Meb Keflezighi Challenges Usain Bolt to a Race

Also, LOL at people thinking Meb can only run a 4:20 mile. That's literally slower than his 10k PR pace.

No way Bolt even knows who Meb is.

den bosch wrote:

Also, LOL at people thinking Meb can only run a 4:20 mile. That's literally slower than his 10k PR pace.

But how many years ago did Meb run his 10k PR?

you guys are all idiots. bolt can beat rudisha in the 400 so usain bolt can at least go under 1:47 in the 800m. can meb do that? hell to the no. i'd say 1200m is the most even

I agree with Jogger's World:

http://news.runnersworld.com/2012/11/09/meb-wants-to-race-usain-bolt/

800 meters usually favors distance guys slightly, but it's not like Meb is a 5k guy, so 800 might be fair. I think most people are underestimating how fast both Meb and Bolt would be at 800. They wouldn't be anywhere near world class, but they would still be fast.

Half Marathon

Father Time Remains Undefeated wrote:

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den bosch wrote:

Also, LOL at people thinking Meb can only run a 4:20 mile. That's literally slower than his 10k PR pace.

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But how many years ago did Meb run his 10k PR?

Do you really think his 10ks have slowed that much in the last 10 years when his marathon times haven't? Didn't he drop like a 4:34 mile at/near the end of NYC when he won?

Bolt is too lazy and shiftless to run more than 30 seconds.

D.C. runner wrote:

Then at 800, Meb in like 1:58?

I hope this is a joke. Meb is a lot faster than that. You seriously think Meb could not beat Caster Semenya?

The gentleman's thoughts here make sense to me, and my thoughts would come out of thin air as well. I might only add this: my guess is Bolt would wither badly after around 600 meters, and I think what we tend to forget is that as spectacular as Bolt is, he really couldn't build up that much of a lead after, say, 200 meters.I'd guess in a 200 meter race, bolt could not finish more than three seconds in front of Meb-- forever in a sprint, of course, but that distance would quickly evaporate when Bolt tied up after 600 meters. On the other hand, if the distance was, say 800 meters, bolt would have the advantage of following Meb and waiting for the kick. And of course, I speculate based on the fitness today. If Bolt were serious about it and trained for the distance for a month, there's no telling. Of course, he would never do that. Fun thread. To another poster: don't trash Meb. If ever an athlete deserved to cash in at the end of his career, it's Meb.

Mexican Magic wrote:

What gives Meb the right to challenge Bolt?

Im afraid Meb is a media whore who wants to scrape every cent he can before he retires. Leave this sort of race to David Rudisha or Mo Farah men who actuallt have Olympic gold medals.

I am in agreement here and I'd take it a step further, does everyone really want to see some shitty 800 or 1k even if it has two people that are world class at other distances? would watching two guys run in the high 1:50's or whatever really be worth the trouble?

Obviously Rudisha V. Bolt is the ultimate matchup they could do it at 400 meters where both could probably run sub 45, I'd bet on Bolt but at least they'd run a world class time. In fact this is very possible and it might happen in a Diamond League 400 with Bolt experimenting with moving up and Rudisha taking getting in some speed work.

I think it would be cool to see both: a) the longest distance Bolt still thinks he could win; and b) the shortest Meb thinks he could win.

I wonder how far apart they would be.

Also agree that it should either be one of the currently fastest marathoners... but since it was Meb's idea, he'll do.

Mo Farah would be cool in the same type of showdown with Bolt... especially with both of their recent Olympic performances.

D.C. runner wrote:

someone had to do it wrote: there is no way meb wins for 600m

I agree. Conservatively let's put Bolt at 1:21-1:24 in the 600. I'd put Meb a few seconds back.

Then at 800, Meb in like 1:58? 1:57? He's so not trained for it- and Bolt in 2:00-2:05. At 15:00 Meb would crush it, 3:50-3:55 versus 4:10-4:15. Maybe Bolt is even slower than that, I don't think we'll ever find out.

Obviously these numbers came out of thin air and have no possible justification besides my intuition.

Yes, they DO come out of thin air. Think of it this way... a high school runner that can't make it out of his high school district race runs 1:57-58...and you are comparing him to arguably the best marathon runner that currently competes for the U.S.A.

GET IT??

Before you raise age as a relevant factor, remember that Meb has given some of his best performances in the last several years. With a good 3-4 weeks of speed training, you would be an idiot to assume he can't hit the 1:53-1:55 range.

Just to put it in perspective, if you plug his times into a calculator like McMillan's, his marathon time produces a 1:43 800m equivalent. In other words, I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. Thoughts?

Meb wins the 400 on a 26-mile rolling start

RRRR wrote:

Just to put it in perspective, if you plug his times into a calculator like McMillan's, his marathon time produces a 1:43 800m equivalent. In other words, I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. Thoughts?

Fun with McMillan:

Bolt's 9.58 (9.6) in McMillan gives a 1:50:17 marathon.

Also:

400m - 40.0

800m - 1:27.8

Mile - 3:14.8

5000 - 11:19

10k - 23:30

Half - 52:24

I don't know if it has been mentioned yet, too lazy to read all the answers, but developing aerobic capacity takes a very long time. Anaerobic capacity to its maximum, just a few weeks.

Nerves and muscles start reacting very quickly to sprint drills. I can bet that Meb probably does do alactic strides, so his sprint form and turnover might be pretty decent.

Anything that is more aerobic in nature favours Meb. 800m and beyond is Meb's race and maybe event 600....

Without consulting with Vetolin, I think 750 meters would be the perfect match race distance. We could have Rupp run the full 800 and Rudisa run 850 and I'd pay to watch.

Mexican Magic wrote:

What gives Meb the right to challenge Bolt?

Im afraid Meb is a media whore who wants to scrape every cent he can before he retires. Leave this sort of race to David Rudisha or Mo Farah men who actuallt have Olympic gold medals.

To Mexican Magic: You don't think Usain is a media whore, too?

Come on now.

Bolt would go out too hard for the first lap cus it would feel so slow, maybe run 53-54, with Meb a couple seconds back around 55 or 56. Bolt would start rigging from 400 to 600 while Meb rapidly closes the gap and decisively takes the lead just before 200. He would gap Bolt in the next 75 meters, then Bolt would come back ever so slightly on the home stretch but realize he is coming up short with 50 meters to go and let up. Meb wins in 1:54.1 with Bolt finishing in 1:55.7.

Bolt is pissed and 10 minute later challenges Meb to a 100, where he runs 9.8 just to show that he can.