Kipchoge racing Hamburg in April!

Excellent, I wonder if this will be a return to form for him?

I can't wait to see what crazy-ass shoes he's got on this time.

This is very exciting news. With all the road race cancellations, this is going to be an enjoyable watch. Considering that NN and Global Sports Communication are sponsoring the event, does this mean that we could see Bekele as well? Surely he will want to run on a fast course so that he is provided the opportunity to run a swift time and book his place on the Ethiopia Olympic Team.

nike shill wrote:

Excellent, I wonder if this will be a return to form for him?

Yea I'm interested in that, as well. If he loses badly in a second race, who would that make a favorite for Tokyo? I'm getting on the RUPP train.

T-Spoon wrote:

This is very exciting news. With all the road race cancellations, this is going to be an enjoyable watch. Considering that NN and Global Sports Communication are sponsoring the event, does this mean that we could see Bekele as well? Surely he will want to run on a fast course so that he is provided the opportunity to run a swift time and book his place on the Ethiopia Olympic Team.

I would suspect the opposite, that KB isn't there and neither is anybody else. If his management is organizing this, I imagine it will be a guaranteed win for him. It will be organized like Chicago the year Rupp won. That's my fear, anyway. I'd rather see a real race where someone else wins, not a coronation like the time Farah's pacer stopped to let the star past.

Hamburg April weather averages are 54F high /41F low. What’s more likely? Over/under 2:03:30

runsonrun107 wrote:

Hamburg April weather averages are 54F high /41F low. What’s more likely? Over/under 2:03:30

That's a pretty decent temperature - as long as the rest of the weather holds up well, I think he'll go just over that.

The biggest problem right now is the lack of anyone else who has been announced who could compete with him. The rest of the field that I can find look like they are just trying to go for the Olympic standard, so he may be on his own after a few k's. Not that he hasn't run solo most of a race to a world record time before, but every bit counts. Let's hope they get some good pacemakers and add some more A-listers to the field. If they add some top end elite talent, I'm thinking just under 2:03:30.

Kipchoge/Bekele showdown? Kipchoge/Kamworor showdown?

Jaguartron wrote:

runsonrun107 wrote:

Hamburg April weather averages are 54F high /41F low. What’s more likely? Over/under 2:03:30

That's a pretty decent temperature - as long as the rest of the weather holds up well, I think he'll go just over that.

The biggest problem right now is the lack of anyone else who has been announced who could compete with him. The rest of the field that I can find look like they are just trying to go for the Olympic standard, so he may be on his own after a few k's. Not that he hasn't run solo most of a race to a world record time before, but every bit counts. Let's hope they get some good pacemakers and add some more A-listers to the field. If they add some top end elite talent, I'm thinking just under 2:03:30.

Kipchoge/Bekele showdown? Kipchoge/Kamworor showdown?

A couple A-listers would be great: I'd like to watch it too. I still believe it's no accident that you don't see other big names on the list. Expect the list to remain similar. After a spectacular choke - yes, it was exactly that - last time out, this dude ain't running something he could lose.

I wonder what his mind is thinking for this race. He's got the world record, and has won multiple world marathon majors as well as the olympics. This is likely his lowest level/lowest publicity race he's run in several years. I imagine it'll be tough to get hyped up for this to have an impressive result. I doubt he'll run under 2:04 and will be minutes off his PR, I'm pretty sure it is a fast course.

I can for sure see both sides of this. Honestly, I didn't think I'd see him run anything before the Olympics, so whatever happens with the race, this is just gravy for me.

On one hand, I don't think Kipchoge is one to shy away from a challenge. Breaking2 and 1:59 I think are examples of that. He's gone up against everyone who would be considered a threat and beaten them at one point or another. Does he gain confidence from beating a bunch of 2:10 guys? I don't know. I think running a competitive time would probably give him the most confidence.

If someone else big wanted to join, I don't think he would say no to some competition. He's already been selected for the Kenyan Marathon team for the Olympics, has the WR, fastest all-time, etc, etc... There is nothing left for him to prove.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if he just wanted another marathon to run before the Olympics, and this one could be set up for him to run very well. Maybe he just wants to race again and get the rust off before Tokyo, go out with no pressure on him and win. Everyone feels like they need a confidence boost every once and a while. Maybe they tried something new at London that didn't work out, and they want to try it again, or go back to what they had previously been doing. We'll have to wait for him to write his book for us to find out I guess!

Regardless, just happy that I can put another race in my calendar that I can watch.

Hamburg already confirmed they ain’t going ahead with marathon in April, they are moving it to later in the autumn so this is obviously a Vienna rule time trial stunt.

yall talking about Litchoge like he didn't win 10 consecutive marathons prior to london...

Dripchoge wrote:

yall talking about Litchoge like he didn't win 10 consecutive marathons prior to london...

A different way to frame it is he hasn't won a race in almost two years

If he runs poorly in Hamburg do you think he could get left off the Olympic team? That was my one thought when I first heard this announcement. The guy usually is spot on in the marathon but when you're already on the team if you have 2 sub par performances does that mean anything?

I just hope that it won't be rainy. I also noticed that Kipchoge tends to be more vulnerable when running the rain, as he was passed by Adola in rainy Berlin 2017, and got beat badly in London.

he is planning on easy spring marathon :no pressure ,no worry about high caliber of world class marathon runners ,or his coach start to see decline of his all times fitness(he is 36 y)may be real age more,or want to hide his real intention before the olym pic games ,personnaly i wi not bet on him at the games, new guys will emerge in international level,that the cycle of athletics,

This is Jim Kiler wrote:

I can't wait to see what crazy-ass shoes he's got on this time.

Me too. Should be fun.

hmmmmmmm wrote:

I just hope that it won't be rainy. I also noticed that Kipchoge tends to be more vulnerable when running the rain, as he was passed by Adola in rainy Berlin 2017, and got beat badly in London.

You know he won Berlin 2017 right?

Seth James Demoor will beat kipchoge. Kofuzi drops him too around mile 20.