12:35.36* - Wavelight is crap

I oppose the lights as a means to run faster times.

Meh. I’m against cheater shoes since they provide a physical advantage. Same with rotating pacers to break the wind.

I’m fine with this. No different than checking your watch every 200 meters which I do in workouts to stay on pace.

reasonable middle of road wrote:

Meh. I’m against cheater shoes since they provide a physical advantage. Same with rotating pacers to break the wind.

I’m fine with this. No different than checking your watch every 200 meters which I do in workouts to stay on pace.

+1

Pacing lights are legal. As is the Garmin he was wearing. In any case, he didn't use the lights to stay on pace.

Its just like swimming. The sport is dead. Almost all world record will be because of equipment changes, additions and not talent.

It seems like the light is more useful for the spectators and tv audience to judge where the runner is in relation to the goal pace without having to know the splits.

well yeah yeah wrote:

It seems like the light is more useful for the spectators and tv audience to judge where the runner is in relation to the goal pace without having to know the splits.

+1

It’s more useful early on to keep the pace from being too erratic. Especially when dealing with the other competitors. Though once he was locked in and the other competitors were gone it became obsolete. Do I think it helped to have that perfect pacing early on? Yes. By how much? Probably 5 seconds.

I actually made a post here on letsrun some years ago about the possibility of some sort of light that would act as a pacer. It got laughed off but here it is in reality now. Its almost like greyhound dog racing

He wasn't using it though...

How do we know he wasn’t using it? Afterwards everyone talks about how perfect his pacing was. Well he had a instant 60 second metronome to go by. It certainly helped. Now was it the difference between 12:35 and 12:50. No I don’t think so. However I do think it could have been the difference between 12:35 and 12:40.

I read plenty of criticism here about the wave light.

I also remember reading similar thoughts on rabbits. Heck, I think at one time a rabbit had to finish the race in order for the record to count, but that could be a myth.

I recall on an old message board arguments about track surfaces in the 90s when track "tuning" came into play.

Sports evolve. How far does evolution go? That will depend. Swimming addressed its super suits years ago with rule changes. (That would be the equivalent to our shoe issue). Cycling addressed bike tech advances with rules changes for both road and the hour record. (Essentially what you ride needs to look like a traditional bike and position limitations). But cycling has embraced powermeters at all levels.

Star wrote:

I thought a visual pacing device was strictly against the rules.

Part of the reason Kipchoge’s sub two marathon could not be ratified.

You should read the recent rules. Technical rules specifically under 6.4.8 Assistance Allowed

6.4 For the purpose of this Rule, the following shall not be considered assistance, and

are therefore allowed:

6.4.1 Communication between the athletes and their coaches not placed in the

competition area.

Book C – C2.1

World Athletics Technical Rules (1 November 2019 – amended 31 January 2020) 11

In order to facilitate this communication and not to disturb the staging of the

competition, a place in the stands, close to the competition area of each

Field Event, should be reserved to the athletes' coaches.

Note: Coaches and other persons otherwise complying with Rules 54.10

and 55.8 of the Technical Rules may communicate with their athlete(s).

6.4.2 Medical examination / treatment and/or physiotherapy necessary to enable

an athlete to participate or continue participation once on the competition

area under Rule 6.1 of the Technical Rules.

6.4.3 Any kind of personal safeguard (e.g. bandage, tape, belt, support, wrist

cooler, breathing aid etc.) for protection and/or medical purposes. The

Referee, in conjunction with the Medical Delegate, shall have the authority

to verify any case should the Referee judge that to be desirable. (See also

Rules 32.4 and 32.5 of the Technical Rules.)

6.4.4 Heart rate or speed distance monitors or stride sensors or similar devices

carried or worn personally by athletes during an event, provided that such

device cannot be used to communicate with any other person.

6.4.5 Viewing by athletes competing in Field Events, of images of previous

trial(s), recorded on their behalf by persons not placed in the competition

area (see Note to Rule 6.1 of the Technical Rules). The viewing device or

images taken from it must not be taken into the competition area.

6.4.6 Hats, gloves, shoes, items of clothing provided to athletes at official stations

or when otherwise approved by the relevant Referee.

6.4.7 Receiving physical support from an official or other person designated by

the organisers to recover to a standing position or to access medical

assistance.

6.4.8 Electronic lights or similar appliance indicating progressive times during a

race, including of a relevant record.

Rule 6 of the Technical Rules has been the subject of constant change in recent years to

reflect the way in which athletics is conducted, to respect the role of coaches, to manage

innovation and new products, etc. World Athletics will continue to respond to new prod

UM..,.

OK, then hey start throwing the light out and I challenge anyone to break the record

wavelight or not, its not happening...

4:00...4:00...4:00....

yeah....

THIS IS AN EPIC PERFORMANCE

Men 5000m Joshua CHEPTEGEI 12:35.36 WORLD RECORD!! 2020 Diamond League Monaco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hcIfWtgSp0

Sapel wrote:

Oh my god, you're right!! I'm going to time trial a sub-4:00 mile tomorrow with my brother on a bike pointing a laser on the ground on the track while he rides at sub-4:00 mile pace!!! Yes, it's that freaking simple! Why didn't I think of this before!? A freaking LIGHT will make me defy my physical ability and race out of my head! Yes, not rabbits, not the competition, but a RAIL LIGHT!! Not magic shoes, not a carbon fibre plate, but rail lights!!

God, we've had it all wrong. Imagine if Bolt had a light set for 9.22!!!

We are so dumb!!

I think such assistance could be beneficial. It gives you something to focus on. In races I would often key on a person ahead of me and set a goal to catch that person. Then catch another. Having that external motivation was helpful.

Some of that is purely mental and allowing me to focus.

Another giver of +1 wrote:

reasonable middle of road wrote:

Meh. I’m against cheater shoes since they provide a physical advantage. Same with rotating pacers to break the wind.

I’m fine with this. No different than checking your watch every 200 meters which I do in workouts to stay on pace.

+1

Pacing lights are legal. As is the Garmin he was wearing. In any case, he didn't use the lights to stay on pace.

How do you know that?

bouncy shoes are cheating wrote:

Its just like swimming. The sport is dead. Almost all world record will be because of equipment changes, additions and not talent.

Swimming records set in the shark skin suits have all been broken.

hhhhhgg wrote:

How do we know he wasn’t using it? Afterwards everyone talks about how perfect his pacing was. Well he had a instant 60 second metronome to go by. It certainly helped. Now was it the difference between 12:35 and 12:50. No I don’t think so. However I do think it could have been the difference between 12:35 and 12:40.

I watched the race 3x. The first time I did not catch that Hutchings kept talking about how metronomic Chep was. Well, the light could have helped with that!

he finished most of the race completely unaware of the light, it was not in his view,

and he wasnt looking down or back to see where the light was

He knew it was behind him which still gives him an advantage. By locking into the light pacing early on it prevented him from blowing up but still being rate there. Then later in the race knowing he was ahead of it helped him too. To say it didn’t help him gain at least a few seconds is naive.

It was an incredible performance but like the advancement of shoe technology we need to keep it in context. Just as Jim Ryun running a 3:55 mile as a high schooler on a cinder track with only high school competition beats Webb’s 3:53 on a synthetic surface with pro comp.