I've always been huge on XC, and think it helps the trackster & roadster more than most think.
I hope Ritz uses his newfound world ability, to beat the best at XC World's. Maybe a senior level repeat of his 3rd place junior race?? Don't forget: His XC ability has usually been better than his track ability and I want to see how he does in his (maybe still) best sport. Maybe we have a WC?? Not much crazier than 12:56 for a "no speed" marathoner.
He will be hard-pressed to beat Bekele (prolly the all-time best CC runner) or Tadasse (who beat Bekele in 2007), but maybe he could get top-5 or 3?
Would be sweet to see.
It would be great if both Al and Jerry's groups would focus on world cross next year. They could also use their Nike might to get Meb and Abdi involved too and see if they could make it on the podium as a team.
What would be the incentive to run?
Dude, Nike doesn't give a crap about world cross.
Ritz could have been a great XC runner mixing it up with the best at the WCCC, but IMO it is way too late for him now, and his focus is elsewhere, on the track and the roads.
If he wanted to run 26:30 and 2:04/5 then yes, running World Cross would be great preparation, besides standing on it's own merits. Where are all the great African runners coming from that come out of nowhere? Oh yeah, they ran WCCC.
I've been saying this for this past year. World Cross Country championship is the best measure of who the greatest runners are, because the highest percentage of the world's best from 1500 up to marathon participate in one race. It's awesome. If the U.S. wants to get serious about becoming internationally competitive, they really need to start focusing on this race.
Ritz, Rupp, Meb, Abdi, Webb, Fernandez. Nevermind the individual championship, this looks like a contender for first place team to me.
Fastnbulbous wrote:
I've been saying this for this past year. World Cross Country championship is the best measure of who the greatest runners are, because the highest percentage of the world's best from 1500 up to marathon participate in one race.
This was true 15 years ago, but not anymore. The world's best marathon runners don't enter world cross. They run the Lisbon Half (or City-Pier-City or Alphen 20-K, or Berlin Half) then the London or Boston Marathons.
That in no way shape or form would be the makeup of our best possible team. For starters take Fernandez out of there.
Fastnbulbous wrote:
Ritz, Rupp, Meb, Abdi, Webb, Fernandez. Nevermind the individual championship, this looks like a contender for first place team to me.
Just a thought here wrote:
That in no way shape or form would be the makeup of our best possible team. For starters take Fernandez out of there.
Looks more like half a thought. To be fair, I'm expecting Fernandez to make another level of improvement by next Spring, and there are a couple others who could also fill that spot at this point. So who would you put in there?
He would get wasted in that race. The whole 3rd in the juniors thing seems to fool a lot of people, and now the 12:56 seems to have gone to more heads. Don't get me wrong - he beat everyone who showed up at world juniors and he beat all but one who showed up in Zurich and the clock does not lie, but world XC is a different beast. He'd do very well to crack the top 15 there.
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Correct answer
IF Ritz can consistently break 13 now - that is he can crack 13 even when he isn't running his best - THEN he has a legitimate chance at finishing in the top 10 at world cross. That's how tough that race is. There are no Americans capable of an individual medal right now. Sorry, there just aren't. The guys on the podium are sub 26:45 12:50 types. And to whomever said the US might have a first place team I say this: hahahahahahahahaha. I assume you were trying to be funny.
Goucher was 6th and his PR is 13:10.
So what are you talking about? If you learned anything from Dathan's run the other day, it's that PRs aren't as cut and dry as some people may think. This is especially true out on the grass.
Fastnbulbous wrote:
So who would you put in there?
tegenkamp... 5th at world juniors in 2001.
new perspective wrote:
Goucher was 6th and his PR is 13:10.
So what are you talking about? If you learned anything from Dathan's run the other day, it's that PRs aren't as cut and dry as some people may think. This is especially true out on the grass.
Impressive performance by Goucher that day, but it was the 4k when there were two races, so the fields were diluted. Not the same as placing in the top 10 with just one race.
By the way, I'm not saying Ritz couldn't place in the top 10 with a performance similar to his AR 5k, just pointing out that Goucher's race cannot be compared to having one race to crown the cross world champ.
In the jv race, which no longer exists.
new perspective wrote:
Goucher was 6th and his PR is 13:10.
So what are you talking about? If you learned anything from Dathan's run the other day, it's that PRs aren't as cut and dry as some people may think. This is especially true out on the grass.
With no major championships next year for USA distance runners, that is 1 reason why they should once and for all put an effort into World XC.
USA distance runners just don't seem to get it - Bekele and others who consistanly beat the USA's best at the track championships run WXC.
NOW - 2010 - is the time to get all the best USA distance runners to get out of thier comfort zone and step to the line of World Cross.
With the IAAF making WXC every other year after this year the next WXC will be in 2012 - the Oly year and no chance that that USA's top will run WXC
COME ON GUYS AND GALS LETS PUT OUR BEST XC TEAMS TOGETHER FOR POLAND!
It's bitness. If XC doesn't pay, then why should Ritz waste his time. He could get injured. Better to run maras, RRs, and TV meets that pay upfront.
Actually, I agree that WXC is valuable and that US distance runners would do well to take it seriously. I think that we could well put together a team that wins bronze. That is a realistic goal and would be very very cool.