One Run Wonders?

Josiah thugwane

Jimmy Grabow

How about Nicholas Kemboi? 26:30 finishing just behind Geb in 2003?

Hingle McCringleberry wrote:

Star wrote:

Solinsky ran 12:55 for the 5000 along with that 26:59.

Plus 12:56 twice.

That's 4 pretty wonderful runs.

But only 1 good 10000 time, thats where he was a 1 run wonder, ill admit he had a decent string of 5000s before he started throwing himself into bushes, but for the 10000 it was a one and done deal

I don't think Solinksy ever even ran another 10,000m race - except for the "ploy" race where Rupp didn't show up and Solinsky dropped out.

Nice job on the "bushes" line!

Totally true.

Jenny Spangler won 1996 US Olympic marathon Trials in 2:29 with a 2:43 PR. Was not much before or after.

Rick Grimes wrote:

David Morris

That was the barely internet era and Morris was based in Japan so it just seemed like he came out nowhere to run 2:09:32 in Chicago in 1999. He went on to run 2:12:00 the next year in Chicago so I woulnd't call him a one-hit wonder. Plus he ran at a bunch of 28 mid 10,000s.

1996 wrote:

Josiah thugwane

I loved that guy. 1996 Olympic marathon champ.

He was pretty much a one hit wonder at the time but the next year he followed up his Olympic win with two sub 2:10 showings:

2:08:06 for 3rd in London

2:07:28 for 1st at Fukuoka

He never broke 2:10 the rest of his career.

mf muhlarkey wrote:

Jenny Spangler won 1996 US Olympic marathon Trials in 2:29 with a 2:43 PR. Was not much before or after.

True but she did run 2:32:39 in 2003 and then 2:33:36 in 2004.

Jenny Spangler had a 2:33 before she won the trials

It's almost impossible to be a one run wonder. There's always other good results there. However, everyone has a few days where everything goes right. You are ready, and everything just goes right. These days don't always happen on race day, and they don't always happen in the big races, but if they do it looks like you ran out of your head. Case in point:

Mark Conover - winner 1988 Olympic trials marathon.

A very good DivII/III runner with lots of good results at that level. Including making All-American multiple times, and running a 28:30 after college (once). However, nothing would suggest winning the olympic trials marathon. Still 2:12 was not all that out of the question for him if everything was perfect. On that day it was.

Years of 100+ miles a week, and years of good results in XC and track 10k where he could run within sight of the big boys got him ready to run good at the event he was best for.

Injuries (and cancer) kept him from being able to duplicate this great day again.

rojo wrote:

Rick Grimes wrote:

David Morris

That was the barely internet era and Morris was based in Japan so it just seemed like he came out nowhere to run 2:09:32 in Chicago in 1999. He went on to run 2:12:00 the next year in Chicago so I woulnd't call him a one-hit wonder. Plus he ran at a bunch of 28 mid 10,000s.

I was too young to remember when he ran that so I'll take your word for it. I base this more on the fact that he finished 10th at the Trials in 1996 and then didn't qualify for the Olympics the next year despite being the American record holder at the time. I know it was hot but I still think he should have been able to run 2:14 or whatever to place top 3 and go.

This may be a bit of a stretch as he did some decent stuff before but nothing close to this level. Essentially nothing - for someone of his potential - since.

Moses Mosop. Boston

George Atlas wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYjaJDII65k

Peter Rono was a 3:34 runner who at the time of this race competed in the NCAA's for Mount Saint Mary's. He never won an NCAA title.

The 1988 field was a little watered down. Rono in this final had one of the slowest PRs but with Cram injured, Scott getting old, Spivey not making the team, Coe and Ovett done, and Aouita only running the 800, it was a wide open race. Peter Elliot was probably the favorite in race day.

Kenya was claaning up in that Olympics. Medals in every distance race from 800 to Marathon with gold in 800, 1500, steeple, 5000.

Rono's last 400 to hold off the kickers is one of the bravest performances in the clutch at that level I have ever seen.

I've met him, great guy. Got a gut now but he gave me some tips after he saw me race at an invitational.

Kyle Merber - 3:35.59 at Swarthmore Last Chance in 2012

Even when he's doped to the gills he can't touch that mark.

Dino Sefir. 2:04:50 two years ago (selected instead of Haile in ETH Olympic team). 2:09:13 last year. 2:14:01 this year.

Running Formula reader wrote:

In 1992, Yumi Kokamo won her debut marathon in Osaka with 2:26:26.

It was all over for her after the Beach Boys wrote that song about her. "That's where we want to go, way down in Kokamo..."

Martin Steele at age of 30 he had his day of days and ran 1:43.8 to win the 800m at the Bislett Games. He had never broken 1:45 and never did again.

http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=1542

Brent Vaughn's 13:18.

Lisa Uhl 14:55

Dixie Normose wrote:

This may be a bit of a stretch as he did some decent stuff before but nothing close to this level. Essentially nothing - for someone of his potential - since.

Moses Mosop. Boston

Mosop's Boston performance is not even close to being a one run wonder. If the tailwind in Boston that year was worth about 2 minutes then he essential ran 2:05. A few months after Boston he ran 1:26:47 WR for 30k on the track (equivalent to just under 2:05 for a marathon). He then ran mid-2:05 in Chicago that fall and low-2:05 in Rotterdam the following spring. His half PR is 59:20, equivalent to just under mid-2:04. If we want to go even lower in distance his 10000m PR is 26:44 equivalent to sub-2:04 and his 5000m PR is 12:54, equivalent to about just under 2:04.

Nick Rogers. 13:18 5000 meters