WD40 wrote:
Dibaba was absolutely stunning. She looked smoother and more composed the faster she ran. Has there ever been a runner with a smoother gait? So, so slick.
However, in order to get marathon endurance, she will need to do major mileage. Her trademark is her kick. What will 120+mpw do to her kick? Recent discussions regarding male marathon runners suggest it's unlikely there will be another double Olympic 10K / marathon due to the sheer pace needed in the last lap of the 10K. What would make Dibaba different?
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Maybe because she is a stronger and faster version of Telga Louroupe (Ken). Telga ran her sub 2:21 marathon and 10000m personal best in 1999 and then the next year improved on her 3000m and 5000m pb in 2000.
While it may demonish her kick the marathon training will make her much stronger. So it's proven that it's not impossible for an athlete to run marathons and still improve on their shorter track races.
Telga ran the marathon and still had a decent kick in track championships and Tirunesh has more potential and speed then the Great Telga Louroupe.