Why Radcliffe's performance should give Americans hope

Pansies....all of you. This is what I tell you.

This is the first time since the early 90's (Kempainen, Spence, Eyestone, Brantley, etc.) that we've had ANY hope of a medal at a championship race. Not as favorites, but at least a possible dark horse in a championship race. It's not likely that Culpepper or Browne will emerge as world beaters, but at least it gives us something positive to talk about.

Look at Paula's early career too. She wasn't very good as a teenager. I think it took her a few tries to qualify for her Regional XC champs in high school and she was a mid packer. If we can keep enough young people interested in the sport me might just uncover a rough diamond a la Paula too.

Kids need to know that they don't need to be Alan Webb in high school to be a successful athlete. Paula is a great example.

She won the world junior XC championship. and you run that when you're a teenager. Pretty damn good if you ask me.

I like point number 2.

The rest are lacking.

It hasn't been said but implied...white person wins...Americans have a chance....fail to recognize that Americans come in different colors....but I may be reading too much into this thread...

Maybe she's just a genetic freak?

I would be cautious with the 4th statement. Paula is obvious a very strong, very gifted, very versatile athlete. Khalid, on the other hand, is an exceptional marathoner whose sucess seems to be more limited in range. People are different, and many of us do not have (whatever it is) that allows Paula to succeed over such a large range of events. I could go into much more detail, but I think you get the point. I am not going to tell you what you will or will not do, but this is worth thinking about if you want to tackle XC, track, and the marathon.

Look at some of the best Americans from the past: Rodgers, Salazar, Moore, Shorter, etc. All of them used track races as building blocks for the marathon. These new guys seem to be doing the same thing. You actually can have it both ways, it's been proven.

Looking ahead a couple years, Ritzenhein or Torres, guys who are incredibly gifted aerobically but not fast enough to outkick anyone on the international level, why should they wait until they're past their prime to start marathoning?

Todd Williams is a perfect example. Supremely gifted aerobically, probably couldn't break 54 for a 400. Beat his head against a wall for about eight years, trying to beat the Kenyans. Worked his ass off for little international success. By the time that he started running marathons, his best days were behind him AND he was probably somewhat burned out. If Culpepper could run 2:09 looking EASY in his debut, what could Williams have done in, say, 1995.

I brought up the money issue specifically with guys with Kennedy and Williams in mind. Being the "best American" anything is worth a pretty good chunk of change. Winning the U.S. Championship by 100 meters looks a lot better to shoe companies than finishing 5th at Boston or NYC and, oh by the way, look who was the first American. Williams could have run Boston every year before going to Europe, but he must have felt it was too much of a risk. It's a shame, because his time passed about five years ago.

Kennedy's case is even better, even though he hasn't set out to tackle the marathon...He took on the Africans, ran low 7:30 and sub-13 for the 5k. Yet, he refused to move up to the 10k. Kennedy was talking about a 10k since before the 96 Olympics. Since then, he's done one early season 10k (27:40 or so) and dropped out of the 10k when Meb set the AR. In all, if you count the Stanford race he dropped out of, our 5k AR holder, has in his whole career ATTEMPED ONE 10k. Every now and then he talks about how he wants the 10k record and has made some comments about the marathon. The reason I bring this up is that while it seems that Williams made some attempt at the marathon, Kennedy has been happy to be the 5k champ. Nothing wrong with that, but he could have been a great marathoner. I think it could have been his best event. The guy had no speed but a great training ethic and a good solid foundation. To top it off, he had great support from Nike and the Kim group. This guy could have retired as the 5k, 10k AR holder and one of the fastest American marathoners (I don't think anyone would say he could get KK's AR.)I'm a Kennedy fan and thinks he has really done a great job elevating distance running in the US, but HE IS A CLASSIC CASE OF AN AMERICAN WAITING UNTIL THEY ARE PAST THEIR PRIME TO GO CHASE SOMETHING.The time to go for the 10k AR was 95-97. After that the 26.2 beast.

Steve Holman is another good example. He seemed perfectly suited for 5K. He had enough leg speed (is there any other kind?) to contend in tactical 5K races. But there's too much money is being the #1 American.

What people don't realize (or choose to ignore) is that there are only two ways to medal in championship races: outpace them or outkick them. If you can't run under 3:30 or 51 off of a slow pace, you will NEVER medal in a major championship. Never! So decide what you want. Is it enough to take the safe route and be the best or one of the best in your own country? Or will you take a chance and try to win something for your country?

As SJM said, not to take anything away from what Kennedy, Williams, etc. did for U.S. running, but we should learn from their mistakes.

Truth,

I think Kennedy believed he could be the best in the world in the 5k so thats what he trained for cause thats what he wanted. What the hell is wrong with that? He came up a short but he went after what he wanted.

What the hell was wrong with that? Well it was delusional thinking, that's what.

I think guys forget sometimes who they're competing against. They wait until they're older to move up, because that's what Americans do. But how old are most of the top marathoners? 23-27. If you're starting at 27, it's too late.

I doubt that it is true that most Americans move up too late. Others did well starting late at the marathon. As long as you are still running as good(or better) at 5-10k past 30 there can't be any rush to move up. Jones was 28 before he attempted one and Lopes was 36. Both were running personal bests at 10k those years. Spedding and Treacy were 27 and 31 with their best track days behind them. Enough with the over the hill 30 year old crap about Kennedy and Williams. Burned out and injured maybe, but that isn't always an age issue. The same thing might happen if they had just tried marathons through their "peak" years. I would be willing to bet that Williams and Kennedy would have been the same type of runner at the Marathon. Top ten but not the best.

You're missing the point. Without a kick, you have no chance. None. Williams never could have outkicked Geb, Hissou, or any of the Kenyans. The Kenyans that he could have outkicked were running the marathon!

You either have to outrun them or outkick them. If you can't do either, you move up or you have no chance.

Yes, and Williams or Kennedy couldn't run away from nor outkick the Kenyans(or Ethiopians) in the Marathon. I really couldn't see either coming out ahead of Abera in the WC race.

Neither ran so much as a 1/2 marathon during their prime years.

I agree with the statement Americans wait to long to move up in distances and stay in events that the become staginate in. The level of runners are at much higher standard then ever and in the age where some 5000m men can

run 3:32 for 1500m our elite runners should really rethink

their goals and their specialized events. The goal shouldn't be to be No. 1 American, instead it should be a medal threat or at the very least COMPETITIVE in major events. The fact of the matter is most forgeiners are at/NEAR prime around 21-26 years old, yet we have few athletes who can compete internationally at that age. There are a few young Americans I feel that are in their BEST event Jorge 5000/10000, Dan 5000/10000, Mosie Joseph 800 (should include 1500m), Trinty Gray 800m, Ricky Harris 400m/400h, Steve Slattery ST, Brad Hauser 10000m/Marathon.

For the most part our Americans wait too long or never move up to the event they would be international competitive at ie Regina Jacobs 5000m, Suvy Hamilton 5000m, Bob Kennedy 10000m, Marc Davis 10000m, Adam Goucher 10000m, Steve Holman 5000m, Jim Spivey 5000m, etc.

I know several individuals will disagree with me but Alan Webb could very well run 1:43.5 and 3:27.9 by end of his career and that wouldn't be good enough to medal in the 2008 Oly and beyond. Alan have shown he have great endurance and would be a medal threat in any 5k final with

2-3 years of training. He would have the neccessary speed to kick with or outkick most 5000m men and would only need to work on his endurance. I hope he prove me wrong and excell internationally in the 1500m.

Vipam