Florence 5000, 13 monsters sub 13:00.00, result here

The monsters are formidable. I really hope that they don’t enter a 5K near me. I am afraid these monsters may take over. Are we creating monsters?

Cheptegei had the fastest pb with 12:35.36, Monaco 2020) followed by Barega who has a 12:43.02 pb from Brussels 2018, when he was reportedly just 18 years young. Don't mean to be disrespectful but the Ethiopian birthdates intrigue me, and I sometimes think there are caveats in operation including different calendar systems and this has been confirmed to me by my Kenyan friends. Good to see Yomif approaching his best as his pb was set in 2018, 12:46.79/Brussels. New Spaniard (former Burundi) Ndikumwenayo, 12:59.03, will be an asset to Espana and sparring partner to Katir, although the latter appears to do a lot of solo training, most of the time. Krop ran 12:45.71 last year in Brussels, 12:55.57 tonight. This Bekele 12:54.31, is not Kenny's brother or cousin, and was just outside his pb of 12:52.98, Rome 2019.

gutsy race by Katir. super runner

Katir setup for the worldwide super elite runners.

Now he can play and arrange the big roles.

I wouldn't be surprised, with all that plethora of talent, and third world problems with financing training for years, if there's some "age cheating" in the other direction.

Yes, I said other direction - as in kind of a form of child labor.

Imagine you're a trainer/group struggle to support a talented fourteen or fifteen year old in a nation full of talented such. What can you do to test his psyche too? Send him to the outside world to compete against seventeen and eighteen year olds. If he holds his own there it will be worth keep him on in the group for the next coupla years.

His name is William, but he goes by Woody?

If Cheptegei and Barega aren’t in low 12:40 shape watch out for Katir and Kejelcha along with JI in a slower race.

While I think there are some for sure age chicanery situations in Ethiopia (Muktar Edris has to be at least 32), Barega is a pretty young-looking guy. His talent was identified very early, so it wouldn’t shock me if his birthdate is legit/close and his plateau is more in relation to training at Addis with other monsters as you’d say since he was 16.

It's worth noting that the guy who fell on the last lap also was on track for a sub 13.

Almgren, the Swede?

Yes very unfortunate. He was on track for sub 13 as well. This race was crazy so many guys within a sec at the bell lap. No to disrespect the athletes but I do believe that shoe technology is making it easier to go sub 13 for sure.

Interesting. Is the shoe technology only helping non Africans compete with the best east Africans somehow? How is it doing this? Is there a shoe setting (perhaps AI based) that east Africans don't know about?

The Africans are running faster too. Kimeli and Krop ran 12:45/6 last year. Cheptegei set World Records. Girma ran 7:23, a record indoors. Kejelcha/Aregawi/Kiplimo run crazy fast, You could keep on going…Non-Africans are certainly quite competitive at the moment, which is great for the sport.

Even if they are in low 12:40s shape, they still won't go run 12:40-12:42 in a championship 5K. Jakob has won a 12:48 DL 5K, and is the reigning world champ, obviously on the latter point. People forget Jakob can win fast 5Ks. No one is going to run fast enough (12:35-12:39) in a championship 5K to beat Jakob. It requires way too much energy from a solo effort, and it is also a massive gamble at the end of the season. One is gambling that they will be able to sustain that effort after an entire season, prelims and in hot, humid conditions with no rabbits. It has never been seen before.

Jakob is primed for a repeat in the 5K. I would actually bet more confidently on him in the 5K than the 1500.

Except that we dont know the real cell of Katir at the current time. Remember he avoided to European championship to focus more on his program.

Normally I'd say you're right - but this year there in Budapest it will probably be that every single man in the final is able to go around 12:50 if the weather is right - so Jakob will have to run at least 12:45 solo up front just to avoid the risk of getting tripped while taking off on on the last lap. There's also the chance that the two or three Ugandians in the final will work together to drop everyone, including Jakob, before that last lap and take it out in 12:35 pace, working together, as it seems they're okey with it if even just one of them makes it to a podium.

The tactics in this race by so many were really good. and at a fast pace, such a big bunch at the bell. Katir, Kajelvha and Luis were A++.

Yes, he was clipped on his heels from behind by the American, Klecker.

What an imagination!

It is VERY unlikely that somebody will take it out in 12:35 pace and succeed with that.