Simon Bairu sub-2:11 in Houston?

Has he ever finished a marathon?

Things are looking good. He ran the Miami half well too. Here he talks about his marathon prep:

http://athleticsillustrated.com/editorial/simon-bairu-chasing-the-olympic-standard-in-houston/

I would love to see Bairu and fagan work together to achieve their respective qualifying times, with Bairu going sub 2:11 and fagan not too far back (slowing down to avoid a repeat of 2011 Chicago marathon outcome).

Olympic hope wrote:

I would love to see Bairu and fagan work together to achieve their respective qualifying times, with Bairu going sub 2:11 and fagan not too far back (slowing down to avoid a repeat of 2011 Chicago marathon outcome).

You can actually bet on whether Simon will get the sub 2:11 and the Olympic spot at CharityBets.

Full disclosure - CharityBets is an advertising partner of ours. But I saw this thread and thought it would make sense to send people to the following page:

or

With the bets, money goes to charity win or lose. More just goes if he does it.

I believe he just needs sub-2:11:30, no?

For the Olympics, he also needs to watch the other guys. Two Canadians have hit the A standard so far and there are others that will race in spring that should be close (Dylan Wykes especially). So there's actually a surprisingly competitive field to make that team.

He won't make that team.

When are we shutting the door on attempts to be considered for the team?

Agent.Orange13 wrote:

For the Olympics, he also needs to watch the other guys. Two Canadians have hit the A standard so far and there are others that will race in spring that should be close (Dylan Wykes especially). So there's actually a surprisingly competitive field to make that team.

Olympic hope wrote:

I would love to see Bairu and fagan work together to achieve their respective qualifying times, with Bairu going sub 2:11 and fagan not too far back (slowing down to avoid a repeat of 2011 Chicago marathon outcome).

It'd be good to see both of these guys pop a good one.

Er...,

Sept 1st, 2010 - Apr 22nd,2012

Can Nuck wrote:

I believe he just needs sub-2:11:30, no?

No, sub-2:11:29.

There appears to be only one standard for each sex.

2:29:55 - F

2:11:29 - M

You have to be top-three in the country too.

What I find confusing is the repeat performance criteria. If you achieve the A+ standard (in ALL events) you do not have to repeat, but the 2:29:55 and 2:11:29 standards are not listed as A+ standards, they are listed as A standard-level.

Regardless whatever Athletics Canada is doing, must be working, as there might be five male marathoners to meet qualification standards and only three able to go.

I thought one of the Athletics Canada documents said that there is no repeat performance requirement for the marathon. I could be mis-remembering, though. Reid had to hit the IAAF standard of 2:15 in 2011 because his 2:11:23 was in the fall of 2010 (STWM) and the IAAF qualifying window didn't open until January 2011. So Athletics Canada's qualifying window is larger, but their standard is harder to hit. They accepted Reid's 2010 race for selection purposes, but they have to abide by the IAAF qualifying window, hence Reid's "repeat performance."

It will be interesting to see what happens. If Simon and Dylan both hit standard, then Eric will have to run Rotterdam or something else around that time with Rob. Unless either Dylan or Simon runs 2:11:28, because then Eric is still ahead. But if Simon doesn't hit standard, does Eric take a chance that Rob or Dylan won't hit it and just start getting ready for the Olympics? Rob's an outside shot, but that's still a shot.

Maybe Simon misses standard, and Eric decides that Rob's not a threat and stops training with him, but Eric and Reid still train together and Rob feels really left out and he gets really depressed and starts drinking heavily every day and this causes him to not hit standard. But then he returns to the steeplechase bent on making a comeback and ends up beating Alex Genest out of a spot on the team and the two have a huge falling out over it. It would be like a soap opera - 'thons of Our Lives.

What if Eric tries the 10,000 and Osaduik pops out of nowhere and Wykes and Watson DO INDEED run the qualifying time? Wasn't there one other person around Oz's speed? I know that is a stretch, BUT WHAT IF?

THEN WHAT?

It is all very exciting. Now if the women could do this, Dayna? WHAT IF PIDHORESKY DOES IT?

THEN WHAT?

By the way, I might save your post to go in an article...ha ha.

I would say that he has a decent chance. I know that Jerry was clueless as to what it takes in the marathon when his athletes all ran their debuts in NY in 2010, but he seems like a smart guy and I am sure he has changed his ways.

Sounds like an excerpt from leblogdurob

Ooh, maybe Dylan and Simon both miss out on standard, but Rob makes it. Then Dylan and Simon drop down to the 10k, but Osaduik and Levins and Ahmed all end up running standard, so now it's looking bad for someone. But Cam decides to do the 5k and runs a national record, with Mo right behind him.

Meanwhile on the women's front, Dayna throws down a 2:25 out of nowhere, but Megan Brown outkicks her for the win! What neither of them realizes is that Karen Harvey can't let her status as top female Canadian marathoner go unchallenged, so she has been getting into shape for something big. Two days later she runs a 2:22 to show the young'uns how it's done. This is combined with Sully making a comeback on a whim to take the 10k title in a shocking upset.

I think I need a hobby.

He might, but I wouldn't put money on it.

Eric doesn't run the 10k.