Wannamaker Mile Spoiler... I warned you...

Wow, way to focus on all his bad races. How about

2001 - Running 3:53 right out of high school

2004 - Winning the US Olympic Trials, the Pre meet mile in 3:50, and beating a solid field in Ostrava which included Heshko, Lagat, and other notable good 1500m runners

2005 - Winning the US Champs again, running 3:48.92 for 4th at the Bislett Mile, and MAKING it to the WC 1500m final, which Willis and Baala failed to do. He also set the AR for 2 miles, running 8:11 for 2nd place to Eliud Kipchoge, and he ran a 13:10 5000m.

2006 - Ran 27:34 for 10k, beating Ritzenhein and Fimiglietti for first, and finished in the top 4 at a couple European 9 - 11k cross country races

2007 - Open up with three wins indoors, 3:59, 3:56.7, and 3:55.18, muffs one, but it's not like it's the end of the world, unless he's injured, which he isn't

So far in 2007, he's been on his game 3 out 4 times, and that's not bad. I wouldn't worry too much about Webb, he'll figure things out. I think he's just going to keep getting pissed off until he starts running perfect races, and then he's going to destroy fields

I don't think Alan Webb is a miler, he needs an event he can be relaxed in and not worry about tactics so much. I know Webb wants to be a miler, but I know no other miler who could run 27.34 10k.

Webb could be like Mottram, race over the whole spectrum but focusing on 5k as his best event. The question is whether he will waste his opportunity next year in Bejing.

An athlete should always have more speed than his main-event requires, then we have a winner! Tactics get so much easier when you got that speed-reserve. What can be done with limited speed in a 1500? Your options gets way fewer.

Look at Bekele, he could be successful at 1500m, but man whatching him in a 1500 last summer, he was under pressure but he won. In the 5k he toys around with everyone, he got that speed-reserve.

Man, you people are just ridiculous. He ran a 47. split in high school. Obviously he has NO speed. And do you honestly believe El G couldn't run a 27:34 10k? Same with Lagat? And the tactics/relaxed race statement...Have you ever raced a mile? Check that, have you ever raced, period??

And another poster on her said Webb can't run well in big races and tried to say Millrose was a BIG race. WTF??? Millrose is a circus, nothing more. None of these races indoors good or bad matter much. The big boys will be out in force for outdoors, then we'll know how Webb is running.

2 things, for mottram to run 3.54 when he has openly stated he has done \'no fast stuff\' in training, in my books makes the time pretty impressive.Mottram isnt peaking too early and will run great this summer and proove that he is world class.

Dont forget he is a 5k specialist and has just pushed Lagat who is probably the best in the world at 1500/mile at the minute all they way to the line.

It was just another strange off night for Webb. Webb has always been erratic. His whole career has had this strange up and down moments that defy description. For this reason I would not be surprised if there he runs a sub 3:50 mile this year. Sometimes it would be better to be somebody like Jason Lunn or Brain Berryhill. People still think you are talented, but there is far less pressure on you.

Webb will lick his wounds and be ready for the spring season. One bad race does not make a career. Maybe Webb simply is not the great talent lagat is. Only ELG was comparable to Lagat in the last decade.

In a few days this race will be forgotton.

Webb is a great runner but they guy just can't race. He'll probably run alot faster at some point, though I'm not sure if the mile is his event. Maybe moving up a little would help him relax a bit as the other poster said.

Wanamaker Mile Sub-Four-Minute Miles (85)

