Predictions for Khalid's next two years?

I'm a Khalid fan, however, I don't like his chances in Athens. He is great on drag race courses like London and Chicago but we know what happened in Edmonton.

My predictions:

2003 - lots of shorter road stuff, medals in Paris at World Champs marathon (off a slow, tactical pace)

2004 - wins Trials easily in his slowest time ever (2:11), DNF at Athens, garners big payday with "redemption" WR race in Chicago.

2003:

London wins in another 2:05 & change

no marathon at world championships, if anything the 10000m, but doubt it.

Chicago wins in yet another 2:05

plus a handful of his usual "sub par" 1:02 halfs

2004:

Trials marathon, easy 2:10 win

Olympics um...40th...heat stroke

Just because he ran poorly ONCE on a more difficult course does not mean that he is incapable of handling the hills. Take the San Blas Half Marathon, for instance. He has won that how many times (3?), and that race is run on a fairly difficult course. I think he is perfectly capable of winning Athens, though I agree that it will not be a pretty race. If you saw Khalid after Edmonton, you would know how frustrating that loss was for him. All good runners learn from their losses, and I am sure he will be ready next time.

Personally, I'd love to see him go to Paris in the 10,000. It would be great to see him put up a 27:10 and put our track boys in their place. (The 'thon really blunted his speed, eh?)

i'm not sure of the answer, but it will be interesting to see how fans of running will respond. not necessarily in the short term, of course--because everyone will be on his ass for sure if he chokes--but in the long term. how will he be remembered? it seems like records don't hold up like medals do in the minds of "historicists".

The marathon often defies all attempts at prediction.

Give up now.

Fortis Bank and Jos Hermans have challenged Khalid to run for $300000 in cash at the 2003 Fortis Marathon Rotterdam against Haile G. Sandra and Jos are working on the finishing touches for the appearance fee. Actually, the word is that Khalid will not run the marathon in Paris. I'd like to see him run the 10000m, but I'll need to really work on him to do it. If he does run 10km, he will be good for a fall marathon, most likely NYC. Rotterdam and NYC, and not London and Chicago for 2003 with the 10km in Paris. That's how it's looking for now. I'll tell you after our next e-mail or phone call

Great value-added stuff...thanks, "joseba." I'm happy to say that it would not be a sure thing for K.K. to make the US 10k team for WCA in Paris (happy because incumbents Keflezighi, Culpepper, and Abdirahman are not pushovers, not even for Khannouchi, and I like the gathering depth my home team has in the event).

The OG course won't scare that guy, not the way he typically runs at San Blas Half.

NYC Marathon? That would be great. I and a lot of other NYers would love to see him in his hometown marathon any time.

Back in1988-1992 Khalid trained with Morocco's finest for 5-10km-cross. The Moroccan federation which controls the sport discourages developing marathoners(they're so bizarre), but with KK and el Mouaziz, the base will grow. I think that if Khalid focused on his short speed work, he could be a major force on the track at 10km, among the best. He hasn't run a track event since 1993, event though he and Sandra in 1995 were still thinking of developing him as a Golden League/World Cross/World 1/2 athlete at 5-10-cross; then they did the math and decided on big marathons. I do belive that at Rotterdam Khalid could break 2:05. If anyone can, it's the man from Meknes. He's inspired many young Moroccans who have largely been less interested in track and field/running than other mountainous African states. Go Khalid