El- Guerrouj- DO SOMETHING ELSE BESIDES RUNNING THE FREAKIN 1500!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is his job...he makes lots of $$$$...why change it up...

He is the best runner at the second best event(after the 100). Why run anything else? Maybe they should eliminate the 800, steeple and 5000 to make the 1500 even more competitive.

If all track meets had only the 100,400 and 1500 then the competition would be fierce. Throw in the relays for extra excitement and you got a track meet that people can watch.

Ok, hold up there cowboy. Did you just suggest that the 100m is the best running event? I can't say for sure which one is, but I can tell you right now that the 100m is not even in the conversation. All it takes is explosive power. The 800, 1500 and 5000 take great speed, and endurance to be good at. You also suggested eliminating the 5000 and 10,000? I mean no disrespect to the mentally disabled when I say this: Are you retarded??????????

He means in terms of what people want to watch, at least in America.

He didn't say it's the most grueling, it's just the most glamorous these days. Even you can't argue with that.

Long ago no one said "Lets race three and three quarters times around this field". They said, "I race you to that tree".

Your event chooses you, not the other way around. You run the 1500 because you weren't competitive "racing to that tree"

The purpose of the Olympic Games is to determine the fastest man in the world. All other events are an afterthought.

My Goodness,

Why should he run anything else BUT the 1500/1m.

It may be boring to you, but there will come a time when people like us will be on this very board asking who the greatest ever at that distance was...ElG makes the answer pretty obvious, with his consistency and his longevity.

Its not easy being at the top. His time at the 3000m/5000m is still coming. Be patient and enjoy.

K

He should run the 800m more. He may not win them but they will help his 1500m.

Last I checked, El G wishes to double in the 1500 and 5000 in the near future. Go running and quit worrying about El G's business.

All it takes is explosive power for the 100? Why doesn't El Guerrouj just work on that and he can be known as the fastest man in the world?

As for the 5000 and 10,000: Ok keep the 10 but still eliminate the 5. But, start the 10K on the road like the marathon and have it finish on the track. Start it 25 minutes before the completion of the 100 and shut the door to the stadium after 30 minutes (from the start) so you can get on with the next track event. Maybe start the women 5 minutes before the men and have the men close on them. The steeplers and 5K guys can move up or down. I love the 800 since it is like a horse race but I think they can add interest to the 400 or more likely the 1500. While I'm changing things, I would have the 400 runners do a 1 turn stagger and battle for position for the home stretch. The 100 is just fine the way it is.

(Actually, I wouldn't change anything but I think that this format would be more fun to watch)

By the way, XCpotential, I am not retarded. I'm just a little slow. That's why people move up in events.

I agree with this thread Hicham have proven his one of

the best 1500m/Mile guys to ever breath air and should

try other distances. The goal of most elite athletes are to

be considered the best athlete in the world. Hicham have

considerably talent and could run either the 800m and 1500m

or 1500 and 5000m and be very successful; however, he

continue to be a one event wonder. There are many athletes

who talent limited them to performing well in one event and

wish they could venture to others, yet Hicham who can-WON'T. The ploy about him moving up to 5000m is just that a ploy.

Any athlete who serious about moving up in distance will not

do so in a upcoming MAJOR season. Everyone who believes he

will move up next year, just wait and see HE WON"T. Hicham knows he can run 5000m extremely well; however, he is not

that good to challenge the Kenyans, Ethopians, and other

great 5000m man without plenty of experience. 2003 Hicham

will still be in the 1500m with an excuse not to venture

into new territory, thereby, cancelling him out as a GREAT

DISTANCE MAN and merely a EXCELLENT 1500m man. I am a Hicham fan; however, I and many others am tired of him saying he will run the 5000m and don't.

Vipam

I totally agree. Hicham is starting to make these races seem boring and predictable.

A foray into 800, 3000 or even 5000 would be interesting but perhaps humbling for him.

Remember, he does hold the 2nd fastest time ever at 3000 meters, (7:23 at Brussels, 1999).

Still, there is nothing like watching Hicham run, live in person. I have seen him run live twice, Brussels 2000 and 2001, and he appears to float effortlessly around the oval at sub-55 seconds a lap. If he comes back to the USA for the Pre Meet next year, do yourself a flavor and go to the meet, or even just go to Europe to one of the meets there and check it out. You WILL be inspired.

The mystery to me is not that he should run in another event but why his competitors just hand him the victory in every meet. Why doesn't someone show some balls and go out ahead of the rabbit or at least right behind the rabbit and then slowdown after one lap and make El G go around, then speed up for 30 sec. to make him run wide for a while, anything to upset his rhythm. The following is from Middle Distance Running, by Percy Cerutty, page 67:

"As we see it in mile running, most fall into line and run with the same stride and tempo as the leader. The athlete who can canstantly vary this stride and tempo will thus prove so disconcerting to his conmpetitors that he can 'worry' them out of the race."

As I see it El G has no worry no one to upset his precious rhythm. Where are the tough hard nose competitors that will do anything to win. I don't mean out and out foul him but a little bump or shove now and then would probably have El G crying after the race.

Of course I know why no one does that, they will be banished from the Golden League circuit.

he will run 5000m in athens.

Lycurgus

Honestly that is a great idea. The problem is no other

1500m runner has enough guts to try and alter the course

of the race. The simply fact that Hicham's most famous

quote was from an interview. The question was what

do you think about when you are racing and his reply, "Yes,

I often when I run who coming in second and third."

There are runners who could challenge Hicham-Noah Ngeny 1:44-800m speed and 7:30-3000m strength, Benard Lagat, William Chichir, and two Spainards. The outcome of the

1500m is scripted, until someone decides they won't play

by Hicham rules (Maybe that someone is Cornelius Chichir or

David Krummenaker). They both are under 3:31.9 and capable

of improving 2- 3 1/2 seconds with more experience in a year.

Vipam

Noah Ngeny is the champion. Last olympic gold. He is probably off sailing or something right now.

El G, has no olympic gold.

vipam,

u have to see my other post replied to you, the pix future.

there i picked lagat n ngeny.

lagat ran 3:26 b4 and ngeny ran 3:28. ngeny is 19+ yr old now.

XCpotential wrote:

Ok, hold up there cowboy. Did you just suggest that the 100m is the best running event? I can't say for sure which one is, but I can tell you right now that the 100m is not even in the conversation. All it takes is explosive power. The 800, 1500 and 5000 take great speed, and endurance to be good at. You also suggested eliminating the 5000 and 10,000? I mean no disrespect to the mentally disabled when I say this: Are you retarded??????????

While questioning XCpotential's post you leave room for the rest of the board to question you the same way.

How can the 100m NOT be in the conversation as to what the best event is?

It is the race to see who is the fastest person. Not who can run a certain distance the fastest but who is the single fastest person in the world. How can that NOT be in the conversation?

Scooter wrote:

start the 10K on the road like the marathon and have it finish on the track.

Start the 100 with 25 runners lined up across the track and no blocks. Just say "ready" and fire the gun.

No time outs for nose or ass picking allowed.

Then we'll find out who the fastest man in the world is.

Whoops, can't find that out unless you put Paula Radcliffe in the middle of them since she wants to be a man anyway.