Since athletes in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics smashed multiple records in track and field, running enthusiasts and exercise physiologists have speculated on what role new-generation high-tech running spikes—sometimes called super...
You should watch some races from the 2010s and get back to us. I think you’ll be amazed at how awful pacing typically was back then. Even an historically incredible race like the Brussels 5k in 2018 was run terribly. Those guys opened in 59 and ran close to 2:40 for their second kilometer yet still finished in 12:43, 12:45, 12:46. That easily could’ve been a sub 12:40 race (without super spikes) if those guys had lights to follow. And you can find countless other examples.
How many of these were legit record attempts from the gun? And it doesn't matter if tons of races were badly paced. Your best time would be in a race where things gets paced better. As long as there were some well paced races, the opportunity to set the quick times existed.
Of course it matters. We went from the majority of races (including the legit record attempts) being horribly paced to the majority being perfectly paced from gun to tape. Today your average Diamond League meet gets better pacing than even a record attempt from 10 years ago, so there are far more opportunities for athletes to maximize their potential.
Shoes - a little bit over 3000m (but these guys are so efficient and smooth it's not a lot).
Tracks - in terms of actual surface, no real difference.
Tracks - with pace lights scooting around the rail? Massive.
I don't think Komen would be quite at the same level of Jakob, but I do think he would have run 2-2.5 seconds quicker with wavelight. He was so similar to Jakob in terms of being this long-striding pace metronome - not a great acceleration or turnover guy, but just a threshold machine. So with todays in-race "support" (that would have also helped his pacers), I think a low to mid 7.18 time would have been where he landed.
Definitely one of the most naturally talented runners the planet has ever seen.
Wave lights are so overrated by some on this forum. They're the one thing that make no physical difference. Sure it's easier to pace with them, but watches and pacers have always existed and it's not that hard to know what pace you're going at.
Pros have gone on records saying the lights were nice. Listen to the coffee club where they talk about pacing with the wavelights. don't lie to yourself. Put yourself in their shoes.
You should watch some races from the 2010s and get back to us. I think you’ll be amazed at how awful pacing typically was back then. Even an historically incredible race like the Brussels 5k in 2018 was run terribly. Those guys opened in 59 and ran close to 2:40 for their second kilometer yet still finished in 12:43, 12:45, 12:46. That easily could’ve been a sub 12:40 race (without super spikes) if those guys had lights to follow. And you can find countless other examples.
How many of these were legit record attempts from the gun? And it doesn't matter if tons of races were badly paced. Your best time would be in a race where things gets paced better. As long as there were some well paced races, the opportunity to set the quick times existed.
Actually, it does matter whether or not many races were poorly paced, because these guys didn't have unlimited attempts at records. Many cases where someone is in the form of their life and something goes wrong, they try again and they're not quite in the same shape.
Your comments suggest you haven't put much thought into this matter at all.
