Kincaid for the win in 26:55. I don't think anyone else goes sub-27. Who the hell knows with Sam Atkin. He could drop after 12 laps or he could run 27-low.
It's interesting to hear McDonald is not he start list. Any chance he's helping with pacing?
Agree 1-2-3 is a toss-up between Klecker, Kincaid, and Grijalva. K&K might benefit from Grijalva frontrunning and overcooking himself. I don't think Woody would be wise to try to save it for a last minute kick though.
Kincaid for the win in 26:55. I don't think anyone else goes sub-27. Who the hell knows with Sam Atkin. He could drop after 12 laps or he could run 27-low.
It's interesting to hear McDonald is not he start list. Any chance he's helping with pacing?
They said on coffee club Ollie is pacing through 5k to 7k.
For the women it seems apparent it’s a 2 woman race, Monson vs. McColgan. Monson has been targeting this race more, and frankly I think she’ll be beating McColgan on the track from here out. I think for a fair chunk of this race we’ll see Monson at the front with McColgan trying to hold on, but Monson will get away in the last mile. New AR, but no sub-30.
Natosha Rogers is my pick for 3rd. 10k is her best distance, and she just ran a 14:52 at BU last month. I think she can join the rather elite U.S. sub-31 club, so far: Huddle, Cranny, Schweizer, Flanagan, Sisson, Kastor, Monson, Goucher. A handful of contenders for 4th and 5th, but with respect to Dom Scott I’ll go:
Makes one wonder . . . will Cooper and Grant be the rabbits? . . . Cooper thru 5k, Grant thru 8k? . . . basically, playing the role McGorty played two years ago and Woody played last year. . .
The American record holder rabbiting through 8k? Why would he do that?
1) Woody & Joe were really good . . . however, last year, Grant and Mo were astounding . . . the latter showed how good you need to be to contend for medals in the 10k . . . Joe still needs to lower his pr by another half-minute to get to that level so it may take him a couple more years . . . just hope he sticks to the track through LA 2028 and doesn't get seduced by the marathon and road racing . . .
2) Woody appears to be a Worlds podium contender right now . . . in the 5k . . . last night showed he has more than enough endurance strength for the 5k plus that wonderful closing kick . . . from his post-race interview, sounds like he knows that as well . . . very much looking forward to his race against Grant at USAs in July as well as his 5k finals race in Budapest in August if he stays healthy and all goes well.
3) Alicia now has the 3k and 10k ARs . . . but appears that her best event right now is the 5k . . . which may seem ironic since she and Joe appear to be cut from the same cloth as grind-it-out 10k runners w/decent but not world-class last lap kicks . . . however, her 3k Diamond League near-win last summer, coupled with her very impressive recent indoor 3k record, shows she can maintain a very fast pace for multiple laps (very high anaerobic threshold?) . . . frankly, expecting her to get the AR 5k record sometime this spring/summer and possibly crack the 14:20 barrier . . . and, believe she can be well within the top-10 in the Worlds 5k if she concentrates on it.
4) Josette did a credible job of pacing Alicia and Eilish through 5k . . . her split 15:09 . . . so soon after joining Ritz's team at altitude in Boulder . . . she appears to be an altitude adapter . . . should have no problem breaking 15 pretty soon and getting a new pr . . . but could also get well under 4-flat again in the 1500 . . . will have an interesting choice to make at USAs . . . possibly could double since only one 5k heat . . . her career has been rejuvenated.
5) America women's 5k future now really looks bright . . . all those women under 31 last night should have excellent opportunities to break 5k this spring and summer . . . a continue to push Alicia, Elise and Karissa to even better marks and more ARs in the coming months and years.