NCAA XC Kennedy Kithuka ran a great race but Rono was faster.... Twice!! Sorry Mike.

NCAA Cross Country 10,000 meters

'76 NCAA's -1) Henry Rono(WSU) 28:06.60

Holy Moly. That's fast!

Rono was a Monster!!!!!!

Was that an accurate course? The results seem too fast all around. Full results from 1976:

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/NCAA_XC_PDFs/1976-men.pdf

Look at Herb Lindsay in 4th - that's what, 30 seconds off his all time PR?

Azaleas wrote:

Was that an accurate course? The results seem too fast all around. Full results from 1976:

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/NCAA_XC_PDFs/1976-men.pdf

Look at Herb Lindsay in 4th - that's what, 30 seconds off his all time PR?

Sammy Kimobwa broke the WR in the 10,000m later on that season.

Its silly to compare times from different courses and weather conditions. From what I saw from the video Saturday it was a fast course on a perfect day but had some rolling hills. When Rono ran 28:06 he was a 27:20 track 10k runner on a hard dry flat course with tremendous competition that took it out hard. I heard guys who say they were in 100th place going through the first mile in 4:40. It sounds more like a road race.

Kithuka ran the first "Ronoesque" NCAA race since though. Bayez from EMU and the race in Terra Haute between Rupp and Chelanga were great but no other NCAA Cross Champ in the last 33 years was close to what I saw in Kithuka last Saturday.

Look at the names in those results from 1976! There were some absolute legends in that race.

Azaleas wrote:

Was that an accurate course? The results seem too fast all around. Full results from 1976:

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/NCAA_XC_PDFs/1976-men.pdf

Look at Herb Lindsay in 4th - that's what, 30 seconds off his all time PR?

In 1976 I was mistaken. Rono was not yet a 27:20 runner but as was mentioned he beat the next world record holder by 10 seconds in this race. You will never see a runner like Rono again in the NCAA's. The first unbelievable phenom in the modern era. Kithuka would have to run 26:50 this year all alone at the NCAA outdoor 10k to put him in the Henry Rono category.

Rono's splits from '76:

1M 4:17, 2M 8:40, 3M 13:20 / Under 13:50 for 5000m.

4M 18:00 Flat, 5M 22:37.

Kennedy Kithuka some splits:

1M 4:32, 2M 8:57, 5M 22:38.

Kithuka got close to Rono at 5M!

That 8k split for Kithuka seems off. I thought for sure after hearing that he would run 28:00. Must have been a hard point on the course that last mile.

Kimobwa wrote:

Rono's splits from '76:

1M 4:17, 2M 8:40, 3M 13:20 / Under 13:50 for 5000m.

4M 18:00 Flat, 5M 22:37.

Kennedy Kithuka some splits:

1M 4:32, 2M 8:57, 5M 22:38.

Kithuka got close to Rono at 5M!

Also noteworthy:

Chasing Rono in ’76...

8th place was John Treacy (Providence) in 28:34.

Rono “77

1) Henry Rono (WSU) .........28:33.5 (1M 4:40, 2M 9:24

2) John Treacy (Providence) ...28:51.0

A few monthes later, John Treacy wins the world cross country title.

The 21-year-old Providence College Senior, becomes the youngest ever (then).

When you are comparing with Rono, that is an extreme complement. He was a monster - he still holds the 3000SC record, his 5000 was pretty serious, and how many collegians are setting four WRs, with one (?) in a dual meet?

Comparing times in xc is f*cking ludicrous. especially on different courses you absolute lunatics.

2002 world xc Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 34:52 min

2003 world xc Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 35:56 min

This nonsense needs to stop.