We loved this article by LRC friend Sean Ingle. We have changed the title of the thread. It was initially entitled, “The Guardian put out a new article/interview with Jakob 1/23/26”
In an exclusive interview at his home in Norway, athletics’ ‘iron man’ tells Sean Ingle why his career feels like ‘99% losses’ and why he believes he can break world records from 1500m to the marathon
He’s back from Johannesburg pretty early. Usually he spends a week at altitude in January and then starts running faster sessions at sea level the next few weeks to prepare for the indoor season. Not sure what his plan is here or whether he is injured again, fingers crossed!
Anyways a very good read. These quotes are awesome and I’m sure some people will get mad: “Considering how good shape I was in at that Olympics, I think nine out of 10 times I would have won the 1500m,” he says. “And this was the 10th. If I had just done anything differently, I think I would’ve had a better outcome.” Still, at least he had redemption by destroying the field to win 5,000m gold a few days later, I tell him. He looks at me like I am mad. “No, no,” he interjects. “It definitely wasn’t a redemption, no. There’s really nothing that can outweigh the disappointment of the 1500m.” But does it annoy him when some people suggest he doesn’t have a finishing kick in the 1500m? He takes a deep breath. “No, I think it’s just ignorance,” he says, before making an analogy worthy of Eric Cantona. “If you look out of the window, it’s white. You can see it snowing. But if you dive deeper, under the snow it’s grass. That’s how it is with performance. People draw conclusions on the factors that are actually visible.” At the 2023 World Athletics Championships he had a virus, he points out. While in Paris, he went off too fast and paid the price. The whole point of a race, he stresses, is to use your best strengths to win. “I just think it’s funny,” he says. “My worst fear is to start sprinting when people are already finished. I can’t imagine how stupid you must feel as an athlete if you’re actually starting to sprint when the race is over. You have to play your cards right, so that you can time your effort so that you are the first to the finish.”
This post was edited 4 minutes after it was posted.
Interesting that the article mentions that he "tore" his achilles in 2025. I wonder if that was an actual diagnosis or an assumption by the author. It certainly wasn't a full tear, but maybe a partial tear? In any event, Jakob says his achilles is very good now.
Interesting that the article mentions that he "tore" his achilles in 2025. I wonder if that was an actual diagnosis or an assumption by the author. It certainly wasn't a full tear, but maybe a partial tear? In any event, Jakob says his achilles is very good now.
Definitely wasn’t a tear, he wouldn’t be running at all currently if that was the case.
He’s back from Johannesburg pretty early. Usually he spends a week at altitude in January and then starts running faster sessions at sea level the next few weeks to prepare for the indoor season. Not sure what his plan is here or whether he is injured again, fingers crossed!
Anyways a very good read. These quotes are awesome and I’m sure some people will get mad: “Considering how good shape I was in at that Olympics, I think nine out of 10 times I would have won the 1500m,” he says. “And this was the 10th. If I had just done anything differently, I think I would’ve had a better outcome.” Still, at least he had redemption by destroying the field to win 5,000m gold a few days later, I tell him. He looks at me like I am mad. “No, no,” he interjects. “It definitely wasn’t a redemption, no. There’s really nothing that can outweigh the disappointment of the 1500m.” But does it annoy him when some people suggest he doesn’t have a finishing kick in the 1500m? He takes a deep breath. “No, I think it’s just ignorance,” he says, before making an analogy worthy of Eric Cantona. “If you look out of the window, it’s white. You can see it snowing. But if you dive deeper, under the snow it’s grass. That’s how it is with performance. People draw conclusions on the factors that are actually visible.” At the 2023 World Athletics Championships he had a virus, he points out. While in Paris, he went off too fast and paid the price. The whole point of a race, he stresses, is to use your best strengths to win. “I just think it’s funny,” he says. “My worst fear is to start sprinting when people are already finished. I can’t imagine how stupid you must feel as an athlete if you’re actually starting to sprint when the race is over. You have to play your cards right, so that you can time your effort so that you are the first to the finish.”
Have to agree with Jakob here, he’s just been extremely unlucky in global championships so far. Can’t wait for him to come back and destroy his competition at the European Championships and hopefully the Ultimate WC but WRs should be the #1 priority.
He’s back from Johannesburg pretty early. Usually he spends a week at altitude in January and then starts running faster sessions at sea level the next few weeks to prepare for the indoor season. Not sure what his plan is here or whether he is injured again, fingers crossed!
Anyways a very good read. These quotes are awesome and I’m sure some people will get mad: “Considering how good shape I was in at that Olympics, I think nine out of 10 times I would have won the 1500m,” he says. “And this was the 10th. If I had just done anything differently, I think I would’ve had a better outcome.” Still, at least he had redemption by destroying the field to win 5,000m gold a few days later, I tell him. He looks at me like I am mad. “No, no,” he interjects. “It definitely wasn’t a redemption, no. There’s really nothing that can outweigh the disappointment of the 1500m.” But does it annoy him when some people suggest he doesn’t have a finishing kick in the 1500m? He takes a deep breath. “No, I think it’s just ignorance,” he says, before making an analogy worthy of Eric Cantona. “If you look out of the window, it’s white. You can see it snowing. But if you dive deeper, under the snow it’s grass. That’s how it is with performance. People draw conclusions on the factors that are actually visible.” At the 2023 World Athletics Championships he had a virus, he points out. While in Paris, he went off too fast and paid the price. The whole point of a race, he stresses, is to use your best strengths to win. “I just think it’s funny,” he says. “My worst fear is to start sprinting when people are already finished. I can’t imagine how stupid you must feel as an athlete if you’re actually starting to sprint when the race is over. You have to play your cards right, so that you can time your effort so that you are the first to the finish.”
