Ben Blankenship Explains the Sit &Kick USAs: "Who wants to lead for 2 laps or 3 laps and get outkicked and get seventh.&q

Wake me when it's over

+1

Perhaps he can also tell us why runners tend to bunch up in the inside lanes.

Sit & kick works for exactly one person per race. Maybe three if you're counting medal winners. Otherwise everyone else ends up fourth through last using the same tactics.

Blankenship better have another plan in this one, his recent 1:49.x 800 might get lit up in Final.Off 2:01-2:02 out.

Now that Andrews has made his selection, like him or not, in a slowish 3:39-3:41+ final, he would be dangerous, even he can handle those fractions without too much pain.

Centro is an auto if he stays upright, Leo, anywhere near "good" Leo is also.., I think there is one spot up for grabs, I guess a 150 sprint for that is A Strategy.

one size fits one wrote:

Sit & kick works for exactly one person per race. Maybe three if you're counting medal winners. Otherwise everyone else ends up fourth through last using the same tactics.

Isn't that the same for every tactic?

You Know Me wrote:

one size fits one wrote:

Sit & kick works for exactly one person per race. Maybe three if you're counting medal winners. Otherwise everyone else ends up fourth through last using the same tactics.

Isn't that the same for every tactic?

No. Running from the front works for more like zero people per race.

one size fits one wrote:

Sit & kick works for exactly one person per race. Maybe three if you're counting medal winners. Otherwise everyone else ends up fourth through last using the same tactics.

Bingo! Exactly.

Why does leading automatically mean you are going to get 7th or whatever? Plenty of people have won leading the entire race.

you is me wrote:

Why does leading automatically mean you are going to get 7th or whatever? Plenty of people have won leading the entire race.

I'd like a list of US 1500m champions who led the entire race. You'd have a hard time making a list of guys who led even the last 1k.

Cooptastic wrote:

you is me wrote:

Why does leading automatically mean you are going to get 7th or whatever? Plenty of people have won leading the entire race.

I'd like a list of US 1500m champions who led the entire race. You'd have a hard time making a list of guys who led even the last 1k.

I wasn't limiting it to US nationals. A race is a race so it doesn't matter what stage.

You don't have to lead the entire race. The first lap will be fast enough with everyone jostling for position. It's the 2nd half of the race where you can still win by leading.

The key difference that Ben did not mention is leading is not all equal. there is leading and not hurting anyone behind you. Then there is leading where everyone is suffering.

If you still don't understand the difference watch the 2012 1500m trials race where Jordan Macnamara led but did nothing to damage the group. Then watch the 1997 WC 5000m race after the 3k mark. Contrast in styles on how leading a race can't or can be effective.

He says everyone is confident but I disagree. If you were confident you would push earlier in a race with full confidence that no one will be near you at the end.

Cooptastic wrote:

you is me wrote:

Why does leading automatically mean you are going to get 7th or whatever? Plenty of people have won leading the entire race.

I'd like a list of US 1500m champions who led the entire race. You'd have a hard time making a list of guys who led even the last 1k.

The situation is entirely different when you go to World and Olympic champions.

Herb Elliott

El Guerrouj

Filbert Bayi

John Landy

Noureddine Morceli

Longer Distances

Steve Jones

Paavo Nurmi

Vladimir Kuts

Ron Clarke

Abebe Bikila

Jack Foster

Kenenisa Bekele

All the best runners have known how to run and win from the front.

If your mile PR (or condition) is three seconds faster than the rest of the field, then lead as much as possible (common in the HS miles most of you ran). If you are less than three seconds faster, you had better work on your positioning and kick.

This applies double at Hayward, where there is almost always a heavy wind down the backstraight.

B sample actually gets it. These other amateurs that are commenting - my guess is you have never won a major championship so you truly have no clue.

most people complain about sitting and kicking because they've never been good enough to sit and kick. there's only one winner in each race, so for each winner there's ten people who've never known what it's like to be in that position. They hate on sit and kick races because, for them, racing is a grind from the start. they don't know anything else

You Know Me wrote:

one size fits one wrote:

Sit & kick works for exactly one person per race. Maybe three if you're counting medal winners. Otherwise everyone else ends up fourth through last using the same tactics.

Isn't that the same for every tactic?

If everyone uses the same tactic, yes. That's the point in trying a different tactic, rather than trying one that isn't best for you.

B-Sample wrote:

If your mile PR (or condition) is three seconds faster than the rest of the field, then lead as much as possible (common in the HS miles most of you ran). If you are less than three seconds faster, you had better work on your positioning and kick.

This applies double at Hayward, where there is almost always a heavy wind down the backstraight.

This is correct. But there are situations where one runner has a clearly superior kick and the only chance to beat them is to lead - Keino vs. Ryun, for example.

At USAs probably only Manzano has a kick that is reliably potent enough to get them top 3 from mid pack. Centro will likely be positioned to win coming out of the final turn. Anyone else better make sure they are not boxed and they have clear run because after Centro and Manzano there is only 1 spot.

Cooptastic wrote:

you is me wrote:

Why does leading automatically mean you are going to get 7th or whatever? Plenty of people have won leading the entire race.

I'd like a list of US 1500m champions who led the entire race. You'd have a hard time making a list of guys who led even the last 1k.

Jim Ryun

Really groundbreaking stuff, here.