IF Bekele were to race Farah next year, what strategy could he use?

We both know Mo is getting his usual double gold

tony the tiger wrote:

We both know Mo is getting his usual double gold

The problem with this thread is that it completely discounts the possibility of a third person emerging and defeating both. I sat in the stand and watched Bekele vs Guerrouj in 2003, I completely ignored Eliud Kipchoge or all the Kenyans for that matter.

I'm all for the KennyB circlejerk, but I'm not going to let it get in the way of being objective. If KennyB was to step down to a 10,000k against Farah, Farah would destroy him, regardless of the pace. Even though he has never shown it, I'm willing to bet that Farah could lay down a scorching time in the 10,000 and kick for the win if it came down to it. The guy has been absolutely dominant on the scene since 2012 winning FOUR championship 5k/10k doubles, and some of those times were actually pretty fast. KennyB sure has the advantage in endurance, but his peak track years are definitely behind him, and I don't think he would be able to match the sharpness Farah has been consistently displaying over the past 4 years.

In their current shapes, it'd be a hell of a matchup. I hope KB stays in similar fitness (albeit for the 10,000M instead of the marathon), because it'd be a great reason to watch the 10K, which is normally just Farah easily winning. But I'd be even more impressed with KB's career if he won a WC gold for the marathon or nabbed the WR in a fall marathon.

Tobias Fünke Analrapist MD wrote:

I'm all for the KennyB circlejerk, but I'm not going to let it get in the way of being objective. If KennyB was to step down to a 10,000k against Farah, Farah would destroy him, regardless of the pace. Even though he has never shown it, I'm willing to bet that Farah could lay down a scorching time in the 10,000 and kick for the win if it came down to it. The guy has been absolutely dominant on the scene since 2012 winning FOUR championship 5k/10k doubles, and some of those times were actually pretty fast. KennyB sure has the advantage in endurance, but his peak track years are definitely behind him, and I don't think he would be able to match the sharpness Farah has been consistently displaying over the past 4 years.

Over whom were those medals won?

You guys keep acting like Bekele isn't the best ever at these two distances. Second best at marathon ever. Forgetting we haven't seen him fit for a half decade or more. Ignoring his 2:03 and Great North Run effort.

How does a 2:03 by the 10k WR holder translate over to current 10k ability by the charts?

Forgetting Paul "Who?" Chelimo almost had a gold at 5k in Rio. That 27:05 is a decent time but is a veritable jog for fit Bekele.

Heads in the sand like Mo doesn't struggle when someone can put it to him. Like dude didn't die at 7:32 before fleeing to Font Romeu/Sabadell before the games.

I don't care how good you people think a 13:41/27:30 gold medalist is. The lion is back. Mo's last chance is the 10k at London because the roads are Bekele's. And if Bekele takes that 10K it's nail in the coffin. Mo has everything to prove/lose.

Shoulda-woulda-DIDNT put down fast marks in the gold medal events.

How about those appearance fees?

If Bekele and Farah race a marathon, Bekele could maybe attach his timing chip to one of the pace cars at the start of the race...

and then try to run right beside that pace car for the first 5 or 10kms and then find a subway and then take it to maybe the 25 mile mark then get out and wait for that pace car to catch up and then he should grab his timing chip off the pace car and then pretend to retie his shoe lace while reattaching the timing chip to his shoe lace. then run it in to the finish line for the win.

Think that would be the best strategy.

If Bekele does step back down to 10k next year and can beat Mo he is without doubt the GOAT. I'd classify him as such already but to have spent the last few years in the wilderness, run a ridiculous marathon and then step back down and take the 10k he'd be utterly supreme. All the indicators would suggest it's Mo's territory now.. when he steps onto a track before a 10k he doesn't believe he can lose.

That Berlin run must have given Bekele huge belief and confidence though and he seems pretty brutal in his approach and I get the sense he'd like nothing more than to reclaim his throne in front of Mo's home crowd. The one thing for sure is that if Bekele stays healthy between now and then and focuses on the 10k, Mo will be more worried on the start line than he has been in the previous 5 years.

It'd be fascinating to see!

Shame on you and this thread. This is worse than the usain bolt 5:00 mile thread. But I'll use the same argument. Just like it's dumb to think 11 year olds would beat usain bolt in a mile it's also dumb to think slo farah could ever beat the washed up wr holder.

