CAN KENENISA BEKELE BREAK KOMENS 3000M RECORD?

My hunch is Bekele NO, El G MAYBE. I don't know if it's true, but I don't think Bek has the 400m speed of a younger Geb. Maybe he could do 7:20 in 2 years off a perfect pace such as 3:40/3:39. El G could probably do it now with a 3:43 opener and a fast last 600m, say 1:23.

Bekele set a junior world record in 2001 in the 3k. It was a 7:30. Are u gonna tell me that he can improve or hasnt improved 10 seconds since then???

In four years he couldn't bring it down 10 secs?

wasn;'t the WJR just broken in 7:28? so we should expect a 7:18 from this guy right?

it's hard to take down 10sec when your focus is 5k-10k not what komen was tuned to at the time - mile-5k. that's the difference. haileG got his PR's in the 3000 when he trained specificially that year for the speed stuff. if Bekele doesn't switch up his training he won't get it and ElG will break it first.

Salah wrote:

Personally, I think anybody (I know there aren't that many) who can run 3:30 and has good endurance can run around 7:20 given some good luck.

No, you're way off. One guy in the history of the world has run 7:20 and how many guys have run 3:30? Aquita former WR holder at 5000 (so he has good endurance) and broke 3:30 could do no better than 7:28 or 7:29. Rono, as you mention is 12 seconds off. Although not a championship distance the 3000 is (or was until recently) run at several big European meets each year and guys who were at the top of their game did race it in the middle of their peak shooting for the WR. El G and Bekele are huge studs but so was Komen in his day and his 3000 WR is incredible. It may not last as long as MJ's 19.32 or Powell's LJ but it will not be broken by El G or Bekele.

Whoever brought up the fact that Bekele ran 7:30 four years ago made an excellent point. Bekele was nothing then compared to what he is now... I think last year in his peak shape Bekele could've definitely run 7:19 or better.

I agree that anyone who could run 3:30 could not run 7:20, but I still think El G and Bekele could. For that matter, I have no doubt that Bekele could challenge the 1500m record if he were to focus on it. Whoever wanted to bet that El G or Bekele will not break the 3000m record (I assume you mean never, not just this year), I will take that bet... $1000 sound good?

Dropping 10 seconds at that distance is a huge amount, though, more than a second a lap. How many people even run 7:30? It must be remembered that at the highest level performance improvement is incremental. Bekele broke Geb's records but only by an incremental amount, amounting to tenths of a second per lap.

I don't know if El G could do it. Correct me if I'm wrong but in his record attempt I believe he died toward the end, couldn't keep the pace and had no kick. He's probably stronger now due to his 5,000s, but probably not as fast over 1500 (pr set in 1998). Perhaps he'll make another attempt this season.

shiiiit... el g will break the 3000m enroute while breaking the 5000m

(I wrote that just to piss off that vipam dude...)

heh heh

wueueueueeueueueu wrote:

For that matter, I have no doubt that Bekele could challenge the 1500m record if he were to focus on it.

He sure won't break it, so I don't see why this point is even brought up. Sure, I can "challenge" it too, but I won't run much faster then 3:55 in my life.

i don't know if either one of them could get it.

with el g moving up and focusing on the 5k he might not have quite the necessary 3k speed to run 720.

kenny b is focused on 5k and up (and always will be) and im not sure if he has the necessary speed either.

you have to remember that every single lap komen ran in his record was sub 60. think about that for a second......its jaw dropping. and he, just like kenny b in his wr's ran all alone for most of the race. im not saying that every single lap that kenny b or el g runs has to be sub 60 cause they could have very fast opening and closing laps, but every split in komen's race was sub 60 just for some perspective.

You need to have a crazy rabbit to break it. The rabbit in the WR 3000m race was phenomenal. He went out in 3:55 for the 1st mile and stayed until 600m to go.

To break the 3kWR you need a strong runner in front of you for at least 6 laps.

7:20 is two 3:40's. 3:40 is approximately 7% slower than 3:26. 7% added onto 12:36 is about 13:30. Double that and you get 27:00. I think the wr for 10k is a little faster than that. Maybe 7:15 is a little too fast (I was trying to be provocative) but ElG - if he is in similar shape as when he ran his 15 WR - will easily run 7:20. As for Bekele, my argument is a bit less mathematical, but I just don't think that running 58. for 7 1/2 laps is somehow any more difficult than running 60. for 12 1/2. For comparison sake, though, if somebody posting one of those nearly ubiquitous threads about predicting 5k times had reported that he ran say 8:40 for 3k would you say that he could run under 15:00? Would you say he could do it easily since 8:40 is so superior to 15:00? Well, that's about the same spread.

And, No. Guys have not put the same effort into 3000 WR's as they have for the 15 or even the 5. Usually they train for one of those Olympic distances (specific pace work) and then use the 3 as part of their program. I'm not saying they don't run the race itself hard or that they don't try their best to run a WR in it, but that generally, they are shooting for something else down the road that season.

Well everyone, El G is running the 2 mile a Pre, right???

So, it is a great field, and if he gets a really good rabbit, we will see what El G does for the deuce, and what 3k he runs en route.

Clearly that will give us all some more info on El G the Great's 3k ability, right???

i think he can.... shouldn't he be able to beat alistair cragg first?

Good argument, except that from 1500 to 3000 is about a mile, whereas 5k to 10k is about 3 miles. Of course you will slow down more. You really think 7:20 is equivalent to 27:00?

Komen is my favorite runner of all time. awesome.

There are two athletes who have the capabilities to break Komen's incredible 3000m WR: Kenenisa Bekele and Augustine Choge. The fact they have the ability don't mean they will as I think it will take several attempts for either of them and Augustine need another year before he is ready. Kenenisa don't race the distance enough and when he does he doesn't go for time (he will need a few attempts specifically aiming at the record).

Vipam wrote:

There are two athletes who have the capabilities to break Komen's incredible 3000m WR: Kenenisa Bekele and Augustine Choge. .

Vipam, vipam, vipam. I have always tried to show you respect, and defend you against some of your more rabid critics.

BUT........for you to make the above statement, and NOT include El G is BEYOND ANNOYING, STUPID, AND COMPLETELY DISRESPECTFUL. It shows your bias for the East Africans 100%.

El G has less of a shot at the 3k record than the 2 you mentioned???? El G, who has beaten Bekele TWICE at 5k??? Who ran 7:23 flat in his FIRST EVER TRY at 3k?? Who came within an inch or two of winning 1500/5k doubles two years in a row at wc's and Olympics??? A man who is the greatest miler ever??? A man who has run 3:43 and 3:26? Who has the 2k WR by a LOT? A man who DESTROYED Komen at the mile distance, and who is now FOCUSING on the 3k/5k this year??

This man, who has done all of the above, has less of a shot at the 3k record than some new star on the block and less of a shot than a 5k/10k specialist who El G has already defeated in 2 5k's ???

Absurd. Look, I agree that Bekele and possibly Choge also have shots at the 7:20 someday. but to leave out El G..........that is mind-boggling. What's wrong with you?

If I recall correctly Komen ran the last k of the three in circa 2.20. If that is right it could be argued that with a spread of effort he may have achieved something around 7.16 so that the current best is short of the "best possible" and more easily(sic) reached by others.