Frickin' WCSN didn't work last night, and I'm trying to figure out WTF happened to Meb. I searched results on the London Marathon site, and can't find him (and yes, I spell checked his name!). As mentioned on other threads, I'm totally flabbergasted that so many elites seemed to have completely dropped the ball by mile 17 -- it's not like they're lacking experience! But I had higher hopes for Meb... so what the heck happened? Did the blister get the best of him? Did he even finish???
What happened is that the OT marathon doesn't offer any appearance money beyond what every sub2:20 qualifier gets.
He was right in the pack running fine, then fell off big time in a mater of 1/2 mile and dropped out. much like KK, Geb, Baldini, and almost all the other americans. Nothing was said for reasons.
The marathon is cruel that way. A warm day under an overhead sun amplifies all imperfections.
You mean that they ALL just bit it at the same time? This seems...improbable at best. No explanation AT ALL? No "the humidity and heat got the best of me," or the Kastor-esque "stomach cramps," or the frickin' golf ball sized blister? Of course with the marathon, anything can happen, but seriously, if that many world class guys lose it all at the same time, I've gotta think that there's something else going on.
What do you think it is?
WCSN didn't offer any clues. At the time Meb disappeared they were focusing on the women's top finishers. When they came back to the men he was long gone.
The only thing that I can think of is that at some point, the second lead pack realized that they weren't going to catch the first, and that none of them individually had the juice to drop the others. They were holding on, hoping either that the first pack would slow down or that the hangers-on in the second pack would fall away. When neither of those two things happened, and it became obvious that none of them was going to make the podium, they gave up on the tactical race and just let it go. (The theory on another thread was that they figured it was pointless to punish their bodies for a substandard finish, so they walked it in so that they could recover faster and start training again sooner.)
Boston Query wrote:
You mean that they ALL just bit it at the same time? This seems...improbable at best.
Take the tinfoil hat off. Your fetid imagination is getting the best of you. They didn't all bite it at the same time.
Boston Query wrote:The theory on another thread was that they figured it was pointless to punish their bodies for a substandard finish, so they walked it in so that they could recover faster and start training again sooner.
That's not a theory, that's the way it is. Only yahoos slog their way to the finish. In spite of that the "tough guys" think, finishing is dumb.
I emphatically second that -- there will be another marathon day, no need to cause major setback in training, especially in a pre-Olympic year, when avoiding injury is a major factor in what gets you on the team.
He had a blister and dropped out around 10 miles, according to the New York Times.
Why would the heat bother Meb? It was a lot hotter at the Olympics.
Meb forced to drop out of London Marathon at mile 16 with foot/achilles pain
Meb forced to drop out of London Marathon at mile 16 with foot/achilles pain
Post-London Podcast Interview with Meb Keflezighi