What the f*** is Kiprop doing?

Yeah, that was crazy. He is head and shoulders above the rest of the world.

I thought it was brilliant. It was clear from the beginning that the race was going to be tactical and fairly slow. Maybe he was using that opportunity to mess with the other runner's heads. It's like he was saying "I can beat all of you using any tactic I want and there nothing you can do about it"

I'm his biggest fan but I didn't like it either. Showboating before the finish is such bad form. I expected a slow race with him doing just enough to win but I've posted in another thread that he wouldn't try this with Silas, his only real rival, in the field.

I'm assuming the complainers are just trolls. Don't feed them.

If not-

He ran the 3rd fastest 1500m EVER a week ago. You'd honestly prefer to see him hammer himself into the ground every single weekend and be dead in Beijing than work on different tactics and prefer himself for an incredible world title next month?

High School students complaining here- sure, you "run all out" every meet, because you're running 4:30 miles. That's why you sometimes win a dual meet, and Kiprop runs 3:26.

El Keniano wrote:

I'm his biggest fan but I didn't like it either. Showboating before the finish is such bad form. I expected a slow race with him doing just enough to win but I've posted in another thread that he wouldn't try this with Silas, his only real rival, in the field.

I generally like your posts but "showboating before the finish is bad form"? He was celebrating!

ERS wrote:Sure, you "run all out" every meet, because you're running 4:30 miles. That's why you sometimes win a dual meet, and Kiprop runs 3:26.

Quote of the Month!

F kiprop wrote:

Wow your all brain washed! I can't believe you thought that was fun to watch. Sure I get it kiprop wowed everyone and ooohhh he got stepped on, like we all haven't been stepped on and continued running with ease. Give me a break, I don't care what he did out there Today it looked like crap. Celebrating with 10m to go. Come on man!!! Call me old schooled but if you don't humble yourself,.... You get humbled. "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" LRC loves that quote right? Well guess your all brain washed by the Kenyans now.

What is your first language? It most certainly isn't English.

Finally someone with some sense on this thread. First let me just say he never would have been clipped had he been running from the front. If you look at the video he was already heading to the back when he got clipped. So it was strictly tactical which is fine in a championship race. Cause at least they are going all out last 600 to 800m. It is what it is. My opinion of the race was I didn't like it. I expressed my opinion cause that is what these threads allow us to do. I now I get attacked cause my spelling and gramer suck. Ok.... I could care less, but hey I'm glad I got y'all brain washed people thinking a bit. Like I said call me old schooled but that was not a mile race that I would boast about. Kiprop is amazing, but today was not fun to watch. Sorry but I respectfully disagree with most people on this thread.

#blakenonions

It's your opinion and that is fair enough. But you choice of "F kiprop"? I would like to see you say that to him face to face...

Early in the race Kiprop was the first runner aside from the two pacemakers, and he stayed back from them and appeared to just be taking it relatively easy.

Then at one point he injected a quick burst of speed and immediately caught up to the two pacemakers.

Shortly after that it appears Kiprop made a conscious decision to seriously slow the pace -- he even took a glance over his shoulder -- and it seemed to me he wanted others to pass him as he severely slowed his pace.

Then the runners behind him did indeed pass him -- they had little choice with Kiprop's new slow pace -- including Blankenship, who appeared to be the one who tripped Kiprop up as he passed.

Kiprop looked to nearly step off the track after the contact with the passing Blankenship, and then he appeared to not worry at all, but instead seemed to say to himself, "Why don't I just go to the back of the field. The race is slow enough and I'm fit enough to most likely still be able to win." It seemed he looked at this as a new challenge and opportunity, even greater than falling back to around the fifth position he had planned on running in when he slowed the pace on purpose, before getting clipped.

Kiprop then coasted at the back of the pack for some time, but never seemed worried in the slightest.

Nearing the final lap he once again sped up, for the first time since catching up with the two pacemakers early on, and swung far out into the lanes and passed most of the field in no time.

Kiprop then retook his spot in front of Blankenship, but Blankenship then put in a burst of speed and overtook Kiprop again.

Kiprop then switched to another gear and passed Blankenship and everyone else, going on for the win.

Centro was in good position most of the race, but when Kiprop came back to the front and other runners tried to go with him, Centro found himself a bit boxed in.

Centro had to dart from lane one to lane two quite abruptly, and appeared to lose some time with the maneuver, yet he still had the speed to pass everyone in the field except for Kiprop, who he appeared to be swiftly closing on in the race's final few meters.

I would have liked to see how hard Centro could have pushed Kiprop had he not been boxed in.

I enjoyed the race and the novelty of Kiprop coming from last to first so quickly, ala Dave Wottle.

