because of the strenuous effort and fatigue). Kipchoge definitely was way past that point come the finish line of this one.

The Bekele vs Kipchoge in XC video was awesome! Great way to get pumped for Chicago