I’m excited to tune into GST this weekend. But I expect the distance athletes to give a reasonably full effort during their races. It will be massively disappointing if we get full-fledged jogfests. The athletes are getting paid handsomely; they should give the fans full effort.
the 800/1500 group will be exciting almost no matter what strategy is employed. I think it will be low 3:30s though. Wanyoni is such a game changer for this event.
the 800/1500 group will be exciting almost no matter what strategy is employed. I think it will be low 3:30s though. Wanyoni is such a game changer for this event.
Having Wanyonyi for this first meet is great, but don’t sleep on Arop. He’ll be at all four meets, and has the obvious fastest finish (among the racers, not necessarily against Wanyonyi) if the races go too slowly.
The women’s field is a little weaker, but Moraa serves a similar role against Hull and Welteji.
The long distance groups are where we might have a problem. Small fields without pacers.
There needs to be an "honest effort" clause in every runner's contract. Furthermore, there should be minimum time standards for every race and if they are not met, nobody gets paid. I think sub 3:30 would be a reasonable standard for the 1500 for example.
Highs of 85F, mild wind with gusts, humidity, two distance races in a short span of time. Doubt that sets up well for fast distance races. Great conditions for shorter distances.
There needs to be an "honest effort" clause in every runner's contract. Furthermore, there should be minimum time standards for every race and if they are not met, nobody gets paid. I think sub 3:30 would be a reasonable standard for the 1500 for example.
Sub 3:30 is unrealistic. The only time anyone runs sub 3:30 is because Jakob is there.
Outside of that, I can only think of the stacked 2022 Comm Games field and US Trials last year where there is a lot on the line and a championship to be won. Both races were low 3:30.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
I’m just excited to see some real RACING outside of a championship meet. I’m so sick of time trials with pacers and pacing lights. Let’s see these athletes compete in real racing conditions.
Millrose was the equivalent of sub-3:30. Jakob surely helps, but aggressive pacing and wavelights matter more. This meet has neither of them, so I think people expecting Yared to bring his A-level Trials 3:30 form might be setting the sights too high. I think low-3:30s (3:32-3:34) with a fast last 800 is more likely.
I’m excited to tune into GST this weekend. But I expect the distance athletes to give a reasonably full effort during their races. It will be massively disappointing if we get full-fledged jogfests. The athletes are getting paid handsomely; they should give the fans full effort.
You are suggesting that a tactical race does not necessitate a reasonably full effort?
I’m excited to tune into GST this weekend. But I expect the distance athletes to give a reasonably full effort during their races. It will be massively disappointing if we get full-fledged jogfests. The athletes are getting paid handsomely; they should give the fans full effort.
Depends what you consider a jog fest, imo anything below 3:40 isn’t considered one and is most likely in order for the 1500 runners to beat the 800 guys.
GST should use short tracks. WA allows them for outdoors now, they're smaller and cheaper to build, they're easier to sell out to look good for TV, and the leader gets a substantially larger benefit for leading and making the pace quick because of how much harder it is to pass indoors.
I’m excited to tune into GST this weekend. But I expect the distance athletes to give a reasonably full effort during their races. It will be massively disappointing if we get full-fledged jogfests. The athletes are getting paid handsomely; they should give the fans full effort.
You are suggesting that a tactical race does not necessitate a reasonably full effort?
There are no championships/medals on the line. If we get 10 laps of jogging in the 5000m, yes, that would not be a reasonably full effort.
Would you watch a football game where the teams trade off QB kneels for the first three-and-a-half quarters? I know I wouldn’t. Let’s see some real effort.
Millrose was the equivalent of sub-3:30. Jakob surely helps, but aggressive pacing and wavelights matter more. This meet has neither of them, so I think people expecting Yared to bring his A-level Trials 3:30 form might be setting the sights too high. I think low-3:30s (3:32-3:34) with a fast last 800 is more likely.
At Millrose, The 1500m enroute time was 3:31:74, so let's not pretend it was sub 3:30 with those made up conversion calculations.
Millrose was the equivalent of sub-3:30. Jakob surely helps, but aggressive pacing and wavelights matter more. This meet has neither of them, so I think people expecting Yared to bring his A-level Trials 3:30 form might be setting the sights too high. I think low-3:30s (3:32-3:34) with a fast last 800 is more likely.
At Millrose, The 1500m enroute time was 3:31:74, so let's not pretend it was sub 3:30 with those made up conversion calculations.
i agree with this. replace his 1300-1400 split with his 1500-1600 split, and that puts him close to 3:31 flat. maybe take another half second off for the extra distance run.
but that's all splitting hairs. He's in roughly 3:30 time trial shape. Give or take. No pacer, no wave lights. The 3:32-3:34 is a very good prediction.
Millrose was the equivalent of sub-3:30. Jakob surely helps, but aggressive pacing and wavelights matter more. This meet has neither of them, so I think people expecting Yared to bring his A-level Trials 3:30 form might be setting the sights too high. I think low-3:30s (3:32-3:34) with a fast last 800 is more likely.
At Millrose, The 1500m enroute time was 3:31:74, so let's not pretend it was sub 3:30 with those made up conversion calculations.
Millrose was the equivalent of sub-3:30. Jakob surely helps, but aggressive pacing and wavelights matter more. This meet has neither of them, so I think people expecting Yared to bring his A-level Trials 3:30 form might be setting the sights too high. I think low-3:30s (3:32-3:34) with a fast last 800 is more likely.
Wavelight matters but we all know Jakob is the deciding factor. There have been 39 sub-3:30s (41 including en route splits) in the last three outdoor seasons, ZERO of which were run without Jakob in the field (and leading for the majority of the race on top of that). Most simply can’t do it without him, and the few who can have never had the guts to try.
Millrose was the equivalent of sub-3:30. Jakob surely helps, but aggressive pacing and wavelights matter more. This meet has neither of them, so I think people expecting Yared to bring his A-level Trials 3:30 form might be setting the sights too high. I think low-3:30s (3:32-3:34) with a fast last 800 is more likely.
"aggressive pacing" and wavelights don't matter more than having Jakob in a race when it comes to running sub 3:30. Unless by aggressive pacing you mean having Jakob lead.
Running sub 3:30 takes a tremendous effort and a ton of pain. To do that you need a lot of motivation - for Milrose there was a softish WR within reach (there were no wavelights). But overall, there is no bigger motivator in a race than someone in front of you - and for the last 3.5 years, that someone is Jakob. None of the current crop of milers (except Timmy C if you consider him in the current crop) has ever run sub 3:30 without having Jakob infront of them for the first 3+ laps.