Paul Chelimo on IAAF rule changes: "I don’t know if they’re trying to kill distance running or what."

OK but is the notion of killing distance running sort of like running over a dead carcass in your car and being accused of killing it?

The IAAF has really done it. They've killed distance track racing. This move will probably strengthen middle distance running as any 5000 runner with any speed will move to the 15 or steeple. The rest will go to the marathon. The 5000 and 10,000 will now only be for 15, steeple, and marathon guys who weren't fast enough; they'll be second chance events. If anything the IAAF should be adding more 5000s and 10,000s to diamond league, not taking them away. Its a no brainer for Chelimo and others to switch events.

- Chelimo .... so typical of a fake-WCAPer. He moves from the 5K to the 1/2-marathon & doesn't even bother w/World XC.

- I hope the IAAF continues this for a period IOT promote XC at the World level for the real long-distance runners.

They’ve really ruined it, especially for young talents like Selemon Barega , who ran that exceptional time last year. Our only hope is that they get thrown out the next election.

Chelimo ran the mixed relay at 2017 world cross. Wrong again Lickety!

Lickety Split wrote:

Chelimo .... so typical of a fake-WCAPer. He moves from the 5K to the 1/2-marathon & doesn't even bother w/World XC.

Which proves he's a real American.

Since none of them run it wrote:

Lickety Split wrote:

Chelimo .... so typical of a fake-WCAPer. He moves from the 5K to the 1/2-marathon & doesn't even bother w/World XC.

Which proves he's a real American.

Paul Chelimo theme song should be:

They did this because the 5,000 and 10,000m records are unbreakable. Bekele was an insanely talented runner, most likely with doping and no one will ever come close to his times in the 5k and 10k.

Komen can be broken, at least theoretically.

Once again, the IAAF inflicts serious harm to the sport of distance running. First, they kill World XC and make it an occasional meet just because the Europeans stopped trying. Second, they kill the 10000m. Third, they kill the 5000m.

That Brussels 5000m was the best race of the year. If you seriously think that the fans were loving the sprints with no names winning far from the records, think again. Sebastian Coe is to blame here, with some to the European countries that essentially abandoned serious participation in the sport out of a totally misplaced belief in physical inferiority.

He should run a real race like 100 Miles. This short stuff is for wimps

mcvred wrote:

Chelimo ran the mixed relay at 2017 world cross. Wrong again Lickety!

- Woo! Woo! Dodging the big boys eh?

- Again, I hope Chelimo fails in everything he does.

Not so. Kejelcha led Barega and GWet to 12:43 and 12:45 and now Kejelcha is significantly better. Barega had more in the tank. That 5000m record is going to be under attack next time they are in a race together and go for it. The 10000m record is arguably considerably weaker and the same characters could take it. Kejelcha ran not only 12:46, as the pacer from 2k, but also something like 59:06. Blame Sebastian Coe for this.

Xoman wrote:

They did this because the 5,000 and 10,000m records are unbreakable. Bekele was an insanely talented runner, most likely with doping and no one will ever come close to his times in the 5k and 10k.

Komen can be broken, at least theoretically.

zcxvcvxz wrote:

Once again, the IAAF inflicts serious harm to the sport of distance running. First, they kill World XC and make it an occasional meet just because the Europeans stopped trying. Second, they kill the 10000m. Third, they kill the 5000m.

That Brussels 5000m was the best race of the year. If you seriously think that the fans were loving the sprints with no names winning far from the records, think again. Sebastian Coe is to blame here, with some to the European countries that essentially abandoned serious participation in the sport out of a totally misplaced belief in physical inferiority.

- BS road races like this 1/2 Marathon Chelimo's so excited about killed World XC. Kind of like soccer & WCAP for US Men's long-distance runners.

Lickety Split wrote:

- Chelimo .... so typical of a fake-WCAPer. He moves from the 5K to the 1/2-marathon & doesn't even bother w/World XC.

LickyMySh!t, did you know that Paul Chelimo has represented the USA at an Olympics Games and a World Championships, as well as World XC and the Continental Cup?

He also served.

What have you done for us lately, clown?

Any track event longer than 800m is usually only exciting the last 800m anyway. If we were to reflect back to 1960, which 5000m/10000m medalist would have been unable to be competitive in either 3000m or Marathon? 3000m is the perfect next event for aging 1500m athletes. In his salad days Lasse Viren was a strong two mile runner. It would have been great to see Viren, Miruts Yifter and other 5000m guys racing 3000m such as Ben Jipcho. This will actually be good for the Marathon. There will be no more 5000m/10000m gals/guys only choosing to specialize as a Marathoner in their thirties. Gals/guys are going to have to choose to specialize in Marathon at a far younger age.

zcxvcvxz wrote:

Once again, the IAAF inflicts serious harm to the sport of distance running. First, they kill World XC and make it an occasional meet just because the Europeans stopped trying.

To be fair, the world XC team for the "United States of Africa" + Mason Ferlic. Can't say I really care about watching a bunch of Africans run some XC race.

But that's going to be distance running moving forward. East Africans who moved to other countries filling out 3/4+ of the field.

("This will actually be good for the Marathon. There will be no more 5000m/10000m gals/guys only choosing to specialize as a Marathoner in their thirties. Gals/guys are going to have to choose to specialize in Marathon at a far younger age."[/quote])

People already move up to the marathon waay too soon!

No need to panic ... wrote:

Any track event longer than 800m is usually only exciting the last 800m anyway. If we were to reflect back to 1960, which 5000m/10000m medalist would have been unable to be competitive in either 3000m or Marathon? 3000m is the perfect next event for aging 1500m athletes. In his salad days Lasse Viren was a strong two mile runner. It would have been great to see Viren, Miruts Yifter and other 5000m guys racing 3000m such as Ben Jipcho. This will actually be good for the Marathon. There will be no more 5000m/10000m gals/guys only choosing to specialize as a Marathoner in their thirties. Gals/guys are going to have to choose to specialize in Marathon at a far younger age.

How much of the marathon is exciting? ?

Blame Mo Farah for making distance boring. It was exciting before him and it’s exciting again after him.

I never raced further than two miles on a track. I have raced various distances up to Marathon on road. Road racing is less boring than racing 5000m/10000m on track.

You mentioned Mohammed Farah. Wouldn't have been interesting watching Farah years ago in his prime specialize in 3000m?

I assume if there were no 10000m, Haile Gebrselassie and Bekele Kenenisa would have been the only two, great at 3000m and Marathon.