Did Geb explain why he was so useless at London 2014?

Here's the context for the reference to gapping

but if I remember correctly Haile was gapping everyone early. When was he with Kenyan pacemakers, early on or later when he started to fade a bit?

That, to me, is not talking about the group behind but the people who were supposed to run with him, the lead group. AthleticsIllustrated was talking about Haile trying to run the leda group into the ground but they wouldn't go with him.

I can read, I posted it. Haile could have been hanging on to Kiptoo et al and Kipsang sat with them I guess.

Perhaps you want to explain why Gebr was out at 15k?

Have you run a marathon?

Running early that strong is asking for trouble. Were the timing mats not placed in the right spot? Is it THAT fast a start due to wind and gravity?

Come on, why was a 41-year-old man running 2:01 pace?

What are you talking about?You said Haille was gapping everyone, then posted a list showing he was not gapping everyone.I have no idea why he bailed at 15km … it was a dismal performance … but it certainly wasn't a function of him 'gapping everyone'.No, i've never run a full marathon. WTF does that have to do with the conversation?I have no idea why he went out at 2:01 pace .. some folks say he was on the right pace, given the wind and slight downhill. That's not my opinion, just what some others here are saying.

Athleticsillustrated wrote:

I can read, I posted it. Haile could have been hanging on to Kiptoo et al and Kipsang sat with them I guess.

Perhaps you want to explain why Gebr was out at 15k?

Have you run a marathon?

Running early that strong is asking for trouble. Were the timing mats not placed in the right spot? Is it THAT fast a start due to wind and gravity?

Come on, why was a 41-year-old man running 2:01 pace?

Okay so if you don't know how the wind affected the pace what are your grounds for saying he screwed it up? Wouldn't you give him the benefit of the doubt? What we do know is... 1) the first 5k goes east, 2) the second 5k goes west, 3) gusts of wind were reported to come from the west, 4) cabada said there was a headwind from 3-12 miles (the part of the course that goes west), and 5) the first 5k is downhill and usually fast. Is that worth anything?

Yes I thought he would have gone much further than 15 km. But 30 km would be a reach and a WR in its own right. And according to another poster here he did not get paid because he dropped out, so I think he did genuinely was struggling or he would have stayed in the race. And if he genuinely was struggling to stay with the pace, well, what can you do, it was a bad day and that's why you have 3 pacers.

Finally I'm surprised when so many of you hate on the Brojos' opinions so much, that you guys are blindly agreeing with what they wrote here. Their knowledge is much better with track than roads, I think.

If I say I am going to rabbit a wr 1500m to 1100m, going thru 400 in 54.5 and 800 in 1:50, but instead I do 53 and promptly stop at 600m, will some of you applaud?

Certainly Not Skuj wrote:

If I say I am going to rabbit a wr 1500m to 1100m, going thru 400 in 54.5 and 800 in 1:50, but instead I do 53 and promptly stop at 600m, will some of you applaud?

Are you seriously not getting this?

HardLoper wrote:

Yes I thought he would have gone much further than 15 km. But 30 km would be a reach and a WR in its own right. And according to another poster here he did not get paid because he dropped out, so I think he did genuinely was struggling or he would have stayed in the race. And if he genuinely was struggling to stay with the pace, well, what can you do, it was a bad day and that's why you have 3 pacers.

I think the 2 issues combined are what people are disappointed in; He was, as you say, struggling … and the question the OP asks (as I see it) is 'why?". It wasn't really a much faster pace than he ran last fall, if anything .. and that was in the rain. All things considered, if 30k was too much for him at that pace, we all expected him to go a lot longer than 15k. I'd say most folks were as or more surprised at Geb's performance as they were by any of the racers, such as Mo, Kiprotich or Jeilan, etc.

Well, I can't speak for anyone else .. but I don't think I'm "blindly" agreeing at all … I noticed Geb was gone well before Brojos said anything .. and my initial reaction watching the race "wtf?". And that was without even looking closely at the splits.

Also, just because I disagree with the Brojos on a bunch of things, that's no reason to blindly DISagree with them either.

HardLoper wrote:

Certainly Not Skuj wrote:

If I say I am going to rabbit a wr 1500m to 1100m, going thru 400 in 54.5 and 800 in 1:50, but instead I do 53 and promptly stop at 600m, will some of you applaud?

Are you seriously not getting this?

Wow. Just fkn wow, is all I can say.

You understand acquiescing? Did I not write that perhaps I got it wrong and wondered if Haile was hanging onto too fast a pace (being that of 2:01? You miss that? So perhaps - like let me spell it out for you - the opposite happened to what I was suggesting, where rather it being an Ethiopian trying to draw the Kenyans out, it was the other way around?

So you not running a marathon before perhaps your are not familiar with the suicidal-ness of going 2:01 pace early. That is all I am suggesting.

Yo admit you have not idea why he bailed at 15k. Well unless he comes out with a story like he had to take a royal shit or he had food poisoning, it would be Haile likely that he went too fast for the beginning parts of the race. Yes. That would be the most likely scenario.

So back to what I was saying, who dunit? Did the Kenyan pacers try to draw out the Ethiopians or did the Ethiopian pacer try to draw out the Kenyans?

And just in case you are not aware of their intense rivalry, it is pretty thick. They do that sort of shit all the time in cross-country...oh yeah...

Athleticsillustrated wrote:

You understand acquiescing? ....

I think I'm seeing what the problem is. Haile, much like myself, probably doesn't understand acquiescing. If he had, he'd have run the full 30km right on pace. Understanding acquiescing would've solved everything.

Deep inside you now sense and recognise your failure to recognise acquiescing and have moved towards deflecting with weak sarcasm.

Weak sarcasm is the last vestige of a man with no valid argument left in him and that's perfectly okay.

Perhaps I am incorrect on both accounts. Perhaps the wind and the gravity were that favourable.

Maybe Haile had to take a shit.

Okay, people, here is one last attempt to make you understand the simple wind/downhill concept.

Lead pack

14:22 (2:53)

29:12 (2:59)

44:06 (2:59)

59:15 (3:02)

Vail, Cabada, Thompson, Coolsaet

15:09 (3:02)

30:42 (3:07)

46:08 (3:06)

1:01:43 (3:08)

Livesey (British Amateur)

15:26 (3:06)

31:31 (3:13)

47:50 (3:16)

1:03:54 (3:13)

Amazing how everyone made the same erratic pacing mistake, proportional to their own splits, isn't it? What are the odds.

Makes sense. Paula's best times had similar early starts.

The word "vestige" does not mean what you seem to think it means. Nor, btw, does "acquiescing". Which was my point, earlier, albeit one made with some probably uncalled for sarcasm.I don't disagree with you, that Haile did a poor job. I do disagree that (a) that was the result of any conspiracy, and (b) he gapped anyone. The grow pot runners who were supposed to run with him, did exactly that.

Athleticsillustrated wrote:

Deep inside you now sense and recognise your failure to recognise acquiescing and have moved towards deflecting with weak sarcasm.

Weak sarcasm is the last vestige of a man with no valid argument left in him and that's perfectly okay.

Perhaps I am incorrect on both accounts. Perhaps the wind and the gravity were that favourable.

Maybe Haile had to take a shit.

Mo's group was 30 seconds behind at 5km. Weren't they supposed to be 30 secs back at halfway?

Sports Scientists also agree Haile did a poor job.

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2014/04/london-marathon-live-splits-and-analysis/

"Gebrselassie really did mess up the pacing…"

Who said he gapped anyone now? Wat?

Vestige: a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.

Acquiesce: accept something reluctantly but without protest.

Looks spot on to me.