Official 2020 London Marathon Men's Race Live Discussion Thread

All of you saying it was in bad shape (Kipchoge) . I knew that something was going wrong when after last pace maker stopped and Lemma went to front with a surge , Kipchoge went back in the line and this behaviour he never had in a marathon. In training he can stay back in the pack if they are doing 2k repetitions or so but not in a marathon.

Then Kitata surge has created the definitive gap. But Kipchoge was in good shape he finish with his usual great running form, I never seen somebody finish well behind his usual position and still have that running form. He was not able to do the acceleration that he was used to do Maybe he suffered cold a lot , he's slimmer than ever, or maybe considering that he was only doing two race in a year and cos the Covid 19 he didnt take part of any marathon (as usual ) in the spring , am pretty sure that this may have influenced his performance. He was at the highest shape possible(in marathon)with Vienna sub 2. The stop caused by the Covid 19, it was a disaster for his shape. I mean he's not young anymore and an interruption so big at this stage of his career has taken away some of his amazing running condition. When you have reached the peak of your performance . the highest point of your career(Vienna sub 2) at Kipchoge age a stop so long from the races and also from the training camp during the springtime can only make you go down a little in your performance.

So did Ward get lapped as people were saying he would?

Bekele will destroy everyone next year. It is clear from the carnage today that he doesn't have to worry about been injured today or any other competition next year. He can recover and get back to Berlin shape(+0.1%) and get the WR next year(or Valencia this year). We would of seen a WR from Bekele in April but I guess we have to wait till next year and then maybe everyone will also have a new respect for me

was that a new Irish record today?

Yup. Although Treacy did run a 2:09:15 Boston.

incorrectwrong wrote:

A name I don't know is Tristan Woodfine. Is that his debut? 2:10 is excellent. Someone that may break the Canadian record in the near future?

Not debut. He ran a 2:15:19 PB just last year so that's why more haven't heard about him.

He then ran a 2:13:16 PB in Toronto and now....2:10:51. Keeps lopping off big chunks of time.

Bluesky wrote:

He was at the highest shape possible(in marathon)with Vienna sub 2. The stop caused by the Covid 19, it was a disaster for his shape. I mean he's not young anymore and an interruption so big at this stage of his career has taken away some of his amazing running condition. When you have reached the peak of your performance . the highest point of your career(Vienna sub 2) at Kipchoge age a stop so long from the races and also from the training camp during the springtime can only make you go down a little in your performance.

According to Wikipedia, and some heroes here on the forum Kipchoge is only 35. That's not old or "not young anymore". Sinead Diver did a monster marathon and got top 10 as almost 44-year old woman. Lagat is crushing in his 40s.

Either finally start believing the Robinson's when they say Eliud is not 35 and actually in his mid 40s by now (they pointed out he was above 40 three years ago). That would also make it way more realistic that he beat El Guerrouj and Bekele at World Championship 5000m when he was in his 20s, and not 17 years old like his "official" age would suggest.

It would also explain the bad race - he is simply declining a lot due to being in his 40s. At 35-years old, you don't go from unbeatable and sub 2 to 6th place in a few months.

This is Kipchoge’s first bad marathon and immediately the haters come out in full force.

He’s been incredibly consistent and still picked up a 6th place finish. Give the man a break

slipper wrote:

This is Kipchoge’s first bad marathon and immediately the haters come out in full force.

He’s been incredibly consistent and still picked up a 6th place finish. Give the man a break

He was 8th not 6th. Galen Rupp has never finished outside the top 5 in a marathon.

he has also never run faster than 2:06, so yes, he does ok against poor fields.

almost three minutes outside all time top ten.

pupil3142 wrote:

he has also never run faster than 2:06, so yes, he does ok against poor fields.

almost three minutes outside all time top ten.

Yup, kind of like Cheptegei has never run faster than 3:37. He would get crushed by Joe Klecker.

Or Farah never running faster than 12:51. He does ok against poor fields too.

Did the Alpha Fly cause the hip cramps?

Sesamoiditis wrote:

slipper wrote:

This is Kipchoge’s first bad marathon and immediately the haters come out in full force.

He’s been incredibly consistent and still picked up a 6th place finish. Give the man a break

He was 8th not 6th. Galen Rupp has never finished outside the top 5 in a marathon.

Has Rupp ever won one?

Ah my vote of the men's race was spot on. Hmmmm perhaps I should go play lotto now.

NYDCRunner1 wrote:

Sesamoiditis wrote:

He was 8th not 6th. Galen Rupp has never finished outside the top 5 in a marathon.

Has Rupp ever won one?

Marathons? He has won 3: Prague 2018, Chicago 2017, Atlanta 2020.