Why do Joshua Cheptegei and Rhonex Kipruto avoid even attempting track records?

Impossible to run 12:37/26:17 without EPO. Road records are soft records. Also, with effective EPO testing, impossible to find pacers for 5/10k record attempt even if it was attempted. Who's gonna pace 3-4k at 12:37 pace or 7-8k at 26:17 pace? If somebody can do that they're good enough to win the race.

fsgfdgg

My bet is Pre will have a 10,000 this year on Saturday night. Would be a good place to go for it!

It may be easier to monitor the pace on the track, but it's physically much more difficult. Turning takes a lot of energy compared to running straight.

That is also THE reason why modern indoor tracks have so many elites faster at 3000 than they are outdoors, and people like Galen Rupp going 13:01 in his sleep. Best of both worlds.

Can't believe I'm first wrote:

Guys, come on...the most obvious reason is that the IAAF is f*cking the distance events on the diamond league. No more 5,000m or 10,000m races included as "diamond" events. Obviously the 10,000 has been out for a long time, and has been reduced to relative obscurity.

But, the big reason is obvious, and that is that the longer events on the track are receiving reduced funding. The road races will always have large crowds by default due to the participation of the masses. I am not pretending to be an omnipotent expert on this matter, but speaking from this on a purely logical angle.

I think I remember Cheptegei saying that he was going to focus on the roads in reaction to Lord Coe’s destruction of the track 5000/10000. Hopefully this turns out to be a viable option for him financially. I worry that he will just move up to the marathon though since that’s where the big money is. The death of the professional 5k/10k guy has accelerated :(

Next, Cheptegei will be making his half marathon debut at the world half in Gdynia in March

Mzungu in Iten wrote:

Next, Cheptegei will be making his half marathon debut at the world half in Gdynia in March

Now that would be a real record. Anything shorter on the roads, including Rhonex's record, is as meaningless as indoor times.

Well, not really meaningless, but obviously it would be far greater for their legacy to attempt it on the track. As for the half wch, the course has an important climb in the first half of the race, it's not really fast so i doubt there is a chance for a very fast time. Cheptegei vs Kam would be great and i hope Rhonex will make his debut there too.

Les wrote:

Impossible to run 12:37/26:17 without EPO.

Bullsh!t

To better promote the sport and support the track series, pair it up more often with road races, so that there is more participant money available, and an audience potentially for after the races, plus cheap beer, like they did in some UK or Irish events in the last few years. That'd really help bring back the 5000m and 10000m.

barney23 wrote:

there was no decent track at altitude where he trains from in Uganda.

Where does Cheptegei train in Uganda? South?

....plus, think how many pairs of expensive carbon plate type shoes Nike is going to sell to citizen 5k/10k runners!!! It's not the runner, it's the shoes!!!

Good. We won't have the Olympics this year (coronavirus), and Coe doesn't want long track events (attention span), so Chep is just doing the logical thing here.

actually ... wrote:

The real question is why doesn't Kamworor break it. Sure, he's focused on the half/full marathon now, but he has enough speed and if he leads from the front I think he can easily take down the record.

Kamworor does NOT have enough speed for 12:37. There's no way he can even run sub 3:55 for the mile and Bekele was closer to 3:50 in his prime.

"Easily take down" which record? 26:17? You're living in a fantasy land. Kamworor might be able to run within 8 seconds of the 10k record on a good day.

Diamond league has killed the chances of a lot of fast 5000m on the track. Also he is running this stuff now in February. Needs to peak in July. So we will see how he is running once June 1 comes around

actually ... wrote:

The real question is why doesn't Kamworor break it. Sure, he's focused on the half/full marathon now, but he has enough speed and if he leads from the front I think he can easily take down the record.

How many more years will it be the year Kamworor shows how it's done?

Marta L wrote:

Two things:

1. Much weaker drug testing on the roads. These dudes are absolutely glowing. Comical performances.

2. Can wear boing-boing fake running shoes on the roads.

Perfect recipe for these new "world records."

Bull

regardless of the surface they running on, both Rhonex and Joshua are on the whereabouts system as they ranked top 30 in the World. They are tested... ALOT

How old are they?

CuanWalker wrote:

Marta L wrote:

Two things:

1. Much weaker drug testing on the roads. These dudes are absolutely glowing. Comical performances.

2. Can wear boing-boing fake running shoes on the roads.

Perfect recipe for these new "world records."

Bull

regardless of the surface they running on, both Rhonex and Joshua are on the whereabouts system as they ranked top 30 in the World. They are tested... ALOT

It's useless to throw around facts on Letsrun, Cuan. Nothing will get in the way of their fantasies.