In summary

TrackBot! VDOT 2:03:03 marathon

VDOT for 2:03:03 42.195km: 83.6

Equivalent race times based on VDOT:

Marathon: 02:02:50

Half marathon: 00:58:37

15K: 00:40:50

10K: 00:26:40

5K: 00:12:48

3Mi: 00:12:20

2Mi: 00:07:56

3200m: 00:07:53

3K: 00:07:20

1Mi: 00:03:43

1600m: 00:03:41

1500m: 00:03:26

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Bekele isn't afraid to run a hard championship race, I would remind people that his 10k championship record is faster than Mo's pr for 10k, and his championship 5k pr is also faster than Mo's.

What Bekele needs is a little help over the first 5-7k from his teammates to push the pace at about 26:40 and then take over and drive for home I don't think Momwould have a good enough kick, I mean let's not act like Bekele didn't just run the last 200m of a marathon in 30-31 seconds, oh and Mo can't hang around at the back of the pack and have to cover a move 50m back either, Bekele won't let the them jog around or let off the gas late and he's not afraid of Mo.

First, Bekele would have to make the Ethiopian team.

Last time he tried to make a WC 10,000 team he wasn't selected as three Ethiopians went to Italy to beat his world leading time and bump him off the team.

So, he would run the London marathon then transition to get into to a good 10,000m race with the other top Ethiopians and beat them to make it to the World Championships.

By next summer, it will have been 4 years since his last race on the track.

He'd need a tuneup 5000 probably in there.

If he makes it to Worlds his best bet would be to push the last 2000m with measured effort lo leave something for the last 200.

He has no chance of running away from Farah, but he can make Farah kick from an unfamiliar fatigue level.

Came back to the thread for some more entertainment.

1) What time do people here think KB could run in a rabbited 10k next year?

2) What time do people here think KB could push the pace to in a World Championship race next year?

oscar bob madison wrote:

george oscar bluth wrote:

He could use any strategy he wanted to, but in a 10000m, he'd lose. No matter what. Look, I would love, LOVE to see Bekele put Farah in his place, but KB is too far past his prime to beat Farah on the track. He could still get the marathon record and run some decent performances, but 26:1x Bekele is gone.

Ummm, no.

Ummm, yes. On the track, he certainly is.

FTO wrote:

Shame on you and this thread. This is worse than the usain bolt 5:00 mile thread. But I'll use the same argument. Just like it's dumb to think 11 year olds would beat usain bolt in a mile it's also dumb to think slo farah could ever beat the washed up wr holder.

In summary

TrackBot! VDOT 2:03:03 marathon

WTF has VDOT to do with anything? According to "VDOT" Farah certainly wouldn´t be able to run sub-27 based on his marathon performance.

I can´t believe how ignorant people on this thread are. One of the reasons why KB hasn´t been competitive on the track is that he gets injured everytime he trains for track races nowadays. It was exactly the same with Geb. When he set his marathon WR in Berlin in 2008 he hadn´t been a factor on the track since 2003 (he was fifth in the 2004 Olympics) because of injuries.

That KB beat Farah in the GNR HM was because 10k is really the longest distance Mo is really supreme in. He is basically an endurance trained 1500 runner, while KB is much more endurance/stamina oriented runner (just look at his XC wins).

well,. wrote:

oscar bob madison wrote:

Ummm, no.

Ummm, yes. On the track, he certainly is.

I know he wasn't that prepared as seemed last minute, but Bekele did stuggle in the Ethiopean 10,000m trials this summer and that was after the decent london marathon and the 10km great manchester run he won. It was after that race that Hermens did say Bekele wanted to come back and race Mo in 2017 in the 10,000m....but maybe it was just anger after not doing a good race there.

george oscar bluth wrote:

Came back to the thread for some more entertainment.

1) What time do people here think KB could run in a rabbited 10k next year?

2) What time do people here think KB could push the pace to in a World Championship race next year?

1) if a rabbit brings him through 5km at ~13:15 or so....then 26:35 is my guess

2) 26:50

It means nothing when converting Farah's crappy Marathon but it means everything when converting KB's near WR.

This is a conservative estimate for Bekele (at 90% of his peak (infinite) capacity).

It is not like we are doing a conversion that would be really scary and cause a lot of fear in SloNoMoBot™…and very soggy frosted flakes for Tania tiger kitten.

For example:

TrackBot! VDOT 26:17 10K

Oh no! Not that conversion!

Cover your eyes Tania tiger kitten!!!

VDOT for 26:17 10km: 85.1

Equivalent race times based on VDOT:

Marathon: 02:00:58

Half marathon: 00:57:44

15K: 00:40:14

10K: 00:26:16

5K: 00:12:36

3Mi: 00:12:08

2Mi: 00:07:49

3200m: 00:07:46

3K: 00:07:14

1Mi: 00:03:39

1600m: 00:03:38

1500m: 00:03:23

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