After reading several accounts of Paula Radcliffe's brilliant Commonwealth 5000m win I would like to put forth that the Golden League events no longer employ the use of rabbits. I believe that the dependence upon pacesetters has robbed us of the excitement of racing. Back in the day, it was not at all uncommon for a Ron Clarke or a Craig Virgin to be forced to go it alone. The bravery and intensity of such running is magical and inspiring in a way that can rarely exist in today?s forum. It is one thing to for someone like Hicham El Guerrouj to hang on to his rabbits before blasting away like the tip of a Saturn V rocket. It would be quite different were he to be forced to race the other entrants from the start line, week in and week out, unaware of what the pace will be or who might lead, etc. I still believe that Mr. El Guerrouj would probably be victorious in the majority of these showdowns, however it would sure seem more interesting. Was Haile Gebrselassie?s 2000 Olympic victory over Paul Tergat not one of the most exciting races of all time? There were no designated pacesetters in that one and yet the struggle of competition produced some of the fastest times of the year, in one of the most thrilling finishes ever.
So to sum up, let's get back to racing one runner against another. Times may possibly be a bit slower on average, but in terms of excitement I do not believe that we would lose anything.