Kenenisa Bekele and Alan Webb will do battle this year at 5000m

Herdsman wrote:

Given that its a non-championship year, I think we may see Bekele dramatically changing some of his lower distance PR's... I reackon that he's good for 3.30 at 1,500 or even below if he prepares right.... Could be interesting!

maybe, except that the 3k/5k is a golden league event, and KB is announced as chasing the jackpot there. so that doesn't leave alot of time to run a fast 1500.

i agree he's probably got a 3:30 in him. i just don't think it matters to him to take the time to go do it.

maybe he'll tkae a page from his mentor's book and try it at WIC next year.

That sucks, I live in Paris and the tickets are only 15€ for upper seats, but I'll be gone that weekend. Oh well.

Maybe someone I know would want to go and take pictures/video.

As has been pointed out earlier, Bekele ran 12:58 for the last half of a 10,000. I can see him loping at about 13 flat pace and dropping a 53 second closer and Webb closing around 56-57 to finish with A/R in 12:55. No disrespect to Sir Bob Kennedy.

When KB ran his world record 5,000, he would have come past two miles about five seconds faster than Webb's American two mile record--and he had more than a mile to go!

I don't expect Alan Webb to battle Kenenisa Bekele if the pace is sub 12:50 but if its slightly slower, say 12:55-12:58 Alan will try to go with the leaders. I just hope its a race that Alan can be pulled to a sub 13 min clocking and not blow up trying to follow 12:45-12:50 pace.

Give Webb a couple of years to develop his stamina fully. Combined with his excellent mile speed, he (and Mottram)

will match the africans. There is new generation of

great american runners coming up. When they've shown the

way, more will follow. It's mental.

Will it be that difficult for Webb to run

4:10

4:10

4:10

:20 for the last .12 miles

for a total of 12:50?

he ran 8:11 for two miles at Pre last year and he had not been in any speed conditioning for that. Many who saw and/or commented on that race stated that he ran that on "strength" alone.

With is 10K opener and some races to try and get a fast 1500m - mile before he does the 5k is it that impossible for Webb to run 12:50 in the Grand Prix meet?

I put Webb at 12:50-12:55 this year in his first attempt and at 12:40-12:45 before his career is over.

just my two cents.

webb will run 13:06 if he is lucky

you must be talking about that ritz guy

WIACFan wrote:

Very

Intelligent

Person

Amidst

Morons

Like the time he GUARANTEED Deena would skip the Olympics (or was it the WCs?) and run NY instead?

webb-e wrote:

Will it be that difficult for Webb to run

4:10

4:10

4:10

:20 for the last .12 miles

for a total of 12:50?

he ran 8:11 for two miles at Pre last year and he had not been in any speed conditioning for that. Many who saw and/or commented on that race stated that he ran that on "strength" alone.

With is 10K opener and some races to try and get a fast 1500m - mile before he does the 5k is it that impossible for Webb to run 12:50 in the Grand Prix meet?

I put Webb at 12:50-12:55 this year in his first attempt and at 12:40-12:45 before his career is over.

just my two cents.

If he hit 4:10s, he'd go 12:55, not 12:50. Unless you think he will run 23 second pace for that last .11 miles as you implied. 3-4:10s and a last 172m at 28 sec 200m pace would be more likely.

Put up or shut up. Alan will easily best 13:06 unless he goes out way too fast and blow up or the race is won in 13:08.

Webb is faster than Bob. He may not have the proof at 5000 and 10000 yet, but he will. He is much much much faster at 400, 800, 1500, mile, and he broke Bob's 2mile record last year. He's ran 13:10 for 5000 already and he rarely races the distance. Oh, and are you guys telling me that you don't remember his 10k against Dathan a few weeks ago? If Webb can be that much faster at the mile, and that little slower at 10k, don't you think he'll be faster at 5000? He's only 22 years old too.

As for challenging Bekele, I think it's possible. Mottram has ran with Bekele, and I think Webb is just as good if not better than Mottram. I'm not saying Webb will beat Bekele, but I think he could run close to him in a normal "non-world-record" type race. Bekele doesn't run 12:37 every time he races you know.

Well I'm sorta of the mind-set, that we're due for somewhat of a rush of sub 13's. From where who knows? Time to absorb some O molecule debt. ~

Webby finishes:

a) winning the race

b) on KB's shoulder

c) on the same straightaway, but gapped by 10s of meters

d) half a lap or more behind KB

Seems like best case is (c). Could see him hanging for the first 4K before the Africans take it up a notch or two.

b) on KB's shoulder

Its funny how Zat0pek joined the bandwagon at taunting another poster about Bekele and Webb battle and then go and post Bekele vs. Webb. Thats lame really lame. Monkey see monkey do.

ho no! wrote:

Yeah, for a great example of Bekele's astounding kick against a solid miler, take a look at the 2004 Olympic 5k race.

OWNED.

WTF? El G is not a solid miler, he's arguably the best freakin ever!

And whoever believes that if Webb were ready to strike in the 5km at the olympics he would have outkicked Bekele can get outa here!

In the Paris Golden League 5000m will Alan Webb:

a) break the American record 12:58.21

b) set a new personal best 13:10.86 (2005)

c) be out of the race entirely

LINEUP

Number Athlete Country

Kenenisa BEKELE ETH

Alan WEBB USA

Markos GENETI ETH

Sileshi SIHINE ETH

Ali ABDOSH ETH

Gebre-Egziabher GEBREMARIAM ETH

Moses MOSOP KEN

Adebe NEGERA ETH

Craig MOTTRAM AUS

Boniface KIPROP KEN

Mike KIGEN KEN

Joseph EBUYA KEN

Alistair CRAGG IRL