Jim Walmsley A Potential Olympic Team Member After Atlanta Marathon Course Announced?

Precious Roy wrote:

No advantage at all. The hills in Atlanta are not as hard as the hills in Boston. The course in Atlanta is a bit harder than the trials in NY, but not by a lot. The course is basically on the Peachtree Road Race route. There is a rhythm to the hills in Atlanta. Whatever goes up, must come down. So, you just have to balance your efforts going up with resting going down. Unless you do all your training in Nebraska, there should be no issue for runners to be prepared to run well on a rolling course in Atlanta.

I don't think it covers a single inch of the Peachtree course (with the exception of intersections). But your right, almost anyone who doesn't intentionally seek out a pancake flat route will encounter similar hills on their everyday runs. It's not a big deal. And to the earlier poster who said frequent snow this time of year, seriously?!

We don't even know if Jim can handle Houston but everybody is talking about Atlanta already.

Oh Please wrote:

How in the world did Todd Williams (13:19 / 27:30 / 42:22 15k) only run 2:30 marathon? That should have been damn near easy pace for him.

And is that the Brad Hudson rolling in at 2:40? I may have been able to not take last in the Olympic Trials. 12 guys slower than 2:40.

jklg wrote:

Precious Roy, I'm not sure you're qualified to give such an opinion.

1000+ feet of gain in a major marathon is hard to find. This will be a difficult course and will beat up a lot of inexperienced runners. This is hillier than CIM and Boston and NYC. Period.

Just because it's a little hillier it makes it not a difficult course. Just a little slower and maybe more wiggle room for "slower" runners.

It's not like this is Pikes Peak Marathon where Walmsley actually would have a real chance of winning.

lkjlj wrote:

The last hilly Trials course (other than NYC Central Park) was 2000 in Pittsburgh. Check the times and talent -

http://www.usatf.org/events/2000/OlympicTrials-marathon/men/results.asp

de haven ran 2:11:40 as a lifetime best.

eddy ran 2:11:50 and later tested for EPO

everyone else......google their best times and see for yourself

old-dog wrote:

Nostradumbass........ wrote:

That tremendous elevation gain will cost him any chance at 2:09. I predict 2nd place in 2:13:46.97.

I lol'ed at 'tremendous'. 1000 ft is nothing, especially on a smooth road.

It is tremendous compared to a flat course so the time will be impacted. On the other hand Walmsley ran almost 900,000 ft of elevation gain last year!!

typical speculation on Letsrun wrote:

lkjlj wrote:

The last hilly Trials course (other than NYC Central Park) was 2000 in Pittsburgh. Check the times and talent -

http://www.usatf.org/events/2000/OlympicTrials-marathon/men/results.asp

de haven ran 2:11:40 as a lifetime best.

eddy ran 2:11:50 and later tested for EPO

everyone else......google their best times and see for yourself

Dam, how did Josh Cox run a 2:22 marathon? It has to be a Clydesdale record.

joedirt wrote:

He has to qualify first. That being said, it is the marathon, so it is not that competitive anyhow.

Yeah if there were some sprinters or shot putters in there then it would be really, really competitive.

Another brain dead idiot. wrote:

joedirt wrote:

He has to qualify first. That being said, it is the marathon, so it is not that competitive anyhow.

Yeah if there were some sprinters or shot putters in there then it would be really, really competitive.

Get Walmsley some spring training to jump start his fast twitch muscles. Get him in the blocks. Get him pulling sleds. I'm 100% serious. Let's do this!!!

Popped Corn wrote:

Another brain dead idiot. wrote:

Yeah if there were some sprinters or shot putters in there then it would be really, really competitive.

Get Walmsley some spring training to jump start his fast twitch muscles. Get him in the blocks. Get him pulling sleds. I'm 100% serious. Let's do this!!!

Things are looking better and better for Walms. 2000 results are an eye opener. Rupp is a sure bet , but if he runs his race I can’t see 2 others beating him.

Josh Cox the ox wrote:

typical speculation on Letsrun wrote:

de haven ran 2:11:40 as a lifetime best.

eddy ran 2:11:50 and later tested for EPO

everyone else......google their best times and see for yourself

Dam, how did Josh Cox run a 2:22 marathon? It has to be a Clydesdale record.

why am I laughing so hard at this

Yahoo.com wrote:

No. Zero chance of a top 10 finish.

oh c'mon...he could definitely be top ten. a course with 1000' of climbing is a minor benefit for him but the presumably hot weather will help him even more. plus, getting top ten isn't as tough as you'd expect considering how many guys DNF once they know that 3rd place is out of reach.

patrick smyth got 8th in Los Angeles and Max King got 12th that day.

if walmsley trains for the trials (and doesn't do it during a buildup to some other race), he will finish top 10.

I'd guess he would be around 7th

lkjlj wrote:

The last hilly Trials course (other than NYC Central Park) was 2000 in Pittsburgh. Check the times and talent -

http://www.usatf.org/events/2000/OlympicTrials-marathon/men/results.asp

5 Eddy Hellebuyck Albuquerque NM 39 2:18:30 5:17

25 Weldon Johnson Flagstaff AZ 26 2:24:55 5:32

LOL

reed wrote:

Yahoo.com wrote:

No. Zero chance of a top 10 finish.

oh c'mon...he could definitely be top ten. a course with 1000' of climbing is a minor benefit for him but the presumably hot weather will help him even more. plus, getting top ten isn't as tough as you'd expect considering how many guys DNF once they know that 3rd place is out of reach.

patrick smyth got 8th in Los Angeles and Max King got 12th that day.

if walmsley trains for the trials (and doesn't do it during a buildup to some other race), he will finish top 10.

I'd guess he would be around 7th

Glad you brought this up. The amount of DNF in the trials is a joke. Unless your heart is beating oddly or a bone is sticking out, finish the damn race.

S/O Chris Barnicle.

1000 feet? you make it sound like they are about to do the Mount Du blanc course. All elites have some training on hills to prepare them for races like this particularly in Boston. If it was some crazy course out in Leadville yeah sure it might give Jim a better shot but at 1000 feet he's not gonna be a match for the top of the fielders

Oh Please wrote:

lkjlj wrote:

The last hilly Trials course (other than NYC Central Park) was 2000 in Pittsburgh. Check the times and talent -

http://www.usatf.org/events/2000/OlympicTrials-marathon/men/results.asp

How in the world did Todd Williams (13:19 / 27:30 / 42:22 15k) only run 2:30 marathon? That should have been damn near easy pace for him.

He has said in interviews that he was severely overtrained. He basically hammered every single mile he ran during the buildup.

Todd must have been quite burned out by then. He ran 2:12 or so and would've broke 2:10 in his prime.

1,000 ft is worth 2 to 2.5 minutes.

The real impact is if guys try to run a set pace disregarding the hills, they will blow up.

Let’s hear from the mahatma. How were the hills?