KENENISA BEKELE TO RUN 2014 BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO MARATHON

official news from organizers!!

Awesome. Road trip!

Marcar wrote:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/chi-bekele-track-superstar-to-run-chicago-marathon-20140812-story.html

He says he's going for the course record.

Why not the WR? It's not like the WR is that much faster then the Chicago CR.

Still, the man obviously doesn't lack for ambition.

DontFeedTheTroll wrote:

Marcar wrote:http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/chi-bekele-track-superstar-to-run-chicago-marathon-20140812-story.html

He says he's going for the course record.

Why not the WR? It's not like the WR is that much faster then the Chicago CR.

Still, the man obviously doesn't lack for ambition.

Because unlike Track, marathon courses can differ in difficulty and in the grand scheme of things, the WR doesn't mean that was the best marathon ever ran.

The Berlin and Dubai courses make Chicago and Paris look like a hard courses, NYC is a difficult course, etc.

What American professionals are running Chicago this year?

CuriousGeorgey wrote:

What American professionals are running Chicago this year?

Does it even matter. The Kenyans/Ethiopians are the exciting part of the elite races. The Americans are just sort of whatever. They're non-factors unless Meb is there and its a slow/tactical pace.

Sorry just interested in the American field too.

You think Hasay could win women's race if not focusing on track?

KB can break 2:03 on a good day.

American in Distress wrote:

You think Hasay could win women's race if not focusing on track?

You should be a comedian. I think if Hasay went to Marathon right now, she could probably debut in around 2:28-2:30. She could maybe eventually get down to 2:25.

If she focuses on the track for 6-7 more years (after 2020 Olympics) then she'll probably debut around 2:25-2:26 and eventually contend for the American Record with experience.

!!!!

How can I get someone to write my autobiography?

He says he's going for the course record.

Just ask your friends next time they post their autobiography on their Facebook wall!

Bekele is easily a top five favorite runner for me. I can't wait to see him get into the 2:04s and hopefully 2:03s! What an astonishing athlete!

It's been an unusually cold chicago summer this year. Hope it stays cool in october. A hot one like in '07/'08/'10 is the only thing that could keep the Kennster from the CR.

yyy wrote:

KB can break 2:03 on a good day.

If a good day means Boston on Monday, April 18, 2011, I totally agree.

CuriousGeorgey wrote:

What American professionals are running Chicago this year?

Probably not that many as USA marathon championship is twin cities which is Oct 5.

A little off topic but someone on here wrote recently that Radcliffe's 2:15 was aided by favorable winds in London, i.e. happened to be tailwinds at the right moments of the race. Has this been quantified anywhere? Or is this claim just more anti-Paula ranting?