We're comparing these two guys because one of them won the USATF Champs 5k and the other one set the 5k AR. Ritzenhein alluded to the hopes of trying to beat Bekele at 5k in the future, which obviously tells you that he's not done with the 5k, which means that he and Tegenkamp are going to have to duke it out for 12.5 laps again. Probably multiple times before their done with their running careers.
Bored Out of My Mind wrote:
Yeah I "even realize" that. I also realize that in a sub-13:00 race, Ritz was at one point closing to within about 2.2 seconds of Bekele. I don't recall Teg doing that.
This entire thread is completely ridiculous anyway. Teg runs one race, the 5000 (with the occasional 3000). Ritz marathons and 10,000s and in his first serious 50000 in a very long time (I'm not counting Toronto as "serious"), he pulls this off.
Why are we even comparing these two guys anyway?
To the original poster, the fact that Tegenkamp may have quicker leg turnover doesn't necessarily mean he's a better 5k runner. I would say Tegenkamp has done better in tactical races because he had the leg turnover to cover certain moves and finish fast, but to be honest, after Ritzenhein's last 2 races, I'm not as sure that Tegenkamp's turnover is still better than Ritzenhein's. Ritzenhein's last coach hardly ever had him race anything shorter than 5k, and the one time he did he ran 8:11 for 2 miles, the same time Webb and Goucher ran. Tegenkamp owns it now at 8:07. I think Ritzenhein could probably run 3:35-3:37 right now, but it would still be interesting to see Teg and Ritz duke out a 1500m or 3k together. Hopefully they'll both enter a fast 3k or 5k before the end of their season.
I think we could have 5 American runners under 13 minutes in the next year or two: Lagat, Ritzenhein, Tegenkamp, Rupp, and Webb.
it's input- not imput.
and anytime anyone ends their post with 'you heard it here first' it's begging to be drowned into the background wash of 'you heard it here first'-threads whos only hope it seems is to follow up with the 'i told you so'-thread.
If Tegenkamp is the better 5k runner, then he'll have to prove it. The last time Tegenkamp beat Ritzenhein at 5k was 2007. It's almost 2010. Times are changing.