Valencia was a reminder once again, as if we needed any more reminders, that the marathon is an event all to itself. Having super fast track, or even half times, are nice to have, but no guarantee of an automatic commensurate time in the marathon. Gidey had a wonderful debut race, and certainly she will run faster, but no, a future world record is not ordained. Obiri and now Gidey are a reminder that you just cannot project amazing 10K and half performances to the marathon distance. Kiptum is a reminder of this too, in reverse. It might work out, but just as likely not to.
One thing is that Kiptum has skipped the track and is attacking the marathon fresh in his career as a 23 year-old, after years of fast half-marathons.
Geb already showed us what athletes are capable of, before the era of new shoes, at the end of a long 17-year career staring with juniors, cross-country, track, and finally the marathon in the twilight of his career.
Kipchoge and Bekele showed us what difference the new shoes make, again for two athletes at the end of lengthy careers starting as juniors, after cross-country and track.
It should be unsurprising to find young 20-somethings able to run faster than their 35+ year-old selves, and running similarly world record threatening times under ideal weather conditions, in a well paced race, on a fast course.
Is very very sad what you write !!! Is like you dont know anything about sport or marathon , or better you know about it but pretend that you dont know !!! Ehhhhhhh is normal ,is not surprise that some 20 years old guy comes and run sub 2:02 at his firs marathon!!!!!! I know for sure that Bekele and Kipchoge (doping or not) are the Goat ,at least in the last years and if it took them years to sub 2:02 there is a reason so dont even try to compare this Kiptum to Bekele or Kipchoge they are like day and night ( and I say it again doping or not) Why I got to read this!!! This is a total lack of respect for the history of all the clean athletes of the sport and All the great marathon runners of the past!!! If last week they wanted to discuss to ban or not Kenya , dont you think there is a reason to do it. They will not ban Kenya? Who cares !!! This sport is sick , and is full of sick performance . I want to to see a guy that win in 2:08 but is clean . I dont want to see a full breed of dopers that any given day can run near world record pace
The constant barrage of baseless accusations has already ruined this forum and is only hurting the sport.
The constant barrage of doping busts - which you cannot see (they are all "victims") - has done more to damage the sport.
Busting dopers has done damage to the sport? Mmmm-k.
Here we were talking about runners not busted for doping.
If you think busting dopers is damaging the sport already, why would you want to go above and beyond that, and cause more damage to the sport by making baseless allegations?
One thing is that Kiptum has skipped the track and is attacking the marathon fresh in his career as a 23 year-old, after years of fast half-marathons.
Geb already showed us what athletes are capable of, before the era of new shoes, at the end of a long 17-year career staring with juniors, cross-country, track, and finally the marathon in the twilight of his career.
Kipchoge and Bekele showed us what difference the new shoes make, again for two athletes at the end of lengthy careers starting as juniors, after cross-country and track.
It should be unsurprising to find young 20-somethings able to run faster than their 35+ year-old selves, and running similarly world record threatening times under ideal weather conditions, in a well paced race, on a fast course.
Is very very sad what you write !!! Is like you dont know anything about sport or marathon , or better you know about it but pretend that you dont know !!! Ehhhhhhh is normal ,is not surprise that some 20 years old guy comes and run sub 2:02 at his firs marathon!!!!!! I know for sure that Bekele and Kipchoge (doping or not) are the Goat ,at least in the last years and if it took them years to sub 2:02 there is a reason so dont even try to compare this Kiptum to Bekele or Kipchoge they are like day and night ( and I say it again doping or not) Why I got to read this!!! This is a total lack of respect for the history of all the clean athletes of the sport and All the great marathon runners of the past!!! If last week they wanted to discuss to ban or not Kenya , dont you think there is a reason to do it. They will not ban Kenya? Who cares !!! This sport is sick , and is full of sick performance . I want to to see a guy that win in 2:08 but is clean . I dont want to see a full breed of dopers that any given day can run near world record pace
On the contrary -- my respect for Geb and Kipchoge and Bekele is so high, that I'm convinced they would have run faster in their physical prime, 10 or 15 years earlier, if they had trained for the marathon instead of track events.
Why do you talk about lack of respect for clean athletes, as if there were any dirty athlete in this scenario? Why I got to read this??? It's very sad what you write. It's like you don't know anything about marathon performance.
I'm not so sure who wanted to discuss a ban on Kenya, outside of tabloid speculation and its gullible readership.
If an old man is running 2h01 why the youngsters that are running 57-58half couldn’t be running the same or better times? Back in the day, it was 2x your half time + 2min. I am not surprised by Kiptum’s performance with all the squad Valencia has invited! This field was very deep with great pacemakers and great weather! Running has changed as more money is on the roads, doping or no doping this is just normal! It was about time we see those times! People are running 12:35 5000m now, we should see something like 10000m under 26min by now!