Athlete Time Year

Bernard Lagat 3:52.87 2005

Eamonn Coghlan 3:53.0 1981

Noureddine Morceli 3:53.50 1991

Ray Flynn 3:53.8 1981

Eamonn Coghlan 3:53.82 1985

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:54.27 1989

Eamonn Coghlan 3:54.40 1983

Ray Flynn 3:54.70 1985

Thomas Wessinghage 3:54.7 1981

Eamonn Coghlan 3:55.0 1979

Steve Scott 3:55.0 1981

Noureddine Morceli 3:55.06 1993

John Walker 3:55.14 1985

Sydney Maree 3:55.15 1985

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:55.17 1991

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:55.36 1993

Steve Scott 3:55.37 1982

Tom Byers 3:55.41 1982

John Walker 3:55.62 1982

Laban Rotich 3:55.69 1998

Eamonn Coghlan 3:55.91 1987

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:56.05 1986

José-Luis Gonzalez 3:56.12 1982

Wilson Waigwa 3:56.3 1979

Ray Flynn 3:56.33 1982

Eamonn Coghlan 3:56.34 1986

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:56.48 1987

Steve Scott 3:56.61 1985

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:56.89 1988

José Abascal 3:56.90 1987

Laban Rotich 3:57.04 2002

Graham Hood 3:57.08 1995

Sydney Maree 3:57.1 1979

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:57.11 1995

Ray Flynn 3:57.27 1987

John Walker 3:57.3 1979

Bernard Lagat 3:57.36 2002

Paul McMullen 3:57.48 1998

Paul Cummings 3:57.6 1976

Peter Elliott 3:57.63 1988

Leonard Mucheru 3:57.68 2002

Steve Scott 3:57.77 1991

Thomas Wessinghage 3:57.95 1983

Steve Holman 3:58.01 1993

Ray Flynn 3:58.10 1986

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:58.10 1998

Niall Bruton 3:58.14 1995

Abdi Bile 3:58.16 1986

Mark Carroll 3:58.19 2000

Eamonn Coghlan 3:58.2 1980

Bernard Lagat 3:58.26 2001

Don Paige 3:58.3 1980

Sydney Maree 3:58.37 1989

Laban Rotich 3:58.40 2001

Dick Buerkle 3:58.4 1978

John Walker 3:58.5 1981

John Gregorek 3:58.51 1983

Bill Burke 3:58.54 1993

Niall Bruton 3:58.71 1994

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:58.80 1994

Filbert Bayi 3:59.0 1978

Ray Flynn 3:59.03 1989

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:59.09 1983

Mark Carroll 3:59.09 2001

Steve Scott 3:59.13 1986

Seneca Lassiter 3:59.16 2001

William Tanui 3:59.24 1999

Filbert Bayi 3:59.3 1975

Isaac Viciosa 3:59.34 1997

Marcus O’Sullivan 3:59.35 1990

Steve Scott 3:59.38 1984

Wilson Waigwa 3:59.4 1978

Roosevelt Jackson 3:59.41 1988

Sydney Maree 3:59.50 1982

Eric Nedeau 3:59.50 1995

Tom Byers 3:59.53 1984

Jason Pyrah 3:59.58 1997

Jens-Peter Herold 3:59.59 1990

Paul Cummings 3:59.6 1975

Steve Scott 3:59.6 1979

Seneca Lassiter 3:59.60 1998

Niall Bruton 3:59.68 1997

Tony Waldrop 3:59.7 1974

Abdi Bile 3:59.71 1988

Joe Falcon 3:59.73 1990

Jim Spivey 3:59.79 1986

Gerry O’Reilly 3:59.79 1988

Craig Masback 3:59.8 1980

If Millrose is a circus that's quite an impressive list of clowns.

it makes the assertion "3:54 at Milrose isn't world class" even more retarded.

cd429 wrote:

seriously, how racist is this message board? lagat wins, lets all talk about mottram vs. webb.

I think everyone's already conceded that that Lagat is the man on this track. Full stop. Nothing to discuss there. Time to move on to subjects of contention.

I think Webb needs to get his priorities straigtened out. Its obvious that the guy is off the charts talented, but Webb and his coach seem to race like he's still in high school. Probably because he only ran one year of college, the guy doesn't know how to win a close tactical race. He races against Americans the same way he ran against the high schoolers, which is fast paced and out front. It works because he is far superior. Unless its a time trial type race he usually blows up/gives up in a tight tactical race (Steve Holman). Instead of running that 10,000 meters last year (trying to prove a point to himself and the letsrun crowd)he should have concentrated on the 800 which would have helped him with his speed (47sec qtr) and hepled him with his racing tactics (less able to run away from others).

how heavy is webb?

and why does he have such beefy arms?

he has almost no range of motion any more

I would say he had better running form in HIGH SCHOOL

he's built like a freaking tank with a bald turret

Molty Lokey wrote:

His whole career has had this strange up and down moments that defy description. For this reason I would not be surprised if there he runs a sub 3:50 mile this year.

Wow, what a bold statement. He just ran 3:55 on a 200 meter track last week.

Webb's legs may have been "fried" with all that recent racing. Even if he simply had tired legs and wasn't at the top of his game, why force it?

webbster a 4:04 shit roger Bannister would beat the crap out of him on cinders. what a god dame pussy. He's got to come out gay after that race. It doesn't mean he's a bad person. Just gay.

Agreed. It looked like he cracked at the 800 meter mark. Yes, he needed to take it out at a good pace, but the field had too much quality for him to run away and hide. Guessing if Webb ran the first "lap" in 59, he is competitive until near the end.

goober wrote:

Webb can never be accused of being the sharpest knife in the tactical drawer. 56 for the 400 on that notorious track? No way that I am writing him off, but that was pure

Dumb.

Webb burned too much when he sprinted to the front at the break. I think he's afraid of Lagat's kick (rightfully so), so he didn't run his own race. Also don't think that many laps in a mile suit him.

Debo wrote:

the guy doesn't know how to win a close tactical race.

"At the bell, Gruber and Webb were still in the front and Rob Myers and Lukezic were stalking behind them. After 3 laps (3:02.1 (58.2)), the field really began to make its mad dash for home....Webb slightly ahead all the way to the finish."

"If today wasn't so tactical..."

-Rob Myers, 2005 USATF's and future 2005 WC semi-finalist.

1 Alan Webb Nike 3:41.97

2 Christopher Lukezic Georgetown 3:42.06

3 Rob Myers Reebok 3:42.27

4 Scott McGowan New Balance 3:42.59

5 Charlie Gruber Nike 3:42.89

6 Jon Rankin Unattached 3:43.41

7 Jason Lunn Nike 3:44.57

8 Sean Duffy American U. 3:45.24

9 Christopher Estwanik Nike Farm Team 3:46.19

10 Sean Jefferson Indiana 3:47.93

11 Jason Jabaut Nike Farm Team 3:48.49

12 Daniel Wilson Asics 3:55.24

dean moriarty wrote:

Lagat's an American, dummy.

Lagat is an African, with American citizenship.

If the Chinese are playing hard ball with the drug issue, Lagat takes a fall (injury) and doesn't make the US team....if the Chinese go soft on drugs, and they might (so as to showcase their fabulous cheating female distance runners) Lagat goes and medals vs. some doped up Moroccan....

Barry Bonds is a huge fan of track and field, did you know that?