WITHROW PROVES AMERICA'S 5K FUTURE IS BRIGHT

a mile and 2 mile PR mean nothing. he was apprently hurt most of last spring and ran those PR's as a soph.

There are probably at least 100 Kenyan 18 year old kids who could run Withrow into the ground in that race. When he runs the last 400m of a 5K in around 50 seconds flat like Chebii, then you can start talking about bright future.

That's the point. Who cares what his mile and twomile PR's are? He handled that race quite fine without all the fanfare of someone like Wagner or Deak.

The Oracle wrote:

For all the nay-sayers, explain to me this: how could Withrow win nationals in a kick when his mile PR is so slow? His two mile time isn't that fantastic, either. How did he do it?!?

Because Americans suck balls in running, that's how.

Kiptoo couldn't beat him, and he was pretty nasty when he was back in Kenya.

Let's not get carried away with how much better the Kenyans are. Sure, their top runners are amazing, but Ritz was third in the world for junior athletes in cross.

Certainly there weren't 100 Kenyans ahead of him there.

Plus, Kipchoge's mile PR is slower than El G's, but he outkicked him. All I'm saying is that Withrow's performance proves a good point.

not only was withrow hurt as a jr, but kiptoo was hurt during nationals. more than likely withrow would have pr on the under side of 4:15. more than likely a healthy kiptoo would have wupped him in the last 250 meters.

Withrow's mile PR is only slow because he hasn't really run one in about a year and a half. You're making a point that's groundless, and even pointless.

oracle, You post this thread as if withrow ran that 4:26 when he was in the best shape of his life an thats all he could come up with. What you dont understand is if he was to run a mile this saterday he would break off a 4:05 right now. Withrow ran a mile race out of shape and coming back from injury. The 4:26 was not what he was capable of it the time he ran out of shape.

hahhahaahha wrote:

There are probably at least 100 Kenyan 18 year old kids who could run Withrow into the ground in that race. When he runs the last 400m of a 5K in around 50 seconds flat like Chebii, then you can start talking about bright future.

They're probably aren't 100 18 yr. old Kenyans who could beat Withrow. There are no doubt 100 guys in their 20's, like Kiptoo, who claim to be teens, who could beat Withrow. And there are drug loaded guys at the top, who avoid scrutiny, because they're E. African, and because they know behind the scenes jockeying will get them off like Lagat.

You're just sore because old man Kiptoo lost to a teenager.

Argh, you people are driving me nuts.

First of all, Kiptoo isn't the only guy with faster mile times than Withrow. Rupp has run a 4:09, Deak a 4:08, Stanley a 4:05... the list goes on and on.

I KNOW Withrow was injured last spring. I KNOW he could run a lot faster for the mile and the two mile. What I am saying is that you don't need to have incredible mile PR's to run a fast 5k. For instance, he didn't have to have run a 4:10 mile in track to be able to dust Rupp and Kiptoo in the final stretch. He was strong enough to hold on for 3 miles and kick off of that pace. Maybe he couldn't beat Kiptoo in a 400, but he was strong enough to run a faster 400 after 3 hard miles. This proves that strength rules over raw speed in the 5k.

I don't think this is too complex a concept. The reason I bring it up is because people are always saying, "Ritz will never be world class with only a 3:41 as a 1500 PR" or "Hall would outkick Ritz because his 1500 PR is a lot better". Speed isn't the key factor in a 5k, it's strength. If you have 50.5 400 speed, but you can close in a 52, you can kick with anyone in the world.

Does this make sense? I know the thought that Americans might be a threat in distance events in the near future is scary for some people, but it's reality, baby!

hall and ritz makes a lot of sense and i agree.

The problem is the top africans are aerobic freaks one way or another, not just big kickers. You don't run 12:39 26:22 and sub 2:05 with a kick alone!

But I agree that the kick isn't our biggest problem, its being in position to use one.(I know easier said that done)