Marc Scott Has Left Bowerman, Now With NN Running, Hoping to train with Kipchoge in Kenya

Comparing max velocity with speed endurance and how the latter can be developed.

Yes, as I explained etc. Try to keep up.

so, without trying to hijack this thread, you're saying that Marc has so much max velocity he actually has more 1500m potential than someone like Mo Farah? Not exactly how that works, even if you are developing speed endurance. Marcs had a pretty good career on the track with great training and consistency. By many accounts BTC does some brutal max speed work. If he was going to be a 3:28 guy, we'd probably have seen that.

Well why bot try? None of you thought Mo could run 3.28 and he took 5 seconds off his PB doing it. The man he took the UK record from, Steve Cram was shocked and started throwing around insinuations.

Marc says he doesn't want to do track and has made up his mind to focus on the road. But why not do both? He doesn't have to run 2 marathons a year. I think that can be too much for some elites, but not for others.

Alright clearly no reasoning with you.

The level of competition today is not that of 20 years ago. Being competitive in the marathon and the 1500 at the same time in the same year is more unrealistic than it was then.

Add in the fact that different runners have different builds and predispositions and this comparison is stupid. I could run a 23 mid 200 in college. Was well-trained and just about maximized my 1500 capability at around 3:46. Just because I had theoretically had a faster 200 time than someone like Mo doesn't mean I had the potential to be a 3:28 guy, or the potential to outrun Marc in a 5k. He's been well-trained with an impressive training group by a coach with a proven record of producing fast 1500, 5k, 10k runners who has every incentive to maximize his athletes potential.

It's not about you.

I’m not sure we can conclusively rule out genetics, although I do agree it’s something of a reductionist/defeatist view.

most of the studies done so far have looked at a few target candidate genes, when it is unlikely that any one single gene can explain performance which is multifaceted. For example, Saltin looked at mitochondrial enzymes, others have looked at ACE activity etc.

Similarly, there is strong evidence of morphological differences (stature, limb length, muscle mass on shanks) when compared to comparably fast Scandinavians showing that can’t be the sole reason for dominance. It will be interesting if a more global approach such as epigenetics, which includes the influence of environmental factors on gene expression, shows different results.

However, as others have noted, the societal factors shouldn’t be underestimated. If you put enough athlete into a pipeline, you‘re bound to discover more rare talents. And there is no question distance running is one of the most popular/accessible sports in Kenya, Ethiopia etc

Fair point. Nothing is conclusive and a lot of the evidence is hard to generalize at a population level. There was one 2021 (I believe) meta analysis that analyzed the occurrence of different genes across studies. Their conclusion was that elite athletes are different in terms of gene occurrence, but their sensitivity analysis did not show anything significant across ethnicities. Not conclusive though.

The preponderance of the evidence we do have suggests it isn’t genetic. Somatypical characteristics tend to be loosely correlated with ethnicity. I’m thinking of a lot of research into obesity, BMI and height across ethnicities. Most of those findings also show that environmental factors play a much larger role. Those factors influence on gene expression is way more interesting, as well as less reductive, you’re 100% right.

I agree and think the societal part is huge. Whether overblown or not, the fact that young Kenyan kids running to and from school at young ages before they ever even train specifically builds a massive aerobic base. Jakob is hugely talented but his upbringing was similar..massive aerobic development from a young age before “focusing” on training. And the altitude factor is key as you mentioned.

Nor am I…boldfaced liar…prone to punch ups with pensioners…stiffing hotel payments to Gebreselassie…and a complete circus clown.

telegraph.co.uk

Mo Farah admits lying about links with arrested coach Jama Aden

Four-times Olympic champion has no regrets about not leaving Nike Oregon project sooner

Open link

swiftgirlathletics.wordpress.com

A (not so) brief history of Mo Farah’s relationship with Jama Aden…

Swift__Girl

At the press conference following Mo Farah’s 10,000m gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Mo Farah told a blatant lie. Ewan MacKenna posed the following question: “In terms of Jama Aden……

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dailymail.co.uk

Olympic star Mo Farah 'punched me in the gym' in Ethiopia

Guy Adams

The altercation began after Sir Mo, 36, and his entourage accused an Ethiopian athlete and his wife of 'spying' on his training regime at a resort in Ethiopia two months ago.

