When Tegla Lorupe set her current 1 hour record on the track, 07/08/98 at Borgholzhausen, she was paced from half way by someone she had already lapped..!!! But that got ratified by the IAAF. Seems they are selective not only with their memories but also when they apply their own rules.
If the IAAF still stand by the claim that no women's record will be ratified this year under this arrangement I personally dont think London will go ahead with it.
The only reason I think they are putting male pacers with the women's elits is so that they can continue to get unhindered coverage of both the mens & women's races ( at present the women are due to start 45 minutes before the men ), while seeing how fast Paula ( and anyone else how cares to try )can go. If no record is to be ratified there is little incentive for London to go with this, why bother with the agro when there is no tangible benefit for them at the end....
What about this for a possible solution.
1. Instead of reverting to a mixed race, have the womens elite start only 5 minutes ahead of the mens elite field.
2. If PR and whoever wants to push her, set off at about 5.13 / 5.14 per mile ( approx 2.17.00 time ) they would reach 10 miles in just over 52 minutes.
3. The mens field, having set off 5 minutes after the women, use their pacemakers ( because apparently as long as they have the intention of finishing or may have a chance of winning this is OK ) crank through the miles at about 4.49 / 4.50 pace and reach 10 miles in just over 48 minutes.
4. By this time, the leading men and women would merge at about 11 miles, the men could still have their pacemakers and the women would then be able to run with the rest of the men from the lead group.
5. This would not only enable TV to get coverage of both the mens and womens races seperately for 10 / 11 miles. But als after the lead men had caught the lead women, the mens field would have thinned out suficiantley for easy coverage of both races to continue
Just a thought.....but would something like this suite those who dont want women to have male pacemakers unless they are hidden in the pack in a mixed race under the guise of ''protecting'' them.