Official 2019 Brussels DL Discussion Thread - Bye, bye to the 5k, Ajee goes for the 800 title, and much more

Coevett wrote:

objectiveobserver wrote:

Jakob ´s treshold pace at 17 was by margin the highest ever measured in Norway.

I agree that Jakob has a big potential in the 5000m (and probably also in longer distances). If the pacemakers had been running at the pace they were ordered to in DL London Jakob could have run well under 13 minutes. I predict he will run at least 30 seconds faster when he is fully physically developed which will take years from now.

His speed and general strength will also improve naturally as he matures physically so I don´t think that you should deduce too much from his current 400 and 800m PB´s.

These times were set when he was still only 16. The 400m was as far as I remember in a youth championship where he did multiple runs (and he had never started from blocks before). The 800m was a tactical race as far as I understand.

But Jakob is probably already way faster on both distances and will most likely improve further in the coming year.

+1

People forget he was the age 15 world record holder for 800m before Max Burgin broke it later in the season. I think he only ran one or two 800m since and as you say, the pb he set as a 16 year old was a tactical affair as well as on tired legs likely.

ex-runner wrote:

LateRunnerPhil wrote:

Geb set his former marathon WR 2:03:59 at 40 years old (unofficial age, like Kipchoge he was few years older). Yes, neither Robertson, nor me, nor anyone else can proof how old these runners really are, because no one knows how old they are including themselves. Geb was born in Ethopia, in the 60's/70's almost no one there was born in a hospital. How should he have any idea about his age or exact birth date?

Running a fast marathon or 5k at 21 years old sounds more impressive than doing one at 26 years old. Some add a few years so they can compete abroad earlier, and some deduct a few to seem younger than they really are. Junior World Championships always confirm that.

Running fast marathons at high age is nothing new. Carlos Lopes won the Olympic marathon aged 37, and became the first person sub 2:08 aged 38. It's much more likely to believe that Kipchoge ran 2:01 at 39 years old than it is to believe that he destroyed both Bekele and El Guerrouj when he was 18. The training of El Guerrouj and Bekele was ridiculous and their racing experience incredible, no way a 18-year can just show up in Paris and beat them in a 5000m!

Kipchoge himself said in a LR interview that he was 19 in Paris, which is different than his official age. He likely was a few years older and just changed his age from 18 to 19 to appear more credible.

Kipchoge might be 37 maybe but not 40. Let's not exaggerate.