I would ask you why you would think most of the pros running at Euros are in a different category than the best NCAA guys?
Graham Blanks finished 9th in the Paris Olympic final. Habtom Samuel has run under 27 minutes. These are standout performances that you see from guys expected to medal at Euro XC or their Track champs.
Jakob would win, but Blanks and Samuel could also dominate many pro European runners.
Point is Jakob has never been threatened in XC. Why would it be different at the NCAA level ?
Because Graham is a lot better than anyone Jakob has faced at Euros.
Jakob's a solid xc runner and has proven it many times. He would have sat back, moved up and kicked easily away. However, the Olympic 5000m isn't the best picture of Blanks now. He was out for months before Trials and was not close to his current form even by October. He'll be under 13 at BU if he goes for it and likely near Samuel's outdoor record in the 10 next year if healthy. But he's not close to Jakob now and will never have his closing speed.
Habtom finished 17th at World Xc in 2023. He then ran 26:53 10k in 2024.
Grant is probably competing with strength-based 26:40-45 runners on grass.
Jakob is probably 26:30 on the track but I don’t think he has the strength to compete with Grant in cross country.
Grant would probably be 12th or so at world cross.
Given that Ingebrigtsen ran 27:27 at Copenhagen, there’s no reason to think he’s capable of 26:30. 10K is 10K, and the best 10000m runners on the track are the best in XC as well. Grant would have no advantage over Jakob just because it’s a XC race.
The 2 guys he dominated had PBs of 27:30 & 27:43 at the time.
Have it occured to you that Jakob also could have improved a "bit" since his first SENIOR European X country win in 2021. See how much he has bettered his times in the 1500m, the mile, the 2000m and the 3000m from 2021.
Or don´t you believe that Jakob has improved equally in the 5000m and the 10000m?
The race I’m talking about is from December 2022, not 2021.
Im giving Jakob credit for being a 26:30 ish 10k runner. I’m still saying he loses despite having bettered his 10k.
Have it occured to you that Jakob also could have improved a "bit" since his first SENIOR European X country win in 2021. See how much he has bettered his times in the 1500m, the mile, the 2000m and the 3000m from 2021.
Or don´t you believe that Jakob has improved equally in the 5000m and the 10000m?
The race I’m talking about is from December 2022, not 2021.
Im giving Jakob credit for being a 26:30 ish 10k runner. I’m still saying he loses despite having bettered his 10k.
Euro XC is a lot lower competition than NCAA XC.
The 2 men Jakob beat in December 2022 had run 27:22 (Isaac Kimeli) and 27:34 (Emile Cairess).
And not 27:30 and 27:43 as claimed by you.
But how fast do you think Blanks can run in the 10000m? His PB from last year is 28:16.
I suppose he can run signifiantly faster but can he go sub 27? If not he would have no chance against Jakob.
Fortunately for you we will not know who is the fastest since they possibly aren´t going to compete against each other in a X country race in the foreseeable future.
I, however, think we can get a hint in Turkey in 10 days if Jakob beats Thierry NDIKUMWENAYO who has run 27:49.5 this year and recently beat Aregawi in a X country race (as THOUGHTSLEADER has pointed out).
I would ask you why you would think most of the pros running at Euros are in a different category than the best NCAA guys?
Graham Blanks finished 9th in the Paris Olympic final. Habtom Samuel has run under 27 minutes. These are standout performances that you see from guys expected to medal at Euro XC or their Track champs.
Jakob would win, but Blanks and Samuel could also dominate many pro European runners.
Point is Jakob has never been threatened in XC. Why would it be different at the NCAA level ?
Except the one time he ran at World XC and finished 12th in the u20 race. Before I entertain him being “one of the greatest ever cross country runners” like another poster called him he needs to go back and do better than that.
Point is Jakob has never been threatened in XC. Why would it be different at the NCAA level ?
Except the one time he ran at World XC and finished 12th in the u20 race. Before I entertain him being “one of the greatest ever cross country runners” like another poster called him he needs to go back and do better than that.
Because why do you need to be the greatest ever XC runner to win NCAAs?
With all the wealthy 13 min guys here, could we just form a collective and pay Jacob a few million to run a season somewhere, so we can see what he can do? A school like Presbyterian College could probably find room on the roster. If you're going to run Wisco in November, good to run as a Blue Hose.
Come on guys are we really debating if the reigning 5k WC and Olympic Champion would not have won the XC NCAA race ?
He would take off with 1 mile to go and win by 15 seconds.
Possibly but it's a different game when hundreds of red blooded Americans open with a sub 4:20. He'll be pushed back and have to pass hundreds of collegiates throughout the competition. Imagine the scolding his dad gives him after he gets Blanked!