Cheers,

Swedish 5K Runner

I'd split the difference on this one.

In general I'm old school and don't like sit-and-kick races. But as has already been observed, it wouldn't have made any sense for him to wire-to-wire this one hard, one week after a huge race and shortly before worlds. I see nothing wrong with taking a classic tactical approach to this race.

But that's not what he did.

He initially led the pack at a reasonable pace, a few strides behind the rabbits. Shortly before 600 he surged to catch up to the rabbits. Just a few strides later he basically hit the brakes and the entire field bunched up behind him. Then he slowed even further and the field began to pass him. As the field was about halfway past him, something happened and he stumbled. Maybe he was clipped, maybe he hit the rail. He then slowed even more until everyone was past him. He stayed in the back until it was time to hit the gas for a last 400 sprint for the easy win. So his tactics, if you can call them that, were not a response to being clipped. For the most part, they were intentional.

This is where I would be critical of AK. What he did was dangerous, both to himself and to other runners. It was also stupid. He could easily have been spiked, and/or have gone down, and sustained a significant injury that could have taken him out of worlds. If he wanted to test himself in some version of a tactical race, there are plenty of smart and safe ways to do that. This was not one of them.

If he was trying to be a hot dog and/or make some kind of statement, besides not being very smart, this was a rather classless way to do it. When you're the best in the world, as everyone already knows he is, hitting the brakes three times in a crowded race, easily sprinting for the win, and then celebrating ten meters out, including hitting the brakes a fourth time, doesn't match any reasonable definition of professional.

So yes, AK is the best in the world at this point. Everyone knew that before today, and everyone still knows that. But he still has some growing up and some learning to do.

He got clipped and couldn't regroup before the pack passed him. Unfortunately when your stride is that long you can't just hop in the pack wherever without a chance of getting clipped and going down. The fact that it wasn't fast was not kiprops fault. I was more disappointed in the field as they keyed off him the whole time. It's disappointing that a group didn't decide to go with the pacers. I would think after his all out 3:26 effort last week a better chance to beat him would be all out thinking he may be tired. Instead they ran his race, kept it slow, keeping him in contention even when tripped, and let him out kick all of them. He probably would have won regardless but I always think it's the field who should be held responsible for a slow race and not going with the rabbits. Not the guy who can win the race either way who is probably trying to waste as little energy as possible between last week and worlds.

lol what a fraud. Shades of Noah Ngeny. Wonder when Kiprop's career-ending "car accident" will occur.

F kiprop wrote:

Like I said call me old schooled but that was not a mile race that I would boast about. .

Okay. So if it were you, you wouldn't call a 1609m race a mile, nor would you consider it worthy of boasting were you to drop to the back of a world class field then boss every runner in the pack on the final lap with a lethal close? Pretty sure you're not a runner, bro.

wejo wrote:

That was awesome. I prefer to think he toyed with everyone instead of getting stepped on. What a boss.

Centro got boxed which is rare.

Kiprop was lucky the rest of the field ran such a slow time. Centro ran for a place as usual

Kiprops eyes look like he is on recreational drugs to me never mind PED's!

Kiprop ran like a champion should. He is testing his and every one else's fitness and strengths in different types of race plans while at the same time, preventing anyone from getting a read on him. He has already seen what his closing speed can be under a certain speed (ie lactate load), and the saw what everyone else could do. Now he is measuring every one else's speed off a relatively low lactate load to see how the picture changes. Notice in race one Centro came in tenth and here he came in second. Centro's fitness did not change significantly, but everyone has a better sense of who can do what. I don't think that Kiprop is basing his World's strategy to beat centro (which is probably how he sneaks in there with regularity), but he and his management has a good idea of who can do what. At the same time, no one quite knows how to plan for him...it's genius. Everyone can game out how to beat Rudisha because everyone knows his approach. Rudisha wins when he has the best fitness in the group (Rudisha switched his plan at the commonwealth games last year because he knew his fitness wasn't 100%). Kiprop's opponents can't do that. The tertiary benefit is that now everyone in the race will be focusing on Kiprop and worrying more about where he is in the field than running their own race--he has an aura.

For most LRCers out there: kiprop reely good good--hes gona win and your not know how.

Kiprop is tripped after a chain reaction that started with Lagat advancing in the third lane, bumping into Grice, Manzano, Souleiman, Ingebrigtsen, and then finally Kiprop. However, Souleiman and Ingebrigtsen are clearly obstructed by Kiprop's intentional breaking. I'd say that could have been a DQ if the consequences had been more serious.

Just another loud mouthed 14 year old with a keyboard and no sense of racing it seems.