CAM LEVINS vs CHRIS DERRICK - who wins at world XC?

With a fit Bairu running, and good runs from Cam, Mo, and Kelly Wiebe, that would be a good race. With Bairu out, that changes the picture drastically.

Derrick all the way.

Ok. A correction and my thoughts on the race:

Rojo has admiited he was wrong. Rono the Kenyan champ has not run 26:55. He's run 28:53. He has run a 1:00:58 half.

Geoffrey Kirui is the 26:55 guy on the team.

On paper the Kenyan team is not that strong by Kenyan standards. The 2nd strongest team in the meet, but nothing incredible. You could argue they still beat Ethiopia.

Josea Macharinyang has the most experience for Kenya with 6, 4, 11, 9, 10 in 5 world xcs. He ran 13:09 way back in 2007.

Top 10 is where I'm drawing the line for a good performance in this field individually. Top 5 is more like the old top 10.

No Moroccan team, no Bahrain team, no Qatar team.

The US could get third in the team competition. Uganda is the most likely candidate for 3rd off past results. Eritrea, Algeria usually do well, but on paper the US team stacks up well at 5k versus everyone except Kenya and Ethiopia.

3rd place is wide open and 1 and 2 don't look as strong as usual. Should be interesting with the weather. A few guys screw up for some of the favorites and who knows what happens.

Bhuiop wrote:

I predict Team Canada beats Team USA

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With Bairu they might have, but Canada's 4th runner is a little weak

bump

Canada will not come close. USA was very good. Derrick ahead of Leavens. Leavins didn't look good.

george oscar bluth wrote:

I'm sticking to my prediction.

Both Derrick and Levins in top 10 (I give the nod to Derrick).

Ethiopia wins the team title.

No Kenyans in top 10 individually (I will most probably lose on that one)

I will give my counter prediction that Derrick and Levins will not both be in the top 10 and there will be at least 2 Kenyans in the top 10.

Agreed that Ethiopia wins and Derrick beats Levins.[/quote]

Derrick over Levins - I was right

Derrick and Levins in top 10. I was right for Derrick and it's a disappointment for Levins ( he certainly had the credentials for a top 10, he was beaten by runners that are/should be inferior to him)

Ethiopia wins team title - I was right

No Kenyans in top 10 - well there was only one (but he ended winning)

Side note: I had mentioned that True had an outside chance at top 10 - well he did it...

No Kenya cannot bring its D or E team and expect to win the team title. Even the US' B team is better than Kenya's E team.

The answer is... Ben True.

Derrick easily over Levins. 10th vs. 41st.

Levins only 3rd Canadian.

Looks like 150+ miles a week gets you third best Canadian. Good run by Derrick.

I had heard from athletics illustrated that Levins was sick heading into the race so that might have affected him. This looked like something short-term was wrong with him and it caught up to him today. I also don't know what happened with Wiebe as he looked quite off as well. The so called 4th guy from Canada was actually their 2nd this afternoon (33rd). Ahmed ran a gutsy race, but did race like your typical HS kid this afternoon and outside the top-20 as a result.

GREAT run from the USA guys this afternoon, I was shocked to see Vail and Mack place top-20 (would have thought Canada would have had 3 ahead of these 2). With this run, Ben True might want to reconsider his career on the track and move onto the roads and trails. Solid run by Derrick as well

Race of a lifetime run by Birmingham this afternoon

BALLSY Run by Merga as well as he got smoked by these same teammates at their own trials. Canova, guess the Ethiopian treatment ensured he could get back to that level without doping (suspect doctors to be discussed in the other thread).

Bjkbkjbkjbkuh wrote:

george oscar bluth wrote:

I'm sticking to my prediction.

Both Derrick and Levins in top 10 (I give the nod to Derrick).

Ethiopia wins the team title.

No Kenyans in top 10 individually (I will most probably lose on that one)

I will give my counter prediction that Derrick and Levins will not both be in the top 10 and there will be at least 2 Kenyans in the top 10.

Agreed that Ethiopia wins and Derrick beats Levins.

Derrick over Levins - I was right

Derrick and Levins in top 10. I was right for Derrick and it's a disappointment for Levins ( he certainly had the credentials for a top 10, he was beaten by runners that are/should be inferior to him)

Ethiopia wins team title - I was right

No Kenyans in top 10 - well there was only one (but he ended winning)

Side note: I had mentioned that True had an outside chance at top 10 - well he did it...

No Kenya cannot bring its D or E team and expect to win the team title. Even the US' B team is better than Kenya's E team.[/quote]

Well I was right about all of mine except for 2 Kenyans being in the top 10 - missed that one by 6 seconds.

Well I was right about all of mine except for 2 Kenyans being in the top 10 - missed that one by 6 seconds.

...but you do agree that given the very weak field, Levins certainly had the credentials to achieve a top 10. But you are/were right, he did not in fact achieve it. I don't think that anybody would have predicted him only being the 3rd fastest Canadian today. He really underperformed.

The credentials maybe, but not the form. He hasn't had any performance lately to make me think he is capable of that. A 2 mile on the track and a 11.?k in the snow on hills isn't comparable.

Wow, looks like you are eating your words now.

rupp-certified saladbar wrote:

Utah Spy wrote:

I have this outside feeling that Leavins might really blow one out here. I'm saying "top 8"

He's been consistent and very high mileage (averaging 150 - 200). Yet he ran a good 2 mile indoor race :

1 Bernard Lagat Nike 8:09.49

2 Andrew Bumbalough Nike 8:13.02

3 Cam Levins Nike 8:14.69

4 Evan Jager Nike 8:14.95

It was his only indoor race and was running it through high mileage. A little taper and sharpening might make him very strong this weekend.

Correct.

You heard it here second.

Anyone predicting Derrick over Levins is deluded. The last time they raced was a blow-out in Levins's favor, and Levins has shown far more upside.

Also, Derrick may be vulnerable to American Distance Runner Syndrome and lose gonads in the race Ritz-style, coming >60th. Levins has shown he has the sack to roll with anyone on earth.

800m Coach wrote:

Canada will not come close. USA was very good. Derrick ahead of Leavens. Leavins didn't look good.

Is it Levins, Leavens, or Leavins? Jesus Christ ... his name is written in the Thread Subject! It's not enough that you spelled it wrong, you have to spell it wrong two ways in one line.

Whoops! wrote:

800m Coach wrote:

Canada will not come close. USA was very good. Derrick ahead of Leavens. Leavins didn't look good.

Is it Levins, Leavens, or Leavins? Jesus Christ ... his name is written in the Thread Subject! It's not enough that you spelled it wrong, you have to spell it wrong two ways in one line.

Indeed. I'm guessing '800 Coach' had to go through school with a learning disability. Poor guy.

What a throwback thread. Rojo was spittin some facts in here! Derrick annihilated Levins in this race