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thesun.co.uk

Mo Farah's wife 'slams airport worker as 'f****** pathetic' during first class boarding row'

https://www.facebook.com/sunsportdesk

THE wife of Olympic hero Mo Farah launched a foul-mouthed rant at an airline worker, it was claimed last night. Tania let rip when they and daughter Rihanna, 11, missed first-class boarding on thei…

Open link

Oh, I think you and agree about Mo as a person. Don't get me wrong.

I was merely pointing out that to state that Marc Scott has more "speed" than Mo is just wrong. Mo was hated by a lot of us because he got 82 wins without ever really leading until the last lap. He was all about speed. And literally is the 13th fastest 1500m man of ALL TIME. That is weird for someone that "doesn't have speed."

But this thread is supposed to be about Marc Scott who is a lot more likeable but worse at fast finishes on the track. Marc Scott is smart and is moving to the marathon at age 29 before he is washed. Smart move!

He is wise to do that since he doesn't have the needed speed to beat Ingebrigtsen et al on the the track. What would you tell Marc Scott to do if you were his coach? Take on Kerr, McSweyn, Wightman, and Jakob in the 1500? Run the 10,000m on the track, an event that is dying more each year? I think Scott made the right move.

Getting back on topic, the Marc Scott interview is revealing that he states directly that Jerry's the guy stopping our best distance runners from going to World XC, because he thinks it is not important. This is the guy who thinks you can't compete well at championships if you ever compete anywhere else. Plenty of people like Tergat, Geb, and Bekele say otherwise--you can compete at World XC without harming at all your chances at outdoor track titles and medals.

Another point that Scott raises is that he feels it is his time to go to the marathon. Yet, last year was his breakthrough year in the 5000m. It's surprising that he would drop the event to some degree when he finally has a shot at being competitive on the world stage for medals by building on the 12:57 indoor time with the benefit of a healthy outdoor campaign.

Fair play. You’ll have to forgive me. I never turn away a chance to highlight what type of person Farah is.

I wouldn’t put it all on Jerry. Not like OAC is going either. It’s a ton of travel, and hopefully in years where it’s slightly less far away we see more buy-in. Or if it’s in an off years of course.

I think Scott is pretty pragmatic. Yeah he ran 12:57 last year, but he was 3rd in that race to his teammates. So for everyone then saying he could contend for 3rd in the World do you see the issue there? I’d say it’s far more likely Marc Scott wouldn’t make a 5,000m final than he’d medal in one.

Yeah, I actually agree on the first point, as I said in other posts. I won't completely rule out the possibility that there some is gene that makes East Africans superior distance runners. You can never completely rule anything out in science. But, the best evidence that we have - and the volume of it - suggests that such a gene does not exist. Scientists have gone looking for it, even identified potential candidate genes, but they've still found nothing that is specific to East Africans. The fact is, the genes that make people superior distance athletes are found in individuals all over the world. Given that, we can say with a high degree of confidence that the superiority of East African distance runners is not due to some gene that is specific to people from that region. Sorry to say this as a European, but American and European distance runners are not genetically predisposed to be unsuccessful.

What if Kipchoge doesn't want to train with Marc Scott?

He is probably upset with Jerry over additional things we may never know because he continues to be sponsored by Nike.

You are a complete fool. The top milers run much faster than 24.6 in the 200m.

Jakob I ran just under 26 WHEN HE WAS 13. I suppose he can run sub 23 today.

Marc has never been close to outsprint Jakob.

I ran about 1 second slower in a random 200m without training in block start WHEN I WAS ABOUT 45. I was more of a middle distance runner. But at that time I played veteran soccer 2-3 times per week.

Marc Scott isn't a miler. Mo Farah wasn't either. They are both distance runners.

Talk about missing the point. You people should think before you post such stupidity.