Why does this guy get so much attention here? Isn't he just trying to scrape the OT standard but people are talking about qualifying for team.
1000ft of elevation is crazy? I run the 5/10 but had more than that on my 12 mile midweek run last week. An elite athlete training in flag or boulder will reguraly get that on runs. That is nothing, you guys are watching Chicago and Berlin too often. The race will be tactical anyway and it will come down to wheels. This Walmsley guy is running 14 hour races. Unless he is in 2:10 shape, he's not going to be strong enough to run away from those guys or fast enough to burn off guys with half prs in 59-61 range.
Contary to belief, many ultra guys don't have good half to marathon conversions compared to actual marathoners. Walmsley hasn't even run a half yet.
He has no experience of running a marathon. Galen Rupp gets a pass on this as he was 26:44 and 60 guy before his debut and was just a hugely better runner than everyone else so could cruise the first 23 miles in 2016. How many debut marathoners have made the team in the past?