Rob De Castella's running action is inefficient?

emaciated upper body wrote:

BlimeyMate wrote:

And oh, yeah he was also "too big" to be a marathoner at, I believe, 163 pounds. "You'll never amount to nothing, mate. Try rugby or football."

143 actually. Deek had no upper body to speak of and short legs which gave the illusion of being larger.

Don't think so, I remember reading him listed at 163 and 6' 1 1/2 in height and that he was 160 when he set his WR. Just did a google and he is listed repeatedly at 159 and 160. He had big thighs and legs, but yeah, no upper bod. His weight always amazed me and gave me hope as a 5' 10 and 154 lardass.

BlimeyMate wrote:

emaciated upper body wrote:

143 actually. Deek had no upper body to speak of and short legs which gave the illusion of being larger.

Don't think so, I remember reading him listed at 163 and 6' 1 1/2 in height and that he was 160 when he set his WR. Just did a google and he is listed repeatedly at 159 and 160. He had big thighs and legs, but yeah, no upper bod. His weight always amazed me and gave me hope as a 5' 10 and 154 lardass.

You and whoever listed those stats must have been referring to Derek Clayton. No way was Deek either that tall or that heavy.

emaciated upper body wrote:

BlimeyMate wrote:

Don't think so, I remember reading him listed at 163 and 6' 1 1/2 in height and that he was 160 when he set his WR. Just did a google and he is listed repeatedly at 159 and 160. He had big thighs and legs, but yeah, no upper bod. His weight always amazed me and gave me hope as a 5' 10 and 154 lardass.

You and whoever listed those stats must have been referring to Derek Clayton. No way was Deek either that tall or that heavy.

Oops, you are correct. My bad.

Deek's technique 'improved' as the race went on. His technique at speed was different than his technique at cruise. The faster he ran the more efficient he became.

And he was never 6 feet tall.

As an aside, and easy day was a very easy day. When he used to tour as part of his job with the AIS he'd come to town and everyone wanted to run with him. And they could, cos slow easy days means just that.

He is still working with the Indigenous Marathon Project in Oz. Still giving back. A legend.

According to a 1983 RW article, Deek was 5' 11" and 143 lbs.

5' 11" and about 148 lbs. Huge legs made him look heavier than he was.

Tree trunk legs.

He did tower on most other runners like Lopes and Seko, both of whom are quite short.

Padraig wrote:

LeMond wrote:

The real question is "What is an efficient marathon running technique?"

Eliud Kipchoge.

Next question!

Kipchoge is remarkably smooth!

A wise man once told me, when I made the same observation about a guy who was way faster than I was:

"He gets there, doesn't he?"

Waitz wrote:

Padraig wrote:

Eliud Kipchoge.

Next question!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_W0blad4lc

Kipchoge is remarkably smooth!

Frank Shorter was smooth as well.

I believe many runners looked to Shorter's technique.

Great documentary on De Castella and Salazar.

Some good footage of races featuring Lopes, Cova and Bondin.

Lopes Along wrote:

Lopes had perfect action which is partly why he was actually a considerably better runner in every way.

Deek won a non-boycotted global championship track and field gold medal. Lopes never managed this, good as he was.

deek's hammer wrote:

Lopes Along wrote:

Lopes had perfect action which is partly why he was actually a considerably better runner in every way.

Deek won a non-boycotted global championship track and field gold medal. Lopes never managed this, good as he was.

Lopes had three World titles and two Olympic medals as well as the second fastest 10k of all time.

And he gave Deek a reality check as to who was a better marathoner the year after Deek edged him in Rotterdam.

Also ran a faster lifetime PR.

Lopes was just better.

deek's hammer wrote:

Lopes Along wrote:

Lopes had perfect action which is partly why he was actually a considerably better runner in every way.

Deek won a non-boycotted global championship track and field gold medal. Lopes never managed this, good as he was.

Lopes only ran the marathon in 1 major global championship.

He beat De Castella, Seko and Salazar convincingly.

Are you saying if there wasn't a boycott, Cierpinski would have beaten Lopes in 1984?

Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg wrote:

deek's hammer wrote:

Deek won a non-boycotted global championship track and field gold medal. Lopes never managed this, good as he was.

Lopes only ran the marathon in 1 major global championship.

He beat De Castella, Seko and Salazar convincingly.

Are you saying if there wasn't a boycott, Cierpinski would have beaten Lopes in 1984?

No reason to see why not - he won the previous 2 Olympics convincingly ...

Deek was better in one way - he actually went out and won a non boycotted Global Championship Track and Field gold medal. there were no shouldas or couldas about it.

deek's hammer wrote:

Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg wrote:

Lopes only ran the marathon in 1 major global championship.

He beat De Castella, Seko and Salazar convincingly.

Are you saying if there wasn't a boycott, Cierpinski would have beaten Lopes in 1984?

No reason to see why not - he won the previous 2 Olympics convincingly ...

Deek was better in one way - he actually went out and won a non boycotted Global Championship Track and Field gold medal. there were no shouldas or couldas about it.

Then it should have been easy for him to win in the depleted LA field.

Cierpinski would never have been able to hang with Lopes in LA. Deek had already surpassed him the year before.

The '83 WC field was weak.

De Castella wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ExD5aGY1g

Great documentary on De Castella and Salazar.

Some good footage of races featuring Lopes, Cova and Bondin.

Thanks! Really enjoyed that. Makes me proud to be an Aussie haha Salazar seems like a total jerk and Deek is just down to earth

Black Caviar wrote:

De Castella wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ExD5aGY1g

Great documentary on De Castella and Salazar.

Some good footage of races featuring Lopes, Cova and Bondin.

Thanks! Really enjoyed that. Makes me proud to be an Aussie haha Salazar seems like a total jerk and Deek is just down to earth

Salazar could never compete with Lopes, De Castella or Jones.

Those 3 were a whole level better.

Also Salazar's running action was quite poor compare to those 3 runners.

Alexander Nix wrote:

Black Caviar wrote:

Thanks! Really enjoyed that. Makes me proud to be an Aussie haha Salazar seems like a total jerk and Deek is just down to earth

Salazar could never compete with Lopes, De Castella or Jones.

Those 3 were a whole level better.

Also Salazar's running action was quite poor compare to those 3 runners.

Probably explains why Salazar got injured a lot.