BEKELE WILL RUN 2:02!

My thought exactly. Will be lucky if he is to 41K by then.

Star wrote:

He'll run 2:02.

But he won't be finished the marathon at that point.

The other guy! wrote:

Runthemhillsboy wrote:

Humidity will be 73, mombasa in 2007 world cross was 80. This conditions are not conducive for a 2:02

Kenny seems to like it:

Kenenisa Bekele

‏@KenenisaBekele

nice weather

Link:

https://twitter.com/KenenisaBekele/status/267664955870937089

Haha! Love the background pic on his twitter main page.

Him, Farah and Geb after he won that HM.

Farah looks like "What the fukc just happned?!"

Not a big fan of cockiness, but Bekeles brand I like.

Remember, Bekele never lost a competitive Marathon race.

NEVER.

I never lost a competitive marathon race either.

NEVER

Anyways, the nice weather tweet is from 2012

The safe bet is to always bet against a WR, because it rarely happens. *YAWN* Bekele of course doesn't lack confidence. His goal in his first marathon was a WR, even though no one has ever run close to the WR in Paris. He didn't get it, but he won.

Chicago has two WRs in its record books. I think there's a decent chance for Bekele to get it. I'd say as long as the weather stays agreeable and his competition is up for the pace through at least 20 miles, he'll at least get the course record, and at best break the WR with as fast as 2:02:45. Would that seal his status as GOAT over Geb?

I predict a 2:05:57 for Bekele and 2:06:05 for Kipchoge. If weather is 100% perfect chop 1.5-2 minutes off those times

Bekele is a dirty little cheat. Zero out of competition testing in Ethiopia. Too much testing if you run track. Why do you think he is now in the Marathon. Can make a living out of racing a couple of times a year and the rest of the time can dope in Addis without any risk of being caught.

Bekele ran consistent 2:02s for his 5k WR...

BOOOOOOM TROLLLLLLLED

Flat Stanley wrote:

Bekele is a dirty little cheat. Zero out of competition testing in Ethiopia.

In his defense there is also zero testing in Kenya (at least until recently). So it is a level playing field.

Runthemhillsboy wrote:

Humidity will be 73, temperature will be 55 high, 12 miles per hour wind

Runthemhillsboy wrote:

Humidity is what destroys runners during marathons

NO. You realize the relative humidity in Berlin was the SAME as what you just listed?

The DEW POINT (actual amount of energy in the air) is what destroys runners during marathons. Chicago will be fine, actually one of the best in recent years.

Flat Stanley wrote:

Bekele is a dirty little cheat. Zero out of competition testing in Ethiopia. Too much testing if you run track. Why do you think he is now in the Marathon. Can make a living out of racing a couple of times a year and the rest of the time can dope in Addis without any risk of being caught.

How sad your life must be...

Chicago has three negatives making it slightly slower than Berlin:

More hills, more tight corners, more wind. A 2:03 anything at Chicago is damned impressive as shown last year. No WR for KB.

It's nice that Bekele's loyal fans think he can do anything. For a long time, he could!

Do they really think he can run under 2:03? If everything goes great for him, I could see him breaking 2:04 perhaps.

Kipchoge, I believe, will win the race. He's more experienced over the marathon. He beat Mo Farah in a fast 2 mile indoors in 2012, he's still capable of running 12:50 with the right training cycle. Bekele can't do that anymore, he tried in 2012.

Sorry Kenny B fans, your man will finish 2nd in Chicago.

Humid air is less resistant.

Counterintuitive but true. Google it.

The other guy! wrote:

Runthemhillsboy wrote:

Humidity will be 73, mombasa in 2007 world cross was 80. This conditions are not conducive for a 2:02

Kenny seems to like it:

Kenenisa Bekele

‏@KenenisaBekele

nice weather

Link:

https://twitter.com/KenenisaBekele/status/267664955870937089

...that tweet was from 2012...

Not mine either wrote:

gunther cunningham wrote:

First of all, you are endorsing stupidity. Second of all, he is anonymous, so there is NOTHING bold about it, much like your posts, and I guess, mine, also.

Yes, but at least you are not universally hated like BW and FP (and me, I suppose, if only I could get anyone to remember my name).

What name? You're anonymous too. And your little hate party looks pretty lonely.

Fortune favors the bold, that's a fact. Everyone will know the name "Believe in 2:02" if Bekele does it.

Record-Eligible Poster wrote:

Flat Stanley wrote:

Bekele is a dirty little cheat. Zero out of competition testing in Ethiopia. Too much testing if you run track. Why do you think he is now in the Marathon. Can make a living out of racing a couple of times a year and the rest of the time can dope in Addis without any risk of being caught.

How sad your life must be...

Agreed here. What was the point of what he said? Does he say that about all pro runners? What proof is there Bekele dopes? Because he's fast? Then all WR holders are suspect. If that is the case, shouldn't the next fastest be the WR holders? Then, aren't they suspect as dopers by this logic? It's just circular logic, very cynical, and ultimately, I would imagine, would lead someone not to even be a fan of pro running. Why even watch the sport?

Sometimes I find the doping cynicism on this board to be just too much.

Horst Girth wrote:

It's nice that Bekele's loyal fans think he can do anything. For a long time, he could!

Do they really think he can run under 2:03? If everything goes great for him, I could see him breaking 2:04 perhaps.

Kipchoge, I believe, will win the race. He's more experienced over the marathon. He beat Mo Farah in a fast 2 mile indoors in 2012, he's still capable of running 12:50 with the right training cycle. Bekele can't do that anymore, he tried in 2012.

Sorry Kenny B fans, your man will finish 2nd in Chicago.

Your points seem reasonable, but it's not fair to say Bekele was not capable of running 12:50. When has he attempted lately when healthy and failed? No one has broken 12:50 this year, does that mean no one is capable, or there just wasn't the right race with good pacing?

Coming back from a knee injury, Bekele could not complete the WC 10,000 in 2011, but was able to come back shortly after and run a world-leading time of 26:43.

Despite having hamstring issues in the last portion of the race, he broke the course record in Paris, 1:45 ahead of second place.

In his second marathon, he has that experience under his belt, is more confident, and is supposedly completely healthy. Chicago is a faster course. I really don't see it being impossible for Bekele to improve on his debut marathon time by just 2:07, if he is in top shape like he says.

He stated wanting a WR before Paris, but has gained a healthy respect for the marathon. However, just because he's only talking course record in the press for Chicago doesn't mean if he goes through the halfway point on schedule and is feeling good he isn't gonna go for the WR. Even if he does, Kipchoge could still steal it. Should be exciting!