Kipchoge without pacers

Umm . . . ever heard of the Olympics?

okayyyyy wrote:

Umm . . . ever heard of the Olympics?

Field is too diluted in the Olympics. Only 3 per country (specifically Kenya and Ethiopia and maybe Uganda). Also, some of the athletes show up injured or with suboptimal training.

The Olympics are so easy that even Rupp can medal

He would run at a steady pace. And then he would win.

Bib #1 wrote:

Eliud has amassed an incredible record in marathons with pacers. I don’t know if he has yet run a marathon without benefit of pacers.

How would he fare if he had to carry the pace by himself? In an unpaced race all other runners would just sit on him, try and keep up, and then try and out kick him at the end. If he had to race Mo or KB head to head, would he be strong enough to grind them down to avoid a sprint to the line? My sense is he would have trouble outkicking them if it came to that.

+1

Off the top of my head - to lazy to find the answer - but didn’t the pacers drop out super early in Berlin? Certainly much earlier than planned. He seemed to do ok there!

The way he finished London also indicated he knows how to run a tactical race, burning off the Ethiopians at just the right point with a well timed turn of the screw?

Farah? You mean the guy who finished over 3 minutes behind Kipchoge?

Bekele? You mean the guy who finished over 4 minutes behind Kipchoge last year and hasn't finished a marathon since?

Yeah, I think the greatest marathon runner in history could probably beat those guys.

Kipchoge passed the rabbit at mi 14 and split 4:32 mi in London. The split from 20k to 25k was 14:13, the fastest of the race. Then, at 40k, he dropped down to 2:42 for that kilometer and dropped Geremew. Kipchoge is the master tactician. If anything, having rabbits allowed more of the field to keep up with Kipchoge. I cannot imagine what Kipchoge would do to everyone if they did not have rabbits.

Bib #1 wrote:

Eliud has amassed an incredible record in marathons with pacers. I don’t know if he has yet run a marathon without benefit of pacers.

How would he fare if he had to carry the pace by himself? In an unpaced race all other runners would just sit on him, try and keep up, and then try and out kick him at the end. If he had to race Mo or KB head to head, would he be strong enough to grind them down to avoid a sprint to the line? My sense is he would have trouble outkicking them if it came to that.

Based on his racing, I think Kipchoge would be even better without pacers. He closed in a 61 half after going out in 61:30. Imagine what he could do off a 63 minute first half. It would be some otherworldly nonsense.

He would dominate as usual. People forget that he outkicked Bekele head to head in 2003 in a 5k, he actually has very good finishing speed. It wouldn't matter anyway; he is so far ahead of anyone else in the world right now, he has to be the favorite in any situation (fast race, slow race, raining, snowing, altitude, cold, hot...literally anything).

okayyyyy wrote:

Umm . . . ever heard of the Olympics?

I was just about to write the same thing.

I was going to say that 'Kipchoge without pacers=Rio'.

I was late. Ha ha ha ha!

Do they have pacers in Hamburg?

Bib #1 wrote:

okayyyyy wrote:

Umm . . . ever heard of the Olympics?

Field is too diluted in the Olympics. Only 3 per country (specifically Kenya and Ethiopia and maybe Uganda). Also, some of the athletes show up injured or with suboptimal training.

The Olympics are so easy that even Rupp can medal

All Eliud needs to do is run with everyone till the 30th kilometre and then, go all out after that.

Not many would hang with him.

Kipchoge could just lead all the way and they wouldn't be able to keep up. Ever.

Effillo1 wrote:

Off the top of my head - to lazy to find the answer - but didn’t the pacers drop out super early in Berlin? Certainly much earlier than planned. He seemed to do ok there!

The way he finished London also indicated he knows how to run a tactical race, burning off the Ethiopians at just the right point with a well timed turn of the screw?

Correct. He was on his own at 25k.

I agree exactly on both at Berlin and London, he had not problem dropping everyone, even after 35-38km.

4/10 you had a good amount of responses

you clearly have never watched Kipchoge run a marathon

Bib #1 wrote:

Eliud has amassed an incredible record in marathons with pacers. I don’t know if he has yet run a marathon without benefit of pacers.

How would he fare if he had to carry the pace by himself? In an unpaced race all other runners would just sit on him, try and keep up, and then try and out kick him at the end. If he had to race Mo or KB head to head, would he be strong enough to grind them down to avoid a sprint to the line? My sense is he would have trouble outkicking them if it came to that.

If the first 26.138 miles was a tactical slow jog for everyone, and it came down to a 100m finish, my money would be on Coleman.

As we've seen a few times, Kipchoge can be the pacer for everyone else for 90% of the race, and then drop the hammer on them. Right now he's helping his competitors more than pacers are helping him.

We're starting to see the same thing in HS races. pacers (even though they are not designated as such) running a fast 800 or 1200 and dropping out. Even starting to see coaches thinking theyre unique, have their runners jog the first 1200 and sprinting the last four.

Bib #1 wrote:

okayyyyy wrote:

Umm . . . ever heard of the Olympics?

Field is too diluted in the Olympics. Only 3 per country (specifically Kenya and Ethiopia and maybe Uganda). Also, some of the athletes show up injured or with suboptimal training.

The Olympics are so easy that even Rupp can medal

As easy as his 10K medal. Yep. You social justice phgs are something else.