Have to agree with Jakob here, he’s just been extremely unlucky in global championships so far. Can’t wait for him to come back and destroy his competition at the European Championships and hopefully the Ultimate WC but WRs should be the #1 priority.
HAHAHAHA unlucky??? UNLUCKY???? Hahaha. I’m a huge fan of Jakob, and I think he is - or will be when all is said and done - the greatest 5000m runner in history. But the 1500m is super competitive in this era and he just doesn’t have the fitness gap over his competitors in the 1500m like he does in the 5000m. It’s not like Cole Hocker just got lucky and ran 3:27… despite getting blocked, having to fade, then re-engage and sprint past Jakob to win.
In what world was Jakob winning there? In a completely perfectly paced race from the gun or if Nuguse for some reason decided to pace him?
Saying he wins 1/10 times in generous, I don't see many scenarios looking back where he would have won. If it were any slower, Hocker would beat him, if it were any faster someone would have to had paced him which is unrealistic.
Have to agree with Jakob here, he’s just been extremely unlucky in global championships so far. Can’t wait for him to come back and destroy his competition at the European Championships and hopefully the Ultimate WC but WRs should be the #1 priority.
HAHAHAHA unlucky??? UNLUCKY???? Hahaha. I’m a huge fan of Jakob, and I think he is - or will be when all is said and done - the greatest 5000m runner in history. But the 1500m is super competitive in this era and he just doesn’t have the fitness gap over his competitors in the 1500m like he does in the 5000m. It’s not like Cole Hocker just got lucky and ran 3:27… despite getting blocked, having to fade, then re-engage and sprint past Jakob to win.
Exactly. So he is unlucky to be in such a competitive era plus other things. We agree here.
“My worst fear is to start sprinting when people are already finished. I can’t imagine how stupid you must feel as an athlete if you’re actually starting to sprint when the race is over."
Jakob is awesome. That is one of my favorite quotes of all time.
Somehow brainstorming to herald the Dave Wottle race and use it as blueprint, I watched American middle distance runners do that for 40+ years.
I was an army officer and I remember my Professor of Military Science in college senior ROTC, a Major who was also a combat experienced Green Beret, and he told me that as an officer, a motto is always "What have you done Lately", meaning there is no resting on past accomplishments one should endeavor to always grow and improve to excel........ I guess there was a popular song with that title in the 80's.
With regard to the 1500/Mile Jakob can say all he wants, and the field will start to tune him out. He once seemed invincible but there are probably at least 5 runners who now think they can beat him in an outdoor championship level 1500m race.
He can't rest on Diamond League victories or even his Olympic victor, now 5 years ago. He needs to win the next one or stop bragging about it, because unless he does his competitors won't take him seriously. The 5K a different story, but in the 1500m he has to win and prove himself again!
In what world was Jakob winning there? In a completely perfectly paced race from the gun or if Nuguse for some reason decided to pace him?
Saying he wins 1/10 times in generous, I don't see many scenarios looking back where he would have won. If it were any slower, Hocker would beat him, if it were any faster someone would have to had paced him which is unrealistic.
If the first lap were any slower, Jakob would have blew Hocker apart on the last lap as Lausanne showed two weeks later.
There are probably 9-10 guys in the world right now who could beat him in any championship 1500m race. His “dominance” in the 5k is also on borrowed time when these 1500 guys start moving up the distance
Awesome article. However, if you are an avid Jakob follower like most of us, there isn't a lot of new things in there. We all know about this training, races, personality and cars etc.
But...the quotes are awesome. And good to know his achilles is healthy and he bought a farm lol.
This post was edited 26 seconds after it was posted.
“My worst fear is to start sprinting when people are already finished. I can’t imagine how stupid you must feel as an athlete if you’re actually starting to sprint when the race is over."
Jakob is awesome. That is one of my favorite quotes of all time.
Somehow brainstorming to herald the Dave Wottle race and use it as blueprint, I watched American middle distance runners do that for 40+ years.
It’s a cool quote but there’s more nuance than just two strategies:
sandbag
frontrun relentlessly
Being beholden to either one limits your potential long-term as the field gets more used to your tactics. And I thought Jakob was better than the nonsense opinion of the winner of the race is the guy who is less lactic or whatever. He of all people should know Gressier has some of the best 1500m speed of these 10,000m runners and is known for his last 100m kick.
Jakob is awesome. That is one of my favorite quotes of all time.
Somehow brainstorming to herald the Dave Wottle race and use it as blueprint, I watched American middle distance runners do that for 40+ years.
It’s a cool quote but there’s more nuance than just two strategies:
sandbag
frontrun relentlessly
Being beholden to either one limits your potential long-term as the field gets more used to your tactics. And I thought Jakob was better than the nonsense opinion of the winner of the race is the guy who is less lactic or whatever. He of all people should know Gressier has some of the best 1500m speed of these 10,000m runners and is known for his last 100m kick.
Your example doesn’t work because Gressier attributed his improved ability to endurance.
