OMG did Mary Keitany just run sub 1:06 half marathon WR?

You do know the Ethiopian men and women consider the 10000m their event like the Kenyan men considers the steeple their country's signature event. I don't see Mary getting in enough track training after London marathon to run sub 30, maybe 30:14-30:18 which could net bronze or 4th or 5th.

If Mary had started training now for the 10000m she could probably get under 30 flat but having to train and run London she would be short on track speedwork for a sub 30.

I would love to see Mary K. bust a solid performance at London 2:17-2:18 then try her hand at the Worlds 10000m.

Paula ran 10 seconds faster

I know the course is illegal as down hill slightly but I've done the Great North Run and its not the fastest course

You gain height gradually over several miles, then lose it all down a hill over about 300m. You can't make up the time is a few hundred meters

Still a record a record and it a great run. The EA's could drop that record still further, but they are not ready to beat the marathon mark...yet

Canova is a legend and no one else here has a clue.

Barefoot Bushman wrote:

Canova is a legend and no one else here has a clue.

Yeah especially you.

While one of the foremost minds in our sport, I don't know if the term "legend" is appropriate. "Extremely knowledgable" seems better. I say this to protect the integrity of the term "legend". A legend has to have been, among other things, bold and courageous. Had to have displayed some heart on the battlefield.

Not to be rude (although I'm sure it will come off as so anyway), I find it amazing how many different nouns and verbs Canova can know while maintaining such horrible grammar/overall english. You would figure that his grammar would catch up with his vocabulary after some years, but it seems as though it really doesn't.

I'm amazed at how often he shares pearls of wisdom with us here in spite of the rude treatment he inevitably gets from pricks like you.

Renato Canova

I enjoy your writings and find quite abit of usefully or extremely interesting points in almost ever posts.

...

Even though I know the answer is monetary. It seems a waste to have all the top Kenyan women only run 1/2 marathons and marathons. There are enough women in the last 10 years that proven you can be top elite marathoner and still balance some outstanding 10000m championship races in your career.

Women like Mary Keitany that just went thru 10km in under 31 minutes and continued on for another 7 miles but her 10000m track personal is a high 32 minutes is ridiculous. Renato it seems that with her current fitness and some track training she should easily be capable of going under 30:10 on the track or slightly faster. Kenya lose most of it's top 10000m talent to the marathon; however, in Ethiopia the 10000m seems to be slightly more popular then the marathon for it's athletes.

coach, the sensible among us always appreciate your contributions, because without them we'd know little or nothing about these athletes and their training. thanks.

There's no money in the 10000m. The half marathon and marathon lists will get deeper and deeper in the coming years. Rosa said it best: a former world champion can run 13:00 in Oslo for $200 (before taxes and paying his agent) while a guy you've never heard of can win $20,000 running 2:09 at the Dublin Marathon. Where would you put your talents?

long dong silver wrote:

I find it amazing how many different nouns and verbs Canova can know while maintaining such horrible grammar/overall english. You would figure that his grammar would catch up with his vocabulary after some years, but it seems as though it really doesn't.

Your beef is with grammar!? Did I spell that right? Did I use proper grammar you nerdy piece of crap runner?

That my friend is the biggest problem. Ethiopia pride itself in achieving the highest possilbe accolades in athletics; therefore, majority of its top 5000m/10000m talent stays on the track until late in their careers. While in Kenyan the managers and coaches rule their groups with more influence thus pushing and encouraging them to skip the track and go for the big payday marathons.

Would Ethiopia allow a 26:41 -Samuel Wanjiru (Ken)- 10000m WJR to move up to the marathon at age 20? NO!

Mary Keitany personal best 10000m 32:18.07 yet in her 1/2 marathon WR she passed a certified 10km in 30:45, 10 miles 50:05, and 1/2 marathon 1:05:50 (each point much faster than her track 10000m pace). Her coaches say she couldn't be a medalist in the 10000m. OH MY GOODNESS that's hogwash- they refuse to let her/offer the option to her and any of the other top female marathoners because Kenya's coaches and managers (Europeans) aren't about Kenya Pride but the quickest dollar.

McMillianConv wrote:

McMillian says she should be capable of 29:34 which seems too fast for Mary. With some 10000m training I think she could/would push the pace for around 29:50-29:58 and medal.

