Arturo Casado of Spain was amazing in the 1500 meter final of the European Championships. I have seen this amazing kick of Spanish middle distance runners for the last several years. What can we learn from Spain when it comes to middle distance running? I know they are very high on hill repeats and strength work. Is this why they finish so strong? Why do the Spanish middle distance runners finish so fast?
Steve Jameson wrote:
Arturo Casado of Spain was amazing in the 1500 meter final of the European Championships. I have seen this amazing kick of Spanish middle distance runners for the last several years. What can we learn from Spain when it comes to middle distance running? I know they are very high on hill repeats and strength work. Is this why they finish so strong? Why do the Spanish middle distance runners finish so fast?
When you say "we" who do you mean?
To be honest what Casado did wasn't very special at all. He just looked good because the rest of the current Europeans are pretty weak. He probably won't be in the top 8 at next year's Worlds.
Gonzales and Cacho had good kicks, but often their peers (Coe/Cram and Morceli) had better kicks.
Casado ran a c. 51.7 and c. 38.7 last lap and 300m in a 3:42.
In a faster 3:41, Cram ran 50.9 and 37.8 in Stuttgart 86
I believe the OP wants to know what the Spanish do that makes them so fast at the end. By the way, since he posted it, a Spanish woman won the 1500 meters with a nice kick as the Spanish women took 1st and 3rd place. The fact that the contrarian poster can point to a one or two guys that have finished faster than Casado, Cacho, and Gonzales doesnt amount to a hill of beans. The bottom line is that the Spaniards know how to finish, and they finish very very well. I don\'t know the answer to your question but it is indeed a good one. What do the Spanish middle distance runners do that is unique? I would like to know also.
Spain is very strong in the middle distances. They don't talk big, and haven't won any medals yet, but they have some very solid runners from a country much smaller than the USA. I would really like to hear about Spanish training methods. Perhaps Renato Canova knows something?
Don't forget...
Juan Carlos Higuero 4th in 2008 Olympic 1500m
Aelemayehu Bezabeh 11th in the 5k (beat Teg, almost got Lagat)
Jesús España last in the 5k final but at least made it there (more than Ian Dobson can say), later got 10th in WCs and beat Solinski there.
Also Sergio Sanchez 7:32