Berlin Marathon 2017 Final Line-up

When is a reasonable time to start the 'expect great things' memes?

I think it usually starts one week before the race, but I'm not sure.

Because if you are going for time and win in multiple WC/Os you might win a few but also likely lose to more tactical runners, unless you are utterly dominant. Someone claimed that the 2017 Berlin marathon shows you can go for time and the win, which you can but I am not certain the wins would be as numerous. Plus marathon is unique in that there are certain courses like Berlin where there are pacers and all the top athletes have an incentive to go for time because it is flat. You don't have that same dynamic in championship track events.

Is there english commentary for this thing now?

It would be even better with Wanjiru in the mix. He was rather impressive in London.

George213 wrote:

With a line-up like this, and people getting all hyped up, the result is usually a great disappointment . I predict a tactical race in 2:04 high.

The pessimist in me thinks that this is what will probably happen. Additionally, the big names might blow up, and some 21 year old African whose name we've never heard of will be the winner.

The optimist in me says that all three of the big names will show up in perfect shape (they've all had a long time to prepare). They will all run under the current world record, with KB slightly edging EK, since he is after all the most talented runner the world has ever seen. Although EK has an edge in being a few years younger, so that might make EK the better runner at the moment. Either way, this race will go down as the greatest Marathon of our generation.

crosscounts wrote:

Assuming no one drop outs, this will be one of the greatest races any of us will ever have a chance to watch.

The Fight of the Century no doubt.

Can we get it hyped up like they do for those boxing matches? I mean, who really watches boxing outside of those? Probably not much more than the amount of people who watch running!

This is a chance to improve the sport. Just hype it up a f*ckton as the "Race of the Centuryâ„¢" and get a ton of people to watch it.

no1 cares about boxing tho wrote:

This is a chance to improve the sport. Just hype it up a f*ckton as the "Race of the Centuryâ„¢" and get a ton of people to watch it.

That was my thought. Although I do recognize that hyping people up to watch 3 men run alongside each other for 2 hours is more difficult than hyping 2 men punching each other in the face for a half hour.

Another quality field that has interesting lines of reasoning. A line-up that we could discuss ad infinitum. And in Berlin, a fast course.

TXrunnrgirl, care to chime in?

-Ked

This is gonna be insane!!! I really hope Bekele comes in the shape he was last year in Berlin - at least - and hope they don't turn it into a tactical race. I think Kipchoge will want to break the record badly enough, and he be confident enough that he can flat out beat the others going as fast as he can from the gun, that the world record will go down, with kipchoge as the winner. Not gonna predict an exact time but it'll still be in the 2:02's I think.

Rocket2 wrote:

It would be even better with Wanjiru in the mix. He was rather impressive in London.

8th place wasn't that impressive. Would've been ever better with the other Wanjiru. He would've found a way to take 'em all down.

grox wrote:

tony the tiger wrote:

U sick bas*tard what Mo Farah got to do with this Marathon ??

Farah will probably never have anything to do with the marathon. In general.

They said the same thing about the 5/10

7 yrs later he is the undisputed greatest long distance runner of his generation

I think kipchoge knowa EXACTLY what kind of shape hes in. I think nike did enough testing that they are able to say 2:00:25 is worth 2:0x:xx at berlin. I think this was the plan all along

Kid running after kipchoge wrote:

I hope Bekele makes it till the end- this would be the greatest marathon ever. And look at the difference between this event and all those crappy track events of Farah. Unlike Farah's track races, here you have three champions running both for the win and both for the WR ( to all those bullshiter& who said Farah chose wins instead of records, as though you can't have em both)

Not a Mo fan but he did just run 26:49 in a major championship. And spent half the race waving to the crowd.

celery wrote:

Although EK has an edge in being a few years younger, so that might make EK the better runner at the moment.

What? Kipchoge is like 41. He has grandchildren.

He has 3 kids, all of them under 12. Kipchoge is 32.

Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:

Kid running after kipchoge wrote:

I hope Bekele makes it till the end- this would be the greatest marathon ever. And look at the difference between this event and all those crappy track events of Farah. Unlike Farah's track races, here you have three champions running both for the win and both for the WR ( to all those bullshiter& who said Farah chose wins instead of records, as though you can't have em both)

Not a Mo fan but he did just run 26:49 in a major championship. And spent half the race waving to the crowd.

Enough with slowmo. We've had 6 terrible years of track that have come to an end. Please don't bring him up

tony the tiger wrote:

grox wrote:

Farah will probably never have anything to do with the marathon. In general.

They said the same thing about the 5/10

7 yrs later he is the undisputed greatest long distance runner of his generation

A weak generation, though.

Kid running after kipchoge wrote:

Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:

Not a Mo fan but he did just run 26:49 in a major championship. And spent half the race waving to the crowd.

Enough with slowmo. We've had 6 terrible years of track that have come to an end. Please don't bring him up

This topic has nothing to do with Farah, you're obsessed with him. Stop derailing.