Hope for Americans? Belgium's Koen Naert, who didn't break 2:10 in his 1st 6 marathons, just ran 2:07 in Rotterdam

How many barely known marathoners ran under 2:05 just this past weekend?

Hard to get excited about something as slow as a 2:07.

obvious3 wrote:

donyiyo wrote:

I don't see anyone talking about the Turkish runner who kicked Koen's rear by more than 2 minutes. Özbilen, finished second in 2:05:27, 16 seconds shy of Mo Farah’s European record and the second-fastest time ever by a European athlete. Turkey is part of Europe just in case ya'll forgot.

The VAST majority of Turkey is not part of Europe; I recommend to you any decent globe or map.

Most Americans don't know world history or geography. Say Ottoman Empire to the average American and they'll go blank.

obvious3 wrote:

How many barely known marathoners ran under 2:05 just this past weekend?

Hard to get excited about something as slow as a 2:07.

With the 4% shoes, 2:05 is the new 2:07 and 2:07 is the new 2:09.

zxcvzcvx wrote:

As for a 2:07 from a 13:32/28:xx guy, that is, um, amazing.

It either proves once again that Americans of far greater track ability are doing the wrong marathon training and hence, far, far underperforming relative to their abilities or there is another explanation for this performance.

Kawauchi: 13:58, 29:02, 1:02:18, 2:08:14

zzzz wrote:

zxcvzcvx wrote:

As for a 2:07 from a 13:32/28:xx guy, that is, um, amazing.

It either proves once again that Americans of far greater track ability are doing the wrong marathon training and hence, far, far underperforming relative to their abilities or there is another explanation for this performance.

Kawauchi: 13:58, 29:02, 1:02:18, 2:08:14

Look through the top Japanese marathon times, majority of them are very similar shorter distance PBs to Yuki. We seen the same thing with Bill Rodgers, Bob Hodge, Deek, Derek Clayton and many others (are examples of Europeans doing it).

sbeefyk2 wrote:

Europeans (and Africans for that matter) don't have the grueling NCAA system to clean out their clocks (i.e. run them into the ground) during their prime years. A guy like Ches had the potential to be a world champion during his NCAA years. Now he's 29 seconds behind Sammy Kipketer at Carlsbad. Sammy was very good, but he was never a world champion and Ches is over 200 meter slower.

Long story short, the NCAA system runs Americans into the ground. By the time they get out they can't break 2:10 for the marathon. It's too hard to run XC, indoors, and outdoors. It's 3 peaks per year for 4-5 years. Then they burn out and mentally give up and settle for 2:12-2:15 marathons.

An American who competed in NCAA and won multiple national titles in XC, Indoor and Outdoor track won two Olympic medals and ran 2:06 twice. How did he manage to avoid the burnout?

obvious3 wrote:

How many barely known marathoners ran under 2:05 just this past weekend?

Hard to get excited about something as slow as a 2:07.

Hard to get excited about 2:05 dopers.

Oregon, focuses on long term development, lots of rest, not overdoing it, gradually improve, leave room for improvement for many years after they graduate. It has been this way since Bowerman then Dellinger and the system stays the same (With some new workouts)

Drug doping or shoe doping? Or both?

Josphat Boit 2:07 and the age of 36! Has to certainly be a favorite for the U.S. team. At this point in 2019 he is 4 mins. ahead of the next American. Great run.

No, Boit is 6 mins. ahead of the next American at this point in 2019

olyrun wrote:

No, Boit is 6 mins. ahead of the next American at this point in 2019

Lol. No. The US Boit has not a run a marathon in quite a few years.

The Josphat Boit story should be huge, like front page material (rojo, wejo, etc - consider looking more into this!).

It sounds like he was a Kenyan citizen up until last year, competing in their commonwealth trials, and it was only around the end of 2018 when he got USA citizenship (right around when he paced Kipchoge?). Does anyone have any info on his USA ties?

I thought he was training in Kenya under Renato Canova up until Berlin last year.

Renato, do you have any more info on Josphat and his switch to US citizenship?

Thread from last year with Renato’s input on his running background:

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=9129926

Article mentioning his recent switch to USA citizenship:

https://therunninger.com/2018/09/19/josphat-boit-what-it-takes-to-pace-kipchoge/

Why would he want to? wrote:

xcrunner8 wrote:

Discus.

He’s better at the marathon than field events.

Are you sure? What is his high jump PB? Hammer throw?

Burnsy wrote:

The Josphat Boit story should be huge, like front page material (rojo, wejo, etc - consider looking more into this!).

It sounds like he was a Kenyan citizen up until last year, competing in their commonwealth trials, and it was only around the end of 2018 when he got USA citizenship (right around when he paced Kipchoge?). Does anyone have any info on his USA ties?

I thought he was training in Kenya under Renato Canova up until Berlin last year.

Renato, do you have any more info on Josphat and his switch to US citizenship?

Thread from last year with Renato’s input on his running background:

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=9129926

Article mentioning his recent switch to USA citizenship:

https://therunninger.com/2018/09/19/josphat-boit-what-it-takes-to-pace-kipchoge/

Stop it already! This Boit that paced Kipchoge is not the one that ran this past weekend!! The one that ran a couple of days ago was born in 1995!!!!

zxcvzcvx wrote:

That would be good if it is the guy in the video who doesn't get to race in the finals. That was a sad story.

As for a 2:07 from a 13:32/28:xx guy, that is, um, amazing.

It either proves once again that Americans of far greater track ability are doing the wrong marathon training and hence, far, far underperforming relative to their abilities or there is another explanation for this performance.

What should Ritz have run with 12:56/60:00 with a better marathon coach (going to Kenya earlier in his career)?

A guy who is running sub-28 should be able to do sub-2,10 in his sleep, otherwise he is underperforming.

A few decent Swedish marathoners and their PB:

Mikael Ekwall: 28,31/2,12

Anders Szalkai: 29,59/2,12

Tommy Persson: 28,56/2,11

Kjell-Erik Ståhl: 29,48/2,10

Anecdotal evidence.

Jack Flap wrote:

He is focused and disciplined in his approach; takes the long-term view of his goals, but is also realistic about his capabilities. Not afraid to challenge himself, but doesn't race over his head: Simply put, this Belgian doesn't waffle about his training or his goals or his racing strategies.

Stop the nonsense wrote:

Stop it already! This Boit that paced Kipchoge is not the one that ran this past weekend!! The one that ran a couple of days ago was born in 1995!!!!

Ah - to clarify, it looks like the Boit who paced Kipchoge was this athlete:

While the Boit who ran is a US citizen is this athlete:

He is indeed the former Arkansas runner (and has represented the US before at the HM WC)

The second article I linked in the previous post erroneously cited the Kipchoge pacer as recently receiving USA citizenship.

The IAAF profile erroneously credits the USA’s Boit with the Rotterdam 2:07:20

Summary:

USA Josphat Boit: did not run Rotterdam, IAAF profile wrong

Kenya Josphat Boit: 2:07:20 in Rotterdam, paced Kipchoge, has not received US citizenship