NCAA Men's 1500m Live Updates

mdmd wrote:

And look how well not running a high school time worked out for Bekele at the 2008 Olympic 5000

Which is great if you're that much better than everyone else in the field. Bekele ran about 26:25 for 10000m that year. And he got blasted by El Guerrouj four years earlier when he let the pace dawdle. He ran a smart race based on his abilities.

Who in this NCAA Men's 1500m field was such a cut above the rest that they should have gone out and made run from the front?

Jeff Wigand wrote:

Who in this NCAA Men's 1500m field was such a cut above the rest that they should have gone out and made run from the front?

Bayer and Hill, theoretically, at least. That's why the race was so disappointing. Bayer especially. You are the defending champ, guy, set the tone. Or get outkicked by a bunch of guys despite being in good position with 125 to go. And finish 8th. But no worries, Andy thinks he's in a good spot heading into the USA's. Whatever.

I don't even know what to say about Hill, he was off in both the semi and the final. Something is up there.

iiuuyy wrote:

Certainly a great meet put on by Oregon. The grass pollen was hell on a lot of people but U of Oregon can't help that.

There were several strong kickers in there so I dont think you can really definitively say that everyone's tactics were flawed but Fleet. The reality of tactics and positioning were very important and several guys went down. It could just as easily have been Fleet that went down.

Except by the time there was trouble in this race...Fleet was long-g gone.

It's kind of amazing really, that there wasn't some stumbling earlier.

And Fleet was smart enough to run in the back clear of trouble long enough...the price he paid was needing to run in lane 3 at 500 meters to go. But he got the position he needed, and he got the job done.

He didn't foul anyone, and he got the job done.

He's the champ.

MacGregor probably said he got screwed because he did ALL the work at 2:12............

Caset wasn;t winning anything, he had nothing to whine about either, he was so buried by better guys, they would have all had to fall down for him to win

The thing that is puzzling is that experienced , good guys like Hill and Bayer let Fleet walk away in this , they have nothibng like his closing speed, and that is a poor plan

khjkhgyt wrote:

Bayer and Hill, theoretically, at least. That's why the race was so disappointing. Bayer especially. You are the defending champ, guy, set the tone. Or get outkicked by a bunch of guys despite being in good position with 125 to go. And finish 8th. But no worries, Andy thinks he's in a good spot heading into the USA's. Whatever.

I don't even know what to say about Hill, he was off in both the semi and the final. Something is up there.

If that's the case, then those two agree to go from the gun and share the work.

hfdhjl;vf wrote:

Masters chose to get on the rail with 300 to go when he was in 3rd and had options. Then when guys moved up on the outside he was stuck behind a fading McGregor (who shouldn't have been in the race in the first place but for a Hatz brain fart in the semi) and Masters was in big trouble. Casey clipped legs with McGregor, stuff happened and Masters blamed McGregor in the heat of the moment after the race.

Masters needs to take a look at himself and his race tactics. And McGregor should have told Masters to go %$^& himself. I hope McGregor did.

Interesting that the thread regarding Masters has been removed.

For all of you complaining about tactics you do not seem to understand middle distance running. Firstly at this level most runners are good enough that they think they can kick with the best of them. You have to have that kind of confidence in 800/1500 or you would not be here. Also even without knowing all the players i can tell you that even if your best 400 time is 51 and someone else 48, you are not going to the front to "run the kick out of them" with an "honest" pace. All you do is give everyone else a free ride.

No one is going to sacrifice their chance for a podium when anything can happen in a sprint finish. Guys get taken down. Even favorites. So you bide your time, try to stay out of trouble and hope your kick holds up. Sometimes slower runners find a better kick than normal.

You guys who plod through 10K's and marathons would not understand that and that is why we have so many stupid comments here.

No, anything cannot happen in a sprint finish. The faster sprinter wins. And yes, a 51 guy can outrun a 48 guy. Think El G vs Mehdi Baala.

Maybe a better angle on the fall itself, thought it doesn't show Masters being a jerk after. There'll be dozens of interpretations but it looks like Mcgregor was fading and the passing runners didn't give him room (Perkins on the side and Masters behind)

Prefect example of this is the air force guy, had he taken the lead, likely he wouldn't have gotten 2nd. This indicates the 3:43 guy could even want it slow.

I feel the biggest people to blame are the favorites. Slow races are a little bit about luck, but more about tactical/spacial awareness, and understanding your kick.

Fleet knew it wasn't worth the effort to assert himself early on. He only made 1 move that whole race, but he stretched it out and lasted just to the line.

Mac has the potential to make something of himself.

You can see Masters waiting at the finish and then confronting McGregor at the end of this one

ksk wrote:

No, anything cannot happen in a sprint finish. The faster sprinter wins. And yes, a 51 guy can outrun a 48 guy. Think El G vs Mehdi Baala.

That was because El Guerrouj was always a step better at 1500m then Baala and because he had the strength of a 7:23/12:50 to allow him to draw the finish out of Baala and most anyone else over the last 600m.

Jeff Wigand wrote:

ksk wrote:

No, anything cannot happen in a sprint finish. The faster sprinter wins. And yes, a 51 guy can outrun a 48 guy. Think El G vs Mehdi Baala.

That was because El Guerrouj was always a step better at 1500m then Baala and because he had the strength of a 7:23/12:50 to allow him to draw the finish out of Baala and most anyone else over the last 600m.

Thanks for backing me up. My point still stands. A slower sprinter can outrun a faster sprinter.