TEG - 1st 5K guy not born in Africa!

Tegenkamp has figured out how to run races in such a way that he gets what I would call decent position, because he was almost on the shoulder of the front guys, but it's more like he was 2-3 meters behind them with 250m to go. Normally that's a good position, if you can sit on the leader's shoulder through the turn and then come out wide with an extra gear. However, and Tegenkamp said this before the race started, he can't be 2-3 steps behind the leaders with 200m to go, and yet he was. Even Kipchoge had good position going into the turn, but the best position to be in gonig into the turn is in the very front. In the future Tegenkamp needs to get into the front before 400m to go and at least hold that position to the last turn because it will be harder and more costly for guys to pass on that last turn, especially when the race is really going. It looked as though Tegenkamp eased up the last 50m or just ran out of gas, but if he consciously eased up because he realized he was out of medal contention, it's possible IF he had put himself right next to Bekele, where Kipchoge was, before 200m, it's fathomable that he could have been in a contention for a medal.

When the bell lap started, Bekele went through at 12:23.xx, which implies he ran the last 400m in ~ 53/54 seconds. Tegenkamp was maybe a half second- second back with 400m to go and finished in 13:20, so he probably ran his last 400m in 56/57. One must remember they ran 62, 61, 60.8 for the last 1200m leading into the bell lap, so put together 62, 61, 61, 54 for bekele's last 1600m - that's a healthy 3:57 for the final 1600m and maybe 4:00 for Tegenkamp. I think next year Tegenkamp and Solinsky will be in even better shape, but no one on the planet is going to be able to beat Bekele at his own game, and it is his game. Lagat came close, but he's got to give it up to the young talent.

It's been a good season for the Schumacher group though. Tegenkamp ran 7:37(4th pre classic), 13:22(1st usatf champ), 13:08(2nd europe grand prix), 13:20(2nd heat), 13:20(8th world), so pretty consistent. I'd like to see him try getting in a fast 3k or 5k at the world athletics finals. it seems as though running 63's is not too difficult for him. i think he's ready to uncork a fast race, but he probably needs some rest.

who the f*** cares

It looked like Teg could have moved earlier near 600M but didn't. I think at that point he should have pushed the pace and hoped a long kick could have gotten him a shot at 3rd. I also don't think that the American distance runners race enough and they just aren't race sharp. I know the philosophy is that you can train through when others are racing around the world, but in the end I think it hurts the American's especially the vets like Teg.

Just watched the replay on Versus. They said Bekele closed in 53.7. It looked to me like Teg was too far back and had to make a big move to get with the main pack and then actually lost a place or two down the stretch. He should have been sniffing Lagat's rear end who was in excellent position. They got the race they wanted just couldn't execute. Also, not sure how the training camp in St. Moritz was supposed to help them. Seemed to help Ritz but I'm not so sure about the 5k guys.

YES!

Let's just congratulate everyone that made it to the World Championships, "everyone's a winner"

That's one of the things that's wrong with America today, let's not hurt anyone feelings, give everyone a trophy, for what!

If you want a trophy or medal work harder and earn it.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

Nearly 30 years on those UK middle distance times are still up there. If Moorcroft was running today he would be miles under 13 mins. He was a part time runner, without advances in training and physio.

Put the top 50 UK distance runners in an EA training camp for 3 years then see where we are. You need to train like the best and with the best (East African's) at altitude. - and not for a couple of bloody weeks- for months at time again and again. The runners with European ancestory who went sub 13 did this

Baumann, Rothlin, Baldini, etc. All trained at altitude in Africa.

The advantage is also just being in a place away from it all - focusing every day on running.

Promising athletes are children (19-21). To tell them they have to give up PS3, footie on Sundays etc is a big sacrifice, as most have never missed a hot meal in their lives.

This is how your average EA boy trains and lives - when he can, if he can. Talent is part of it, but also the recognition that there is serious $ if you succeed, and the only input is effort.

KUFI wrote:

If you look at most d1 lax teams, you'll find that they are dominated by upper middle class white kids. Does that mean that upper middle class white kids have a genetic advantage when it comes to lacrosse?

It means that the sport of lax is not being played by africans and when/if it ever is, they will dominate.

Teg and Solinsky don't have the talent to win a medal. I am sorry - but this is the truth.

I do think, though, we do have some up-and-comers in the distance events that do have the talent to win a medal. I am thinking of maybe 2-3 guys capable based on their foot speed, current PRs, speed endurance, AGE, and mental integrity.

German, Jager, Chris Derrick. All of these guys are YOUNG, already running fast, and have many, many years to improve on their 13:2x times. It's critical to be good before you reach your peak (26-27) - not still trying to be good. Teg is still trying to break 13. He should have done that 4-6 years ago. Out of the three though, only German has the potential to be a world beater, based on one thing: speed endurance.

Who cares if you have a fast PR if you can't close the last 1000m in sub 2:25?

Who cares if you can close the lap in 50.x if you are not there to unleash it?

What do you need to do all this?: speed endurance (otherwise referred to as Stamina).

and the thing is, tegenkamp has run 54 seconds for the last lap of a 5k race before, but not in a race where the last 1600m was run at 4:00 pace. i guess that's the next step.

62 61 60.8 53.7

Mo Farah got no finish. I though Crammie and Foster did a great job of commentating, but I wish Brendan would stop going on about how Mo has great speed, coz he ran a 3.33 1500. Mo's run at Crystal Palace showed his lack of real finishing speed, but everyone was saying what a fast finish it was. It was outside 28 seconds, even allowing for a headwind in the finish, that is not fast. Alan Storey needs his arse kicking for not working with Mo on his finish.

8isgreat wrote:

Dude, don't fool yourself. Those Brits had the records before Africans had any real interest in running. The only way anybody challenges the Africans in distance running now is if they cultivate their local African talent. In the US, that means finding all the Somalian and Ethiopian immigrants in places like Minnesota (like that Futsum freshman kid who just finished top 10 in Footlocker), and same thing in England - scour the muslim neighborhoods of Birmingham and London looking for Somali studs. The Rupps, Webbs, Tegs, will be good for 8th through last in finals, and I'm saying that is pretty good for them, so give them their props.

Yeah, good point. Bikila, Wolde, Keino, Rono, Temu, Bayi - no real interest in running at all. Do your homework man!

Also, I have to say it will be a sad day when Mo Farah takes Dave Moorcrofts British Record in the 5k. He's not British born.

Cram and Coe ran times that are still pretty competitive.

I think Cacho was the last European to run sub 3.30 (not counting north africans like Baala).

Also makes me wonder why Teg ran no 1,500's this season?

Anyone remember that Teg ran sub 1320 in the rounds? maybe he was a smidge tired.

A sub 13:00 would be nice to add to his WC and Olympic final appearances.

Just curious, who's the current Negro League champion on 5000m?

Mr Smith wrote:

Yeah. Let's face it - white guys can't really compete. Probably the only way to make the whole thing fair is to broaden things up from the current two separate divisions to three - Men, White Men, and Women so that everyone with a clear genetic handicap will have some chance to compete successfully.

Great idea.

Exactly. Teg simply doesn't have the capability to close in a 54 when he's been hammering 61s. He'd need a much better 5k PR to have that kind of closer.

I think he ran a pretty perfect race. there was so much turnover and commotion at the front, it was a dangerous place to be, and probably a waste of energy too. They were jostling for lead every couple hundred meters. He should have moved up a bit earlier towards the end, with around 1200 to go, but he was trying with 8- or 600 to go, the pace was just quickening and it was still crowded. He couldn't move up any more over the last 400 because they were running 26s after a 3:low previous 1200m.