Oh baby, it's on!! Bekele v Kipchoge and Farah at 2018 London Marathon

So what are the next announcements for London? Wanjiru, Kamworor ?

Stanley Biwott confirmed. Ran 2:03:51 at London in 2016 to come second behind Kipchoge for 8th on the all time fastest list. Not sure how his form has been lately...

Interesting thanks.

Great runner but he didn't do much in 2017, he quit in Chicago I think not long after Kimetto. Didn't he say he'd gotten ill or something?

It's on like Donkey Kong!

You have to give Kipchoge the best odds to win, but if he wins it will be a battle. Please, please, please everyone stay healthy until then!

I will be up early to follow this one.

I just wish Rupp was in the mix, but I'm sure the appearance money he's getting in Boston is much better after what London must have paid for this field.

So we all agree that Farah is likely to be a non-factor right? I wonder if there is arbitrage potential here...like I'd take 50/50 odds that he won't be in the top 5 and I'd say it's at least 30% likely he won't be in top 10.

Marathon of the decade? wrote:

It's on like Donkey Kong!

You have to give Kipchoge the best odds to win, but if he wins it will be a battle. Please, please, please everyone stay healthy until then!

I will be up early to follow this one.

I just wish Rupp was in the mix, but I'm sure the appearance money he's getting in Boston is much better after what London must have paid for this field.

Rupp? WTF?

Rupp's great on an American scale. But against these dudes? I mean, come on!

WTF^n wrote:

Rupp? WTF?

Rupp's great on an American scale. But against these dudes? I mean, come on!

I wouldn't pick Rupp for the win based on his previous marathons, but he/we will never know how good he could be unless he gets in a genuinely fast race against top competition. Matching Ryan Hall's 2:06/5th place in London would be a good goal for Rupp.

I also wouldn't pick Farah to win against this field given his previous marathon, but I give him credit for going up against the best in the world in a fast marathon with pacers.

Ryan Hall's 2:06:15 in 2008 is definitely equivalent to a sub 2:06 in 2018 and beyond. Hall was in the top ten that year and top 40 in 2007. Not only that, Ryan always went into the deep end of the game(front running, leading) unlike Rupp who sits on the back. That is why Rupp will never beat Ryan HAll's status as the best American marathoner outside the Olympics and world championships. The best American Olympics/world championship marathoner is Meb and that leaves Rupp nowhere lol.

Rumour has it Mo plans not to go out with the leaders. He might go for a 63 first half and try negative split. If weather cooperates, Kipchoge&Hermens will request a 61 flat first half.

Karumba wrote:

Rumour has it Mo plans not to go out with the leaders. He might go for a 63 first half and try negative split. If weather cooperates, Kipchoge&Hermens will request a 61 flat first half.

It is certain that Farah will go with the lead pack as long as possible. The only reason he would run a 63 at the half way is if the weather is bad or he's feeling terrible.

All the elites will pass 13.1 in 61:30 and it will simply be a horror show from there, athletes dropping like flies.

Mo wants the UK record and the European one. He'll not risk a DNF by going with the leaders. The might even hit 13.1 in 60:5x as Kipchoge still believes he can run a 2:01:5x in London.

Bekele will run the world record in about the mid 2:02's. I literally think there will be a few people in the 2:03 range to, including Kipchoge of course. I'm excited for this race literally more then ever. Not only Bekele's world record, but seen what Mo can do too.

I don't think he can do it anymore honestly. A KB in his prime, yes, definitely. But now, he ain't got the hunger anymore...

It is like in Cliffhanger where Sylvester Stallone says he doesn't want to climb any more. He stops for literally a year(he says you just lose the feel). Then he comes back and climbs like a God for the rest of the film. He becomes invincible literally. I think it's something similar with Bekele. I literally think he can do it. He said he wants the world record and the way Jos Hermes is treated him, he will be out to fight for it evan more so.

Time will tell but he'll have his hands full with Kipchoge. How fast do you reckon KB could have run the marathon in his prime?

It sucks that he got unlucky with injuries after 2009. Does any one know what particular race made him injured after 2009. Was it after the double gold in 100,000 and 5,000m? He did look like struggling in the 5,000m. I think he should have literally moved to the marathon for the 2012 Olympics. He would have easily won that if he done it. Maybe if he didn't get any injuries he would be very close to sub 2. I know he can still do a 2:02 mid tough.

Too bad no one else besides Kipchoge will be interesting to watch in London. Bekele? That's a joke. His middle name is DNF.

Please don't even mention Farah. The matchup most people would like to see is Kipchoge vs Rupp, but for now they are both avoiding each other. At least each is likely to win a couple of the largest prizes in running in the two most prestigious marathons. Will build on the drama until they do meet.

I foresee Moh request the British athletics to fund at least two runners who are consistently 2:06 who will pace him all the way to the end. I am sure there are many Kenyan 2:06 - 2:07 marathoners who may miss out on big marathons and may jump in for a quick pay.

No one besides Kipchoge will be interesting to watch in London? Sure, Bekele has been unfortunate with injury but on his day that will be a serious race between him and Kipchoge. And that isn't mentioning Adola (who ran the fastest debut marathon ever in Berlin last year, finishing only 15 seconds behind Kipchoge) and Biwott (who ran 2:03:51 at London in 2016 to come second behind Kipchoge). Kipchoge vs. Rupp? Lol. No more to say.

Clash of titans wrote:

Too bad no one else besides Kipchoge will be interesting to watch in London. Bekele? That's a joke. His middle name is DNF.

Please don't even mention Farah. The matchup most people would like to see is Kipchoge vs Rupp, but for now they are both avoiding each other. At least each is likely to win a couple of the largest prizes in running in the two most prestigious marathons. Will build on the drama until they do meet.