Elinor Purrier SCRATCHED the 1500m!!!

1500m for her is high risk, high reward. A 4:02 athlete who's just 24 normally has a good shot of making the team and if she makes it a very good shot at making the final and even getting top 5 at world's if she makes the jump to 3:59, not that unlikely. However, with Simpson and Houlihan locks for the team, plus Grace possibly running and a lot of other runners under 4:05, it will be very hard to make this team. At 5000m, she has that 1500m speed to use at the end and has a lot of untapped potential ahead of 15:08. But even with a 30 second drop to 14:38 (the territory of Rowbury's old AR), which is not going to happen for years, if it does happen, she would still be at least 20 seconds behind the winner and maybe tenth at best. So, she's doing what gives her a much better chance to get to World's, but not the best chance to place highly. Good luck to her! She's had a terrific progression thus far out of a program that has had very little historical success.

Tried to post, didn't seem to work, checked to see that it wasn't there, reposted with a few changes, and now I see both are in there.

Schneider ran 4:02.26 en route in Monaco. The US is super deep in both events, so it will be a challenge to qualify in any event. Obviously Purrier feels her best chance is in the 5000 rested than trying for an outside chance in the 1500 and being tired in the 5000.

zxcvvzcx wrote:

At 5000m, she has that 1500m speed to use at the end and has a lot of untapped potential ahead of 15:08. But even with a 30 second drop to 14:38 (the territory of Rowbury's old AR), which is not going to happen for years, if it does happen, she would still be at least 20 seconds behind the winner and maybe tenth at best. So, she's doing what gives her a better chance at World's, but not the best chance to place highly at World's.

Getting 10th or better in the 5k might be easier for her to do than in the 1500m, plus the 5k gives her more of a long term upside.

I've seen her run a lot over the past few years, as I've had a kid in her conference. She is really talented and tough and fun to watch. But, I have to say, she isn't all that great of a tactical runner. I think it might be because she came from a small conference in college and just wasn't in all that many races that she couldn't dominate. In competitive races, she seemed to go in with a plan rather than react to what was going on in the race. That said, since turning professional I think she has learned a lot.

I've been hoping she'd choose the 5000. I think her chances are really good at making the team. If she is still near the lead with 400m to go, she'll make it. I think her problem will be if the field decides to run fast right from the start, but that rarely happens. As long as she sits and let's the race come to her, I think and hope she'll make the team.

Wasn’t Shelby Houlihan’s previous PR before she ran her 14:34 AR some where in the 15:0X’s?

Schneider's 4:20.91 converts to 4:01.1, and she has a solid kick. Both events will be tough, but the 5000 fresh is Elle's best bet by far.

Kieruna wrote:

Wasn’t Shelby Houlihan’s previous PR before she ran her 14:34 AR some where in the 15:0X’s?

Houlihan's PR was 15:00.37, run in the first heat at Worlds in 2017, when she was 24. She won the 5000 at USAs that summer as well. Before that, her PB was 15:06.14, run in 2016, when she was 23.

In March 2017, just after her 24th birthday, Houlihan won the Mile at US Indoors.

This year, just after her 24th birthday, Purrier finished 6th in the Mile at US Indoors, two places behind Shannon Osika.

Purrier's future looks bright. Next weekend should give us a clearer idea of exactly how bright.

Fact or Fiction wrote:

Kieruna wrote:

Wasn’t Shelby Houlihan’s previous PR before she ran her 14:34 AR some where in the 15:0X’s?

Houlihan's PR was 15:00.37, run in the first heat at Worlds in 2017, when she was 24. She won the 5000 at USAs that summer as well. Before that, her PB was 15:06.14, run in 2016, when she was 23.

In March 2017, just after her 24th birthday, Houlihan won the Mile at US Indoors.

This year, just after her 24th birthday, Purrier finished 6th in the Mile at US Indoors, two places behind Shannon Osika.

Purrier's future looks bright. Next weekend should give us a clearer idea of exactly how bright.

They do have many similarities. They both ran almost exactly the same mileage in HS/college - both notoriously low (20-25 mpw in HS, starting college with around 30-40 mpw and adding 10 each year).

However, fiber-wise they are quite different. Houlihan is coming more from the fast-twitch side, she has 55s 400m speed and already ran a 1:59 800. Purrier only got 57s 400m speed and hasn't broken 2:03 yet. Purrier might be better in distances of 10k+ later on, but for now I don't see her even beating Houlihan in a race when it comes down to a short kick at the end. Purrier would need to pull away earlier, like 400-800m out.

LateRunnerPhil wrote:

for now I don't see Purrier even beating Houlihan in a race when it comes down to a short kick at the end.

Beating Houlihan? That's a ways off. I'd be happy if she could just beat Osika!

I'm with the guy up thread who said she needs to work on her race tactics and. closing speed if she wants to turn time-trial speed into winning races.First things firs