Mid distance front running why is everyone so afraid??....

But remember Dave Wottle's 800 meter olympic gold medal which came from unleasing a monster kick in the final stretch of the race.

Loved that 1984 USOT 800. Paige was a heavy favorite but looked like he got surprised by the fact that Jones blasted out and had company from all the young guys -- Marshall was also still in college at the time -- and Paige was caught in the box created by the 3 guys who ended up 1-2-3.

I sure hope Krummenacker has called Jones, Wolhuter, and Cruz to pick their brains for tips on pulling off such successes in the 800 & 1500 not just in the same season, but in the same meet.

All that said, Rich Kenah did OK with his "late-kick-up-the-rail" thing.

2 words: Filbert Bayi

Yes, remember the late surges Paul Ereng would throw in to win all of his races. Remember how Gray got caught every single time when he led in Olympic finals and lost to people that were slower than him. Front running works best when you are clearly better than the other athletes but usually works as a sacrifice when all competitors are equal.

leading consumes 3% more energy.

16x wrote:

leading consumes 3% more energy.

where do you get that? is that just in wind resistance? i can't believe it's that much. besides, when you're in front you can run wherever you want and don't have to consume energy moving around for position.

Sureyya Ayhan surely doesn't have a problem with leading.

A coach told me once that you "usually" have only one shot at the lead in an 800. Maybe this is why people are afraid to go out hard. If they lose the lead then they won't get it back.

Paige was a pussy hound and the only box he got caught in was the one between two flabby legs the night before. Last I heard he was still "chasing" the mommas that were at Duke for the rice diet.

I often think that the '84 U.S. trials changed the event forever ... prior to that, guys like Paige, Whottle - and dare I say Ovett - could get by at major championships running 1:45s off of very average opening 400s.

Jones blew the event to pieces, running sub-1:44 like a 400m man who thought he was on a 200m track...he had the courage to run from the front and the speed to hold off any challengers at the end.

I'm convinced that this was race that pushed the event from the 800m run to the 800m dash, opening it up for the pure speed burners like Gray, Everett and David Mack et. al. (in the U.S. at least)

Truly one of the great 800m races of all time: 1:43.92 and you don't make the U.S. team.

(Best of all time would be, for me, Atlanta '96, when 1:42.85 got Tellez no better than fourth!)

Martin

maybe you're just referring to americans but if not, ot lekote from botswana at U of South Carolina definitely carries on the front running tradition in 800m. last year's NCAA 800m champ. it didn't work too well for him this year. but I think we'll see a lot more of him in athens.

Why is running smart, even splits considered whimpy?

I'm just a high school sophomore but I know what you mean. I hate when races go out really slow just because people are too scared to lead. I usually go out hard and lead if I have to, I've had a couple good races ding that but I have also had a couple bad races too. At league finals this year in the 1600 everyone went out really slow because they were all too scared to lead, I lead the first lap and came through in 75, 4 seconds slower than th JV race and 1 second slower than the girls. Just after the lap the 1, 2 guys from cross pulled up right by my side and started cutting the pace. The next lap was 71 and everyone was still pretty relaxed. On the third I tried really pushing the pace down again but didn't have enough to get a gap so they just hung on to me and let me take them through the 3rd lap in 69. After that they really started battling but I gave it all I had ad stuck with them until 200 to go when they went into another gear and I was already going all out. They ended up running 62 and 63 on the last lap while I ran 66 and got 3rd. It sucked because to qualify for section prelims you have to get 1st or 2nd, or 3rd and run 4:40.1. I ended up runnnig 4:40.6 but I could have probably gone about 4:35 pretty easily if the race had gone out harder. Then a couple hours later the same thing happened in the 3200. It went out in 79 and I knew couldn't beat 2 of the guys, so I needn't to bring the pace down so I could get 3rd and hit the at-large time of 10:20.

On the second lap I took off and ran a 72 hoping the others would follow but they didn't so I decided to lead one more an maybe they would come after me now. I ended up running about 2:24 for th 2,3 laps and then blowing up. I still had enough left to hit the at-large time but this time I got 4th istead of the needed third.

I have to agree on the ALLTIME ...Atlanta response.I had a great seat for this one after someone traded me my finish line ticket for a 'SKYBOX' one..

I was in 7th heaven watching this race unfold.

Here's my question to you...Kipketer in the race how does it unfold.Does Rodal wait for Kipketer to move 1st....??absolutely fabulous race though...greatest 800 nfinish of them all...

I truly believe the 800 changed in 84'although Juantorena did help back in the 70's....I often debate with others that it was a 2 turn stagger back then and it favoured the Cuban.They swung over after 300 and something...he ran the 1st lap in his lane like a 400 runner...

I raced him once...the guy bounced all over the track..you had trouble passin once we came over to the rail..

Initially I was responding to an earlier thread when I started this thread.My objective was to expand on a point about Jonathon Johnson's front running last week @Nats.

Rather then ruin the thread which was about Krum I decided to focus on USA's 800m running style these days....from the rear.

However I am open to suggestions on non US runners.You may have noticed I mentioned Cruz and Koech both non Americans who studied in the USA who forced the Oly 800 in 84.

Back to 03

Lekote's style is balls to the wall...no fear..!!When healthy I think he'll be fine...Yes he leaves himself vulnerable...put he has to be in it to win it...this yr NOT the Lekote of ole...

hey... study up on coe there, buddy.

Your point??

Heres a statistic to think about. Out of, say the 15 fastest 800 metre times in history, how many of them came with the winner passing someone in the last 200. I only saw the 96 final twice (albeit 6 years apart) so im not sure when Rodahl hit the lead (about 130-140 to go???) But other than that, I cant think of many races where soemone has outkicked another to a really fast time. Im thinking of Kipketer, Cruz, Coe, Bucher, Kosgei, who when they ran their mega-fast times did it by taking over from the pace from at least 550 out.

Im not really making a point here, just was bored.

Runswizzle wrote:

Johnny Gray in his hey day...would solo his BEST races.I once watched him solo 1:42....ouch...!!

Sorry, but that just ain't possible. None of Johnny's 1:42's were won by more than a second. So none of them were really "solo".