Mary Keitany is doing just what she is very good at. Why anyone would want her to move back to 10000m? All these times about sub 30 min is all in theory and in your dreaming computers!!! We have Lineth Masai who is capable of 29:40-29:50 legit. And can challenge for gold not just to medal. Vivian Cheruiyot has the same capability if she shifts her focus more towards 10,000m. Mary Keitany has shown better consistency in the half marathon than any Kenyan woman before and hope she will master the marathon in the like manner. That gives us(Kenyans) a chance to win gold in the marathon in the coming world champs and Olympics next year while at the same time have a chance at winning 5,000m and 10,000m .

Linet Masai and Vivian Cherioyut don't posses or haven't demostrated Mary's aggressive and tenacity in racing. If healthy Tirunesh Dibaba won't be outkicked by any established Kenyan we already know of. Mary is the only runner who have shown she MAY have the ability to try and run away from Tirunesh.

What other lady have shown the abiltiy to run a 30:48 10km continue and post a 50:05 (almost sub 5 minute miles pace) and still hang on for another 5km? That's the one person who if focused on 10000m could probably break Tirunesh- cuz that's the only way in the 10000m to overcome Tirunesh's deadly kick.

Renato

Mary Keitany passed 10km in 30:48 enroute to her 1/2 marathon WR. If she trained for the 10000m is there any reason she couldn't run 29:55? I don't see any reason why she don't run 10000m in championships years and she still could do a spring and late fall marathon?

the metabolic adaptations required to run a great marathon (or two) per year are vastly different from running a 10k on the track. Think of the different fueling demands. Its not easy to go back and forth at the top level.

It's not as hard as you think for prepared elite athletes.

Geoffrey Mutai (Ken) 2010 performances

27:27.79(A)....2)Ken Ch

27:33.83(A)....3)Afr Ch

27:56.75(A)....4)Niarobi

2:04:55........2)Rotterdam

2:05:10........2)Berlin

also a 59:38 1/2 marathon at New Delhi

so apparently it's not as difficult as you think. Also he just won the Kenyan X-Country Championshps and said he is ready to run either at Worlds X or Boston. He would run Boston if Kenya doesn't allow him to train with Iten group for the X-Championships.

Kenyan X-Country Trials 19 Feb 2011

SENIOR MEN 12KM

1. Geoffrey Mutai 34:35.0

2. Mathew Kisorio 35:19.4

3. Vincent Kiprop 35:23.5

4. Philemon Limo 35:26.0

5. Hosea Macharinyang 35:35.4

6. Leonard Komon 35:40.8

7. Paul Tanui 35:46.1

8. Stephen Kiprotich 35:49.1

9. John Mwangangi 35:50.7

10. Philip Kiprono 35:54.2

********************************************

In 2002 Paula Radcliffe ran

2:18:56....1)London- April

30:01.09...1)European Champ- August

2:17:18....1)Chicago- October

And there have been several others, Paula and Tegla even ran the 10000m and marathon in the same championships and done well in both. I've shown you enough proof that the 10000m championships and marathons can be done succesful in the same year.

So it's very possible for Mary to run 1 or 2 marathons and still train for 10000m during championships years.

If you had an elite athlete training for 800m and he ran 1:46.40. The next year he raced at 600m in preparation for upcoming 800m passing 400m in 45.50 before finishing in a new 600m WR of 1:10.90.

There would great anticipation to see what he could do at 800m but also incredible interest in his performance if he trained just for the 400m how fast he could run that distance.

That's the same priniciple I assume posters are taking after Mary's spilts at 10km, 15km enroute to her 1/2m WR. I now understand the logic behind so many posters wanting to see Mary Keitany run a fast track 10000m and championshp 10000m.

Mary Keitany could be a medalist at 10000m; however, the money Mary, her coach, and manager can make by having her run 1/2 marathons and now marathons is keeping a possible sub 30 minute 10000m performer forever out of that event.

At this point Mary have shown better abiltiy to run a great 10000m in comparison to her debut marathon. In time hopefully -this year- she will develop her marathon performances to be comparable to her 1/2 marathons.

Renato, thanks for smelling up this thread.