Nikki paced them through 9:37 and dropped and Werner paced them for, drumroll please, a whopping 17 seconds. Yes, she paced them for 17 seconds. She is a professional runner and she can't at least lead them through 5,000 meters? She has no business ever pacing again.
Yea generally asking runners to basically pb while pacing is a bad idea. Thinking this is someone's fault not named werner tbh
Then why have her pacing to begin with? If she is not at that level, get someone who is!
That's what they are saying. Sound Running can google Werner's PB just live everyone else. It's not Werner's fault she was given a task she isn't capable of completing. It's on Sound for agreeing to a sub 30 pace and then not providing a pacer capable to aiding in that effort.
Then why have her pacing to begin with? If she is not at that level, get someone who is!
That's what they are saying. Sound Running can google Werner's PB just live everyone else. It's not Werner's fault she was given a task she isn't capable of completing. It's on Sound for agreeing to a sub 30 pace and then not providing a pacer capable to aiding in that effort.
She is a professional distance runner. She can't run at 2 miles what another lady runner is running for three times that distance?
That's what they are saying. Sound Running can google Werner's PB just live everyone else. It's not Werner's fault she was given a task she isn't capable of completing. It's on Sound for agreeing to a sub 30 pace and then not providing a pacer capable to aiding in that effort.
She is a professional distance runner. She can't run at 2 miles what another lady runner is running for three times that distance?
She's never broken 15 in a 5k and they need a sub 15 pace through 5k. How long do you expect her to run at faster than her PB pace?
Yea generally asking runners to basically pb while pacing is a bad idea. Thinking this is someone's fault not named werner tbh
Sound Running couldn't find anyone faster, so they went with the best they could find.
Fortunately, they added Nikki Hiltz at the last minute. The last minute addition was why Hiltz was never announced ahead of time as a pacer, and that's why Hiltz was wearing a bib with "Hiltz" handwritten on, and not printed on like everyone else.
Elise Cranny was in Los Angeles the day before The TEN for another running related event, so she could have paced The TEN, but she must have not been interested.
There aren't many women who are both able and willing to pace that fast.
Specifically for 10K it's hard in general to get American women capable of pacing through 5-8K at world standard paces. The top women of course can manage those paces, but there's like 5?ish of those people. Most of the best college women are barely getting to 15:15 minutes 5K. And the pros capable of doing those paces are either wanting to actually race at that pace, or save their legs for future races / other events. It's a combination of a very unpopular event and few people capable.
At least with 5K, the pacers only need to get through 2-3K which a lot more people can do. Even a failed pace job that only makes it 1600m isn't as big of a disaster for a 5K compared to the 10K.
They would have had to shell out a lot more money to get some strong international pacers while also paying them enough to make them waste 1 week that they could be training at home or racing for money.
I think OAC even mentioned they were struggling to find a pacer for 10K, and this event was announced for a few months beforehand.
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What do pacers get in compensation? Two or three meals, a free hotel night and a bit of cash. How many people are qualified to pace? A limited number. Quit complaining.
They should have made it a 6.21 lap completely flat road course with a male pacer the entire way. Pay a B tier Kenyan or a good collegiate to run 4:56 pace for at least 5 miles.
At least with 5K, the pacers only need to get through 2-3K which a lot more people can do. Even a failed pace job that only makes it 1600m isn't as big of a disaster for a 5K compared to the 10K.
Why have a pacer for only 2k? There are pacing lights already. How much value can a 2k pacer add?
I think OAC even mentioned they were struggling to find a pacer for 10K, and this event was announced for a few months beforehand.
This event was known a YEAR ahead of time. And they still couldn't find a pacer. Because very few women are willing and able to run a sub 15 minute 5k as a pacer.
Don't blame Sound Running. It's just that there aren't enough really fast women.
They should have made it a 6.21 lap completely flat road course with a male pacer the entire way. Pay a B tier Kenyan or a good collegiate to run 4:56 pace for at least 5 miles.
I don't think that the times would count if there was a male pacer in a 10k.
Nikki paced them through 9:37 and dropped and Werner paced them for, drumroll please, a whopping 17 seconds. Yes, she paced them for 17 seconds. She is a professional runner and she can't at least lead them through 5,000 meters? She has no business ever pacing again.
The puma coaching staff is shady. TUE’s and lead by Pascal himself. *hint - he was close with Shelby
At least with 5K, the pacers only need to get through 2-3K which a lot more people can do. Even a failed pace job that only makes it 1600m isn't as big of a disaster for a 5K compared to the 10K.
Why have a pacer for only 2k? There are pacing lights already. How much value can a 2k pacer add?
I'm not a pro, so I don't know for sure.
I'd assume air resistance as a major factor at least for outdoor races. The first place guy is taking the brunt of that and everyone else behind is just drafting off the guy in front in the conga line.
It might also be a bit psychological. If you are racing, you don't want to be the guy at the front doing all the work while everyone else is sitting 6 inches behind you. Like Klecker getting pissed at Kincaid for sitting off him the entire race at last year's The TEN and then kicking past him with like 400m to go. Klecker did most of the work and Kincaid got to benefit at the end. In a race that is completely fine, but in a time trial, there has to be some sacrifice and it's hopefully shared between runners. Having a pacer removes that dilemma. You can see this whenever a pacer drops out, sometimes the pace will just fall off because nobody wants to take over and be at the front pushing the pace.
Just having someone in front for 1/3 to 1/2 of the race to make sure the pace gets held is a big deal at least to the competitors
I've noticed this pattern before in other women's races. It's the exact same thing - the woman pacer is basically asked to run her PB, which she has only completed once under ideal conditions - for an elite event.
It's ends up messing up the race.
At least at THE TEN, I don't think she messed up the race. She just dropped off when she couldn't handle the pace anymore.
for sure! There were studies done in the 1970s of the energy conserved from running behind another person, and drafting off of someone (someone correct me if I'm wrong on the dates); the FASTER a person runs, the more of an advantage it is to draft off someone. Plus, like you stated, the psychological advantage; your mind can kind of wander and just "go to sleep."
It was mentioned in this video about breaking the 2 hour barrier in the marathon - which didn't count for the official marathon record, but he did use drafting (as well as super shoes, and had water bottles handed to him people on bikes).
On Saturday, October 12, 2019, Eliud Kipchoge became the first person ever to run a marathon in under two hours, a staggering achievement in athletics and hu...