Oh Please wrote:
Kvothe wrote:
No one would ever invite the second fastest marathon runner in the world to a race. You're right dude. Kimetto's only chance for a healthy retirement is for no one to break the wr so he can keep showing up for races and jogging a bit.
There is a difference in being the second fastest runner while still being competitive, versus being the second fastest runner and completely unable to even make it past halfway in a race.
Wilson Kipsang and Kenenisa Bekele would be the former, while Kimetto is the latter (throw in Patrick Macau too). Bekele even with his DNF has his legacy that will keep him getting invited. Probably the same with Kipsang.
Oh please, invites are and have always been based on prs for active athletes. Whether 5 athletes run faster than Kimetto's wr in Berlin (or elsewhere) or 0 this year, he will continue to be invited and paid money to run any race in the world he likes. Its kind of how your coach seeded you based on what he thought you could run vs what you've actually run. I suppose you'll tell me you had the one honest coach though, who always seeded you with your best time that season even though you ended up in the C race... I remember when this board was writing Bekele off too. Bekele is finished, he's too old to make it as a marathoner. Paris is the best Bekele will ever do in the marathon, maybe a few seconds faster. Then he ran 2:03:03.
Furthermore, if Kimetto were to win a major marathon this year or next, no one but yourself and a few idiots on this board would be shocked. The rest of us would say well duh, he's the world record holder.
Also, besides having some of the best of that nation's athletes and some of the current best in the world, race directors don't care who they invite and pay appearance fees to. It makes a good headline to have the world record holder or 2nd, 3rd, 4th.. best all time run your race even if he hasn't pr'd in years, even if a no name from Brazil or insert country with an ocassional world class marathoner could beat him. Paula and Tergat could have still been getting invited to top races years after any world class performances if they'd not chose to retire.
I like that Kimetto is still competing 4 years after his wr, and maybe trying to break it, even if things aren't going well. It shows he is human, someone you could root for, someone he is into the sport and not just the money and fame.