10000m Elimination Race

it would be interesting to see a race similar to the crit style in road cycling. basically run for 45 min, then after you pass the start/finish line, next lap is the last one. throw in the "primes" for winning a lap to keep it honest.

How about:

We take out the 800-1500 guys and replace them with worldwide distance guys instead, field is up to 30.

I actually see this splintering into several races within the race. Anybody who can handle it will immediately start running 13:20 pace and hold that until everybody else in the chase pack has been eliminated. I can see the chase pack getting super tactical, with guys like Symmonds and Centro just picking people off at the end of each lap because they hate to lose. Whoever said that Solomon makes it to 2400 meters is out of their mind- he's a 400/800 guy and will be among the first to go.

Finally, you're down to Rupp, Lagat, Derrick, Lomong, etc. all alone in the lead pack, and the pace starts to slow. A bunch of laps go by of jog and surge, until the final all-out mile to the finish line.

////????//// wrote:

We take out the 800-1500 guys and replace them with worldwide distance guys instead, field is up to 30.

What's the point of that? You need 26. It's 25 laps so you need 26 guys so you have one winner left.

The appropriate term for this type of race is "Devil Takes the Hindmost". We used to do them at the end of the season. Obviously, it is much more fun with a team with fairly equal abilities.

This is an interesting question. I think the 800-milers would actually do better than some thing. Essentially the back of the pack would be caught in a sprint down the home stretch every lap.

First lap would probably be around 53 for the pack - 27 then 26. One of the weaker distance runners would get knocked out.

Top 800 guys who can easily cruise a 52 lead it out, but they slow down immediately afterward. Next 200 is a lot slower, more like a 32, but then it heats up again as the back of the pack tries desparately to move up. and they run a 29 for a 1:53-4 800. The worst 800-ish runner, probably another distance guy, gets out, as a badly paced 1:54-5 is not easy for a 10Ker.

Lap 3 is where it starts getting interesting:

Now they slow down drastically because the 800 runners are getting tired. They're bound to run at least a 34 and a couple of them are dying off. But since at least a few are dying down, the rest of the pack is safe and gets to drop back. I'd say this lap is like a 70 for some, as multiple guys will drop that far back. HOWEVER: since other guys know they can run a 10k at 64-70 pace, they'll just keep at that pace and open up a lead, so the pack will string out.

From this point, Galen Rupp wins, as he can continue on 10k pace and there will always be guys who won't catch up. After all, since we dropped 2 distance runners in the first two laps, it will take at least until lap 7 to drop all the 800 runners, and then the milers start dropping, etc.

An American wins!!! Woohoo!! U.S.A!! U.S.A!!

This needs to happen. Would be ridiculously entertaining.

Puma did this for 5k:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rirBSmIdA00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQOwPORhHMk

The first thing that would cause problems is disputes as to who was actually last on each lap. There would need to be a photo finish and some quick decisions to actually tackle a guy who thinks he might have won the lean. Expect several Jon Drummond type temper tantrums with guys lying down in lane one and crying.

They used to do this at a meet near me in West Chester, PA but with a 5000 instead of 10. I think they switched it to a two mile last year, but it's a cool idea. It used to be sponsored by Puma, and they put this video of it up a few years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQOwPORhHMk

Why can't stuff like this actually happen? This would draw a much larger TV audience than any real running event assuming it was hyped up properly. The reason the general public doesn't like distance running is because it's boring, this completely eliminates that factor.

Merber wins, Wheating two, Jäger three, Will Leer fourth (based on best twitter and hair)

Centro would be a nearly impossible out in a race like this... only way to get out a savvy miler is for the top 10k guys to keep the pace honest which isn't going to happen in this format. Centro for the win, 10k in about 30 min.

The marathoners and 10k guys have no chance!

I'd expect the middle distance runners to set a fast early pace. Expect the first 400 in 54, the first 800 in 1:50 and the first 1600 in 3:52. The 10k guys and the marathoners have no chance. They get toasted early.

I think Rupp has the speed to survive the initial surge and if he does, he can hang on for the win.

suburbanxcore wrote:

They used to do this at a meet near me in West Chester, PA but with a 5000 instead of 10. I think they switched it to a two mile last year, but it's a cool idea. It used to be sponsored by Puma, and they put this video of it up a few years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQOwPORhHMk

Interesting video! It was double dec!

About like I expected:

* Hard early pace. The guy who lost was in a collision in the back of the pack

* A lot of runners cracked from the hard early pace and were strung out well behind the pack.

* Then the pace picked back up in the last few laps as the leaders fought for the win.

This makes me increasingly confident that the middle distance runners will win. They'll put on the initial surge, rest in the middle stages, and surge again.

I'm now going for Centro over Rupp.

I have been arguing for a long time that they need to do more cycling type strategies for track meets. Regular races have produced stale unappealing tactics for years that no one is interested in (See last week's woman's mile). I think an elimination race. There are a ton of different things you could do also: maybe eliminate every 4th lap in some races, Give points also for laps lead in another race. Also, you could do a race where you run an unknown number of laps (the gun would tell you when the last lap would be) anywhere from 1-2 miles. We need something to spice up some races. I love running, but regular sit and kick races are really boring.

My six wild cards would be picked to make the race the most interesting and add variety.

Webb, Fernandez, Jager, Puskedra, Trafeh, Leer

The first two people to go would be the runners without any raw speed. Then, I would say the 400/800 guys would run out of steam and go next. After that, it gets pretty difficult. This race would test strength more than anything, because the uneven pacing and strong start will make runners who normally keep a strong rhythm suffer. I think some 1500 runners could last awhile because of their strength, but some 5k runners may suffer. Here's what I have:

26. Hall (makes up some excuse about being injured/God)

25. Abdi

24. KD (because he's getting washed up)

23. Solomon (runs out of steam)

22. Jock

21. Vaughn (uneven pace gets wears him down and he loses a foot race to the line)

20. Meb (Loses a footrace to the milers)

19. Trafeh (drops out of his own accord)

At 3200, the real contenders have separated themselves while the milers sit and try to beat each other to the line.

18. Symmonds (thinks he's made it long enough)

17. Brown

16. Batty

15. Leer

14. Manzano

13. Bumbi (gets dropped from the pack and picked off by Centro)

12. Centro (starts lap in last place and can't make up the ground)

Now the race is real. Pace is pretty hot but not killer to the top guys.

11. Webb (immediately gets dropped when the race gets heated)

10. Fernandez (had a good run but can't hang on)

A group of guys get dropped and all take it easy and try to outkick each other when they realize they can't win.

9. Puskedra (can't outkick the others who got dropped)

8. Torrence (one of the faster guys to get dropped, but somehow still messes it up and loses a footrace)

7. Jager (had a good run, but can't take on Lomong's kick)

6. Lomong (last remaining runner of the dropped pack)

Only 5 remain in the lead pack.

5. Tegenkamp (getting old, runs out of steam here)

4. Ritz (can't hang on to the final 3)

3. Derrick (can't outkick Lagat or Rupp)

2. Lagat (gets outkicked by Rupp)

1. Rupp (easily has the most strength in the race)

Winning time is 28:40

didnt read all the thread so maybe it was suggested but why not replace the 800 guys with steeplers: jager, cabral, i dont know, mccadams?