2023 Pre Classic Saturday Live Thread (3-5pm eastern on NBC)

Jakob talked about how the Oslo track isn't that fast earlier this year

this is what happens when you are in very good shape and hit the PERFECT race, where you draft the entire way, first behind 2-3 guys, then one guy ALL the way, at an even pace, with little to no wind, on the rail the whole way.

these races are as rare as hen's teeth, at the very top end, but very common for the 332 type of guy, who just drafts in a jacob style race with the crowd and get's his 348 mile or 330 or whatever 1500.

of if you are a Kerr, Goose, you get 327 343.

why did Nike make half its runners wear Oregon Duck colors?

no but with longer pacing and maybe in monaco 3:42 mid to high is likely next year

Monaco or Brussels for this record would have been a done deal. Jakob was running solid and pulling Nuguse the whole way. Will be interesting to see him in the 3000m tomorrow. Kerr is a chicken sh.. for not showing. Separates the men from the boys 😂

She's just honest and you're used to media trained answers. Her natural reaction was like, ugh, don't wanna agree with Ato (was consistency and focus the key to your season)? No, she said, it's about sportsmanship and feeling whole. She's a singular personality.

Some appreciation for the outfits that some of the Jamaican women wore! Those green Nike shorts leave too much to the imagination.

goose shoujld volunteer as pacer to pay back jacob.

but were they relaxed?

I loved as they came down the final backstretch before the 200m mark and Jakob glancing up at the Jumbotron to see Yuguse right there. “This bloke is serious. I’m going need to step on it.”
Just an amazing race, for what was a horrible broadcast.

it really is STUNNING how bad they can be... is there no one from the network watching in some kind of Kwality Kontrol capacity???

Either pace or at least not racing to give him peace of mind :p

Yes but that rabbit was an Olympic champion 😆 so ofcourse

I was wondering if he would've broken the record if he didn't bother with the glancing. Just know someone's behind you but you have a different task at hand because you're far superior.

Tip of the hat, sir.

3:28.9 - 3:29.2 for Ingebrigtsen and Neguse at 1500m.

keep in mind that El G got the world record at 24, 2 months shy of 25.

jakob is 22 (few days before 23) and was 0.60 seconds slower than the WR.

jakob is 22 months younger than El G was at the time, and 0.60 seconds slower. he is on pace to break the world record. it is only a matter of time.

if not next year because of olympics year, then jakob get the WR in 2025.

'far superior' and "beat them by 0.2" are not the same thing

For 3:43.7 to be a mild disappointment at the end of a season that featured a 2 mile WR (converting to better than the 3k WR everyone used to say was the strongest distance record), world silver/gold while ostensibly sick, 3:27, and 4:43, just shows how incomparable Jakob is now and just about ever in history. It was awesome seeing such a ridiculously good season being put together and for those of us who started watching track after 2005, the first time we’ve gotten to see a mid-distance campaign even remotely as strong

And Nuguse, no matter what happens now, will always be a legend of T&F - for running 3:43(!!!) but also because of how incredible that race was, and how long it will be remembered in T&F history - and I’d be scared to compete against him next year no matter who I was. He keeps getting better, and better, and better, and he clearly has not hit his cieling. The 1500 in 2024 is shaping up to be one of the greatest battles of all time and I don’t think anyone can say right now what is going to happen - but what we do know is that it’s going to be completely incredible