We asked Jonathan Gault to find out more about the new half marathon WR holder and he's written one of my favorite pieces.
Check this nugget of info out, Kiptum, who has a 2:05 marathon pb, wanted to run Chicago but they didn't have an appearance fee for him as according to his agent “his credentials were not good enough.” So instead he just broke the WR at 13.1. Unreal.
http://www.letsrun.com/news/2018/10/new-half-marathon-world-record-holder-abraham-kiptum-run-fast-valencia/
PS. Every American who got a penny of an appearance fee in Chicago should be very grateful.
Meet new Half Marathon WR Holder Abraham Kiptum - Turned down by Chicago, he ran a half marathon instead and broke the WR!!
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Jon Gault is a brilliant writer. Letsrun really brings the sport alive.
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good article. would blow to be an unknown african who's fit enough to run with anybody but isn't well-known. 2:05 guy couldn't get $$$ to show up to Chicago? a 2:05 american would be on a poster in every running shop in the country and would be carried to Chicago by servants
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Good dig for info. I would like to know more about this guy's training and training group. Also, the 4% shoes didn't hurt.
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Your writing is horrible, please cease and desist.
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I wonder if he'll run Fukuoka?
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Fukuoka is the GOAT OF marathons wrote:
I wonder if he'll run Fukuoka?
No he's running Abu Dhabi on 12/07 -
automorphic wrote:
Jon Gault is a brilliant writer. Letsrun really brings the sport alive.
Seriously. I love running and writing about it, but that piece was outstanding.. no way I could ever write something that good. So much background and knowledge of the sport. Impressive. -
DOPING
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Seriously. How many records are gonna fall by a stupidly large margin this year before someone figures out that there's a new drug on the market. Splitting a top 10 road 10k split enroute to the half marathon world record. Sure, why not? Nothing to see here, just another no name East African showing up with a full minute PR. Say hi to the tooth fairy for me. -
Well, to be fair, it was only some 5 seconds after 8 years.
But, the fact that a 2:05 guy did it, is quite interesting, to say the least, with so many 2:01 - 2:04 runners. -
Bad judgement by Chicago. We could've had a race.
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Thanks for a fantastic article. What an incredible race by Abraham Kiptum. Quick question: does anyone know how tall he is and how much he weighs? I can't find the info anywhere online. I thought I saw somewhere that he was relatively tall, but it looks like he might be tiny like a bird. Regardless, he definitely flew in Valencia.
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skyboy wrote:
DOPING
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P
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N
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Seriously. How many records are gonna fall by a stupidly large margin this year before someone figures out that there's a new drug on the market. Splitting a top 10 road 10k split enroute to the half marathon world record. Sure, why not? Nothing to see here, just another no name East African showing up with a full minute PR. Say hi to the tooth fairy for me.
Hmmm his agent looks interesting;
Dibaba and Souileman so ties to Aden not to mention representing dopers, Mikhou and Matt Kipsiro.
Nothing to see here. -
Shredded, I'm about that level of body fat when I'm in peak conditioning
...in that article !
https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/kenyas-marathon-runner-abraham-kiptum-eats-orange-and-rests-after-picture-id634692350
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I guess the lead car knew which direction the finish line was. I wonder what Darren Wilson is doing these days (Tokyo, 1997).
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Another miscalculation by Pinkowski.
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No training secrets.
I am sure he logs app. 55km/week.
I am sure he does repeats from 400m to 2000m two or three days a week.
I'll send you a bill for the training secrets. -
He was turned down partially because there are so many Kenyans and he was just one of the many without real name recognition... But even more importantly, if he was on Chicago organizers radar, they had their matchup of Farah and Rupp in their minds and didn’t want anybody to interfere with it, so the rest of the field was there just as a supporting act... It didn’t turn out that way though...
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UA Runner wrote:
automorphic wrote:
Jon Gault is a brilliant writer. Letsrun really brings the sport alive.
Seriously. I love running and writing about it, but that piece was outstanding.. no way I could ever write something that good. So much background and knowledge of the sport. Impressive.
Agreed--an awesome article!