Is this the greatest Men's Field in NYC Marathon History?

Beat ya to it.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4277416

2:03:02 does NOT speak for itself. Please add an asterisk.

I agree however with your overall assessment. Stellar field. Both Mutais are IMHO about the same level. My bet would be one of those two blows up, I just don't know which one.

As I have expressed before, these guys know they have to go for broke if they want to go to London and conditions permitting I see a new CR.

Nutella1 wrote:

2:03:02 does NOT speak for itself. Please add an asterisk.

Yes it does. It gave him a Boston Marathon victory where he beat this years Chicago champion and defending NY champion in the fastest time ever in a marathon. It speaks for itself.

I bet Meb will win again thanks to the new superior footwear he gets from Skechers.

haha YO wrote:

Nutella1 wrote:

2:03:02 does NOT speak for itself. Please add an asterisk.

Yes it does. It gave him a Boston Marathon victory where he beat this years Chicago champion and defending NY champion in the fastest time ever in a marathon. It speaks for itself.

Well then, why did you just speak for it? -- "...he beat this years Chicago champion and defending NY champion in the fastest time ever in a marathon."

moses kipsiro for the win.

beginners luck is real ask gebremariam, zatopek etc.

Just this morning 10 guys broke 2:07 in Germany in one race. A Kenyan won in 2:03. I love the NYC Marathon but they have no where near the depth I would like to see.

Nutella1 wrote:

2:03:02 does NOT speak for itself. Please add an asterisk.

I agree, it does NOT speak for itself, it needs an asterisk.

dkandersen wrote:

Just this morning 10 guys broke 2:07 in Germany in one race. A Kenyan won in 2:03. I love the NYC Marathon but they have no where near the depth I would like to see.

I don't think you are using the best logic. You have to take into account the course. NYC is a slow course (tough course, whatever you want to call it). You will not see 10 people break 2:07, you probably won't see 1 person break 2:07, that doesn't mean that the field isn't stacked. Look at lifetime PR's and the accomplishments of the athletes in the field.

can't judge on time wrote:

you probably won't see 1 person break 2:07

I think you will. Sunday can't come soon enough.

dkandersen wrote:

Just this morning 10 guys broke 2:07 in Germany in one race. A Kenyan won in 2:03. I love the NYC Marathon but they have no where near the depth I would like to see.

6 guys, not 10.

can't judge on time wrote:

dkandersen wrote:

Just this morning 10 guys broke 2:07 in Germany in one race. A Kenyan won in 2:03. I love the NYC Marathon but they have no where near the depth I would like to see.

I don't think you are using the best logic. You have to take into account the course. NYC is a slow course (tough course, whatever you want to call it). You will not see 10 people break 2:07, you probably won't see 1 person break 2:07, that doesn't mean that the field isn't stacked. Look at lifetime PR's and the accomplishments of the athletes in the field.

I think the problem is that many posters are like (or are) uninformed fans. They don't "get" racing, on a tough course, as opposed to a fast course. Sometimes, time really isn't an indicator. Racing ability is. Those 2:03 guys might not win a medal in the Olympics. I doubt that will happen this time, but you get my point. NYC is a slower, tougher course.

Ironically, for all you newbies out there, Boston was once considered a tougher course because of the downhill start which pounded your quads and the uphills at such a tough point in the race.

look at the womens bio's. its pretty deep. too. Im gonna get beat by a bunch of women

runn wrote:

Ironically, for all you newbies out there, Boston was once considered a tougher course because of the downhill start which pounded your quads and the uphills at such a tough point in the race.

It still is. 99/100 times you don't have 25mph wind in your back and then Boston is a lot harder than Frankfurt, Berlin, Rotterdam, Paris, London,...

2:03:02 is legit.

Without the wind he was still 2:04:00 or better

(and yes, I ran that day so I know exactly what the wind was like - I ran 10 minutes slower than the previous year despite better preparation, so the wind wasn't the be-all-end-all)

makes it easy wrote:

(and yes, I ran that day so I know exactly what the wind was like - I ran 10 minutes slower than the previous year despite better preparation, so the wind wasn't the be-all-end-all)

Big difference if you're an average runner or a pro. As an average runner the downhill already destroys your quads and with the hurricane in your back you run even faster on the downhill. Then you have to pay for it.

But the pros, running 140mpw they can handle a little bit harder pounding due to faster pace.

I just got online today and saw Kipsang's 2:03.

Immediately I thought of this thread. I don't have many impressions of Kipsang. I didn't realize how good he was until yesterday. Mutai I was impressed with all winter because of his XC exploits, Kebede has been phenomenal and I thought Gebremariam was impressive winning last year. But what I realized after Kipsang's run is maybe I'm giving the guys I'm familiar with maybe too much credit. Nonetheless it is a great field.

The sport has to get beyond "some Kenyan ran 2:03 today". Maybe what NY does it make sure it gets guys who have a little bit of familiarity with the more hard core fans.

wejo wrote:

I don't have many impressions of Kipsang. I didn't realize how good he was until yesterday.

Having run 58:59, only 5 men ran a faster half Marathon than him. He ran 4 Marathons and won 3 of them. He never finished outside the podium.

But yeah, I have to admit, first time I heard about him was last year when he won Frankfurt in 2:04.

If you are a "hardcore fan", then you not only know the top dogs but the up coming ones too.

The Kenyan turnover is phenomenal, as more and more head straight for the marathon, where the money is at.

If you follow some of the half marathons around the world, you can see who is